4.5 Stars
ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.

Adaline and Kason gravitated to one another like planets do to the sun, their worlds simply meant to collide, brought together by fate. Florida is like nothing Ady knows and being the new girl her senior year is sure to be a disaster. Her terrible fate is changed though, when a group of handsome, popular men take her under their wing, bringing with them Kason, a brooding boy she wants to know more about. They come from opposite worlds, it's more than money that divides them, but in one another they find friendship, trust, and love. Kason would do anything for her, he'd stop everything for her, and he tried, but the craving only gets worse. As it takes over his world, Kason may find that not even love can kill a craving.

"But the more she gives, the more I crave."

Crave Pt 1 is not only a unique book in E.K. Blair's long line of excellent novels, it's unique in the New Adult Romance genre as well. E.K. Blair's portrayal of young adults is excellent, their young age is obvious through their thoughts and their actions. The situations they face, though we never wish them on anyone, are real and the angst that spills out of this book felt so much like I was truly living the situation as a teen myself. I loved Kason and Adaline, the main characters whose alternating POVs tell the story of high school, friendship, lust, love, addiction, and more. Riddled with twists and turns, the days aren't always easy for Kason and Ady and the scenes that tore them up made my heart ache in my chest. The characters are innocent in many ways, but also exposed to the bad that lurks in the world. It's so easy to turn a blind eye, to pretend that things must be good for everyone if they're going well for you, and Crave doesn't allow you to do that. They face that bad just as you'd expect teens to, with trepidation, anxious of what they might find, they don't go in with all the answers and what they find shocks and changes them. Both Kason and Ady grow increasingly more complex with each twist that they go through. The authenticity of this entire novel was so amazing, the characters and the conflicts really were outstanding, and E.K. Blair brings to life the high school environment.

"When I think about how pure she is, it only reminds me how dirty I am."

If I had known what Crave was about prior to reading, say it had been spoiled for me, I might not have read it. Part of why this book is so stand out is E.K. Blair's ability to write about incredibly difficult situations, they're painful and real for many people, but what I usually consider a trigger for me was not in this case. I didn't feel like I was reading a book that an author set out to write to make money, that she was cashing in on a subject that is controversial, I felt like I was reading a book with an author who knew she was going to face a tough crowd and wanted to give 100 percent to. E.K. Blair writes with detail and complex emotion, making the characters empathetic and in turn making the book a better read. It highlighted the difficulties emotionally and physically and it's obvious E.K. Blair gave it her all to put meaning into the hows and whys.

"I swear I can feel him breathing through the holes of my wounds when he begs, 'Tell me what I can do. Tell me how to fix this, because I can't keep pretending I don't need you.'"

Crave was different than I expected, there's so much more to it than the blurb gives away, and it will keep you glued to the pages no matter what goes on around you. I was captivated by the story of Kason and Ady, I loved that Crave read like a true YA book while dealing with very adult situations. It's just an INCREDIBLE read. This story is unlike anything else out there right now, I promise. Readers, you don't want to miss this one. I already cannot wait for Crave: Part Two, Part One ends in such a dramatic, intense fashion and I already know E.K. Blair is going to give us an end to this story that proves once again what an incredible author she is. ( )

Talk about a rollercoaster of emotions. This is my first book by EK Blair and I plan on going back to read the rest now. I seriously need book 2 like NOW. If you are not a fan of cliffhangers, you need to wait until book 2 comes out before you start reading this one.

These characters are your typical rich teenage high school kids. They live in an affluent part of Tampa and hang out at the beach. The outcast is there because, one of the dads pulled some strings to get him in at the school and paid his way. He is a great student, good friend, and falls for the new girl as soon as he bumps into her. He also has some seriously dark secrets that trickle out over time and WOW!

The outcome was totally not what I expected. At first, I didn’t think I wanted to finish this book because of the content, but then I couldn’t stop reading it. Before I knew it, it was done and I was screaming for more. I need more NOW!
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