Review: Craving

Craving by Kristina Meister

My rating: 5 of 5 stars



Book Info: Genre: Dark Urban Fantasy/Metaphysical Thriller
Reading Level: Adult
Recommended for: Anyone to whom it appeals
Trigger Warnings: violence, murder, suicide

My Thoughts: This is a very strange—but absolutely amazing—book, full of mysteries and hallucinations. The reader never quite knows if something is really happening or not, which can lead to a bit of confusion at times, but the story is beautifully written, with gorgeous language. In many cases, at least for me, this can make all the difference between loving a book and being so confused I can't finish it. An example of the sort of writing I'm talking about:

“The immense windows that made up the north-facing wall were tinted so that the entire scene had an aura of man beating materials into a sterile kind of submission. A bank of elevators shone behind the security guard's head in a vicious silver beam, but dinged cheerfully. Clones in every kind of suit moved around like ichor in the fat, hardened, corporate arteries, their leather shoes clicking impatiently.”

Described as a metaphysical thriller, I've added “dark urban fantasy” to it, due to the monsters and mayhem that lurk at the edges of the story. Or do they? Again, I was never quite sure what was real, what had really happened, and what was just a dream in the main character's mind.

I spoke to the author of this book shortly after I started it to tell her I was enjoying it, and she wrote back to let me know that there are lots of little clues sprinkled throughout the book, things that will help with understanding the rest of the trilogy as it is released.

This is a trippy little story. It was certainly not what I was expecting from JournalStone, but I absolutely loved it. If you're interested in metaphysics, Buddhism, enlightenment, or just a wonderful story, check out this book. I'm already looking forward to reading it again, when the second book in the trilogy is released. Highly recommended.

Disclosure: I received a copy of this e-book through the LibraryThing Early Reviewer's program in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Synopsis: After a messy divorce and the suicide of her younger sister, Lilith Pierce sets about the responsible task of cleaning up Eva's final mess. She orders the casket, cleans the apartment, but is plagued by a frighteningly prophetic conversation preceding Eva's death. When Lilith begins to investigate the bizarre details of Eva's life, she has no idea the path of personal transformation she has embarked upon. Down the rabbit hole, she dives, into a world of strange powers, koan-spouting immortals, and dangers to humanity only she seems destined to prevent.

"Angels, Demons, villains, vampires . . . they don't stand a chance."

Stephenson's "Snow Crash" meets "Siddhartha" in this fascinating metaphysical thriller from debut author Kristina Meister. "Craving" is a suspenseful tapestry woven through with the golden threads of myth, philosophy, and sarcasm, exploring the nature of love, faith, and how ideas can change the world.



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