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Themes are the fundamental and often universal ideas explored in a literary work.
The Transformative Power of Desire
Desire plays a pivotal role in both the plot and character development of Crave, weaving through the narrative in various forms. The supernatural beings of this novel are driven by their desires, and the fact that they’re also teenagers heightens their instinctual cravings. . Sexual desire and the desire for power are their primary motivators, mirroring the characters’ competing desires for blood, power, love, and acceptance.
In a different way, Grace's desire for understanding and belonging in a new, intimidating environment propels much of the story. Having lost her family, she desperately wants to find a place to belong and to escape her crushing grief. Her initial interest in Jaxon seems driven as much by her desire to distract herself from grief as it is by lust and attraction for him. These desires are not just whimsical wants; they are deep-seated, competing needs that define her existence and influence all her interactions. Grace also has an insatiable desire for information and is willing to put herself in significant danger (like exploring the school’s underground tunnels during an earthquake) in order to get it. Desire often supersedes her physical needs, as she pushes herself beyond her limits to get what she wants.
The novel also explores the theme of forbidden desire and the need for restraint, particularly in the context of the romance between Grace and Jaxon. Jaxon, as a vampire, mostly drinks animal blood, but as Grace is a human, he has to consciously restrain himself from drinking hers. When she does allow him to, he has to force himself to stop before he kills her: his desire for her stems from both hunger and attraction. Their relationship also transcends social norms and expectations within the supernatural community. The forbidden aspect of love between a human and a vampire adds an element of danger to their partnership, intensifying the emotional stakes and the sense of urgency in their relationship.
Another important aspect of desire in Crave is its juxtaposition with duty and responsibility. Characters often find themselves torn between their desires and their obligations to their respective supernatural factions. Jaxon killed Hudson because he was unable to control his desires, but Jaxon still struggles to master his own cravings for power and control. This conflict and others like it create internal struggles, forcing characters to reconcile their personal wants with their duties to their communities. Desire in Crave is a fundamentally transformative force. It pushes characters to evolve, challenging them to step out of their comfort zones and confront their fears. Whether it's the desire for love, power, acceptance, or revenge, “craving” things is the energy that drives the novel’s plot engine.
Navigating Grief
The theme of navigating grief is central to the journeys of many characters in Crave. Following the tragic death of her parents, Grace has to control her emotions and adapt to the challenges of her new life while deep in mourning. Her grief is a constant undercurrent throughout the novel, influencing her all her relationships and shaping her perspective. Grace's grief is not just about the loss of her parents, but also about the loss of her previous identity and the life she once knew in San Diego. As she confronts the high-stakes challenges of Katmere Academy, she is able to overcome her overpowering sadness and use her grief to motivate her. It's through her experiences at Katmere, including her relationships with Jaxon, Macy and Lia, that Grace starts to process her grief. Rather than just being a state of sadness, the novel presents grief as a multifaceted journey that’s aligned with the teenage transition into adulthood’s complications. Grace and her companions have no choice but to learn that pain always coexists with growth, resilience, and eventual acceptance.
Jaxon is also deeply motivated by grief, as he has become the heir to the Vampire Throne after killing his own brother. Although he believes Hudson was evil and killing him was the right course of action, Jaxon still misses him and wishes things had gone differently. His grief co-exists with his guilt, and the two feed on each other until he feels compelled to confide in Grace. Being able to share their grief with each other quickly becomes a source of bonding and security for the pair. Although it’s hard to talk about the deaths of their loved ones, they are able to find the silver lining of common ground within it.
The dark side of grief isn’t absent from the novel, however: not everybody learns from their pain. Lia Tanaka, Hudson’s former girlfriend is driven to attempted murder by her sadness at his death. She pretends to be Grace’s friend so that she can take revenge on Jaxon for killing Hudson, and tries to assuage her own pain by making him feel the pain of “losing a mate.” Jaxon’s mother is also toxically swayed by her grief, as she blames Jaxon for his brother’s death and treats him unkindly because of it. Characters who process their grief, like Jaxon and Grace, are able to gain strength from it, but there are also characters who let their grief consume them: Lia is so miserable by the end of the novel that when Jaxon and Grace kill her, she uses her last breath to thank them.
The Dangerous Path to Self-Discovery
Crave explores the theme of self-discovery primarily through its protagonist, Grace. Uprooted from her familiar life and placed in the midst of supernatural beings at Katmere Academy, Grace is forced to confront and redefine her identity. She thinks she knows who she is when she leaves San Diego, but her new circumstances force her to reestablish what is truly important to her. She is able to grow and change because of her own inherent resilience, but also because she faces a great many challenges and trials.
As she navigates the complexities of a world filled with vampires, witches, and other mystical entities, Grace’s development as a young woman is aligned with her development as a Katmere student. She learns about the hidden supernatural world, but also gains important knowledge about her own strengths, weaknesses, and unexplored potential. The process of self-discovery in Crave is not straightforward; it’s fraught with setbacks and revelations that push Grace to her limits. Because most of the novel is narrated from her perspective, the reader gets an intimate window into the way she processes things, and we watch as she transforms into a more confident, mature version of herself. Grace's journey to self-knowledge is an extended metaphor for the adolescent quest for identity. When the novel starts, she is so weak and unsure of herself that she almost crumples over from grief and altitude sickness. By the end of the book, she has become so strong and self-sufficient that she is literally able to turn herself into stone to protect the person she loves.
Supernatural Powers and Teenage Angst
Crave, like many other YA paranormal romance novels, draws parallels between the fantastical powers of imaginary supernatural beings and the more universal experiences of adolescence. Grace, a human girl surrounded by vampires, witches, and other mythical creatures, faces both the challenges of adapting to a new, dangerously magical environment and the quintessential struggles of teenage life. She has to deal with the idea of having an immortal boyfriend and friends who can turn into werewolves and dragons, while also avoiding getting acne and taking too long to text Jaxon and Macy back. The rapid changes all teenagers go through run parallel to the development of the powers of the young supernatural creatures in this novel. For example, Jaxon struggles to control his emotions, like many teenage boys. However, because he’s a vampire with telekinetic powers, when he feels things strongly he causes earthquakes and other psychic disturbances around him. This volatility also seems to be linked to his sexuality, as when he begins his relationship with Grace the earthquakes start in earnest. Grace, whom the reader later finds out is a gargoyle, worries that she’s too closed off and that her grief and loneliness will harden her to the world: at the end of the book this becomes a strength, as she’s able to turn herself into stone to protect Jaxon.
Similarly, the presence of different supernatural groups at Katmere Academy mirrors the cliques and social hierarchies commonly found in high school settings. The vampires are beautiful and untouchable, the witches zany and creative, the shifters athletic and rambunctious. At Katmere, a person’s place in the social hierarchy is always directly related to their magical affiliation. However, all the common tropes of high school popularity problems are also present. Jaxon’s friends are nicknamed “the Order” by other characters as they’re all rich, handsome, and unfriendly. If Crave were a normal high school novel, the vampires would be the most popular kids in school. Grace is the “new kid” in every way possible, especially because she’s (as far as she knows) the only non-supernatural person there. It’s only after going through typical teenage rites of passage, like navigating school dances, dealing with friendship conflicts, and getting into a committed relationship with a physical component, that Grace is able to discover new aspects of her own supernatural and adult identities.
