Vitality by Crysta Levere – a Review

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August 25th – E-book of Vitality is on sale for $.99 on above links

Description:
She’s fighting for life. He’s fighting for death.

What does it take to live? What does it take to love?

To Ava, love is about as real as fairy tales. But it might be that fairy tales, myths, and magic have some truth to them after all — as well as the monsters that lie in the shadows. Or she could just be completely out of her mind.

After a mental breakdown and a move to a new town, everything changes when Ava clashes with a stranger with eyes as black as midnight and a terrifying sinister air. Her wishes to feel something again become granted. But Ava soon learns that not only is he as cold as he is beautiful, but he brings something out of her, stronger than ever, like fuel to fire — something she’s desperate to bury. He haunts her dreams and waking life, and staying away becomes harder than she could have ever imagined, risking her life, her humanity, and the people that she cares about. Not to mention the fate of the world.

A violent passion. A dangerous bond. A nightmare that will change everything.

She could spend a lifetime searching, and looking for the one thing that might make her whole, that made the reason for her existence, even though, possibly, she could be forever lost in doing so. She could feel that was the only way, even if it took a lifetime, an eternity, a forever. She could follow her heart. Or she could stay… where she was a person — only half, though still more than a drifting wind — only helpful to another’s existence and not anymore her own. She could stay, starving and wilting, knowing each day that this pull, this grab from reality she felt every minute of every day, could be seizing her… asking her… needing her to follow it — and knowing it until her last petal fell.

Review:

Vitality by Crysta Levere is a standalone novel.  Oooooh I liked this one….. 

Poor Ava, she’s just trying to get by. Recovering from a mental breakdown, she’s moved to a new town, and now she just wants to be left alone. Moving into a house with a housemate isn’t ideal. Dahlila starts out as a nuisance, she won’t leave Ava alone; introducing her to her friends Danny and Shane. Slowly she accepts the friendship they offer. Maybe she will get stronger, maybe this place can heal her. 

Layton is a vampire. After seeing Ava, she’s his new obsession, and with all his past obsessions it too will fade. But she doesn’t, she haunts him, she makes him crazy! Why can’t he just take her and drain her? 

The game he plays with her mind is cruel, but not to him, it’s only a game, the hunt, the whispering, the touches. But as he plays with her, she slowly lures him in, what’s so special about her? Why can’t he break he break her spell? 

The story does jump around, the points of views from both Ava and Layton had me a little confused! It’s not your usual vampire story, this is very dark. Dealing with depression is always a tricky subject. Dealing with loss needs to be dealt handled with care. And both these subjects were treated with respect and research. The authors idea of a vampire is very different.

My feelings towards this book, is confusion, but I did like all the characters, her new pack of friends were well rounded. The “Elite” group at college were all the people we loved to hate (pretentious, false and glamorous). Layton and his crew were shrouded in mystery. All we got was snippets (but that had me wanting more) 

I spent a lot of time wondering what was real, what was imaginary and what the hell was going on! And I did not see the end coming, totally threw me. 

Reviewed by Julie

Copy supplied for review