Unfortunately this book isn’t for me in its current form, it needs a lot more work to me to be ready. It’s confusing in it current form, the writing, plot and pacing are all over the place. I think the premise and characters are good, it just needs more work and editing, but for me it’s a no at the moment

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a free copy for an honest opinion

The book has potential, but it’s really hard to get into, The characters disassociated attitude makes the beginning hard to read, alongside basic words like euphoria being defined on the page. Then the relationship develops without any build. It would do well to be fleshed out a bit more in sorry and character building. Also, trust your audience to know the words or perhaps learn them without you writing in definitions

Thank you to the publisher and to Netgalley for the advance copy of this book!

This book was a fun book and just a pleasure read. I loved the plot and storyline in the book. I loved the characters in this story. It gave me what I was looking for when I started reading this. I highly recommend this author. I will be looking for other works in the future from this author.

I have to say, I hated the writing style. There was so much I didn’t like about this story, the characters were unrelatable and there wasn’t enough build up to really care for them, the plot failed to have the spark I expected for a YA fantasy romance and the whole writing style was difficult to read thus making it hard to follow at times. I had no idea what was going on half the time during Ava’s mental breakdowns, whether this was the point to expose the difficulties of mental health I don’t know but frankly I couldn’t get my head around it. I put the book down so many times that in the end I didn’t end up finishing it.

The story itself is told from both view points of Ava and the mysterious Layton who she discovers in a secret underground party. I appreciated both perspectives as it did help to bring some of the story together, and I felt some relief reading Layton’s point of view which, although his character is very detached from being an old bored emotionless vampire, at least it made sense. Sometimes the writing was beautifully written in his perspective which increased the distinction between them.

‘He remembered that since long ago, people have been mesmerised by the pure of heart and the unbent or unbroken. He’d never understood that. It was the souls painted, shattered, and broken like a million stars in a galaxy that he found mesmerising. And even more beautiful still was the quilt they managed to manufacture after it all, which wrapped it all up with the kind of softness that still produced love somehow, and in ways others didn’t know how to. They were stars that still shined to us millions of years after they’ve burnt out. She was magnificent. He’d watched her break into a million pieces every time she’d gone into her room alone, shining in the dark, and then build herself back up again.’

In comparison, whenever I read anything from Ava’s perspective I just felt lost and half the time I had no clue what was going on or why. I felt like I was reading something from Alice in Wonderland, not knowing whether or not she was living in a dream world or reality. I really tried to get inside her head and ended up re-reading quite a few parts, but I just couldn’t. It’s a shame because Ava herself had a really interesting backstory, being abandoned by her mother as a teenager, living on the streets with a group of friends. It doesn’t explain why she ended up finding the funds to suddenly have a rich roommate and going to college to start fresh and leaving her friends behind, with the flashbacks we were given, there wasn’t enough to fully understand what she had gone through – then again, I didn’t finish it so maybe it was towards the end where we discover more.
I understood her need to be alone because she doesn’t trust herself to be around others, it doesn’t help that her ‘new friends’ are incredibly needy and want to spend every waking moment with her which makes her snap and look like the bad guy often – which then only plays more on her insecurities. I appreciate all of that, but I still couldn’t bring myself to like her or follow her way of thinking.

I have to give credit when it’s due, and that is definitely the way the author was able to set the scene. The details that were created in each setting were enough to make me continuing reading for the most part, whether Ava was sitting on the back porch overlooking the landscape with a warm drink in her hand, decorating her new room full of unique furniture, sitting at the top of the library’s bell tower at night, or exploring the underground tunnels to reach Lithium. It was pleasant to read the descriptive settings around the characters that really brought the book to life for me.

‘The four of them stood at the mouth of a gigantic, cavernous space lit with thousands of candles. Changing lights shone over the people dancing below. It was a subterranean world of colour so vibrant under dark pigment it seemed electric and dangerous. It’s inhabitants moved around in over-stylised outfits, some without many clothes at all, some only in body paint, even some in masks: masquerade masks, Greek theatre masks, homemade masks. They wore wigs and patchwork makeup. An item of clothing from every era was found throughout. There was no rhyme or reason to it.
No limits. No rules.’

Overall I have to say, the book had so much potential, but it wasn’t for me. I really don’t like giving bad reviews because it’s purely on my own personal perspective, not a criticism towards the author. Other readers may truly enjoy this story and writing style and I would still tell them to give it a chance if they enjoy YA vampire romance.

This was...quite the reading experience. I didn’t finish the novel for several reasons, all of which I will explain briefly. First I have to mention that I adore paranormal romance and am an avid reader of the genre. That being said, I’ve never read a book so bizarre, badly written, and sometimes downright disturbing as this one. It was confusing to follow Ava through what are key moments between her and well, whatever that thing of man is. Because of this, I found myself rereading ever interaction between them, trying to make sense of any paranormal aspects. But there was no sense to be found. The descriptions of both people and activities were strange. There were some aspects, one being the underground club and missing girls in town, that were mysterious and intriguing. But that wasn’t enough to keep me reading through writing that I couldn’t understand/follow half the time.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this eARC
I really loved this book! Although the first couple of chapters were extremely confusing, as the story unfolded it began to make more sense and I was hooked. Ava moved to start over but those voices just wont stop haunting her until she meets Layton at an underground dance club. There is something not quite right about him but Ava cannot stop wanting to be near him. She is being warned by all those around her but the pull towards him is just too much.
This had a lot of twists and turns in it right to the end and is up there as one of my favourites for the supernatural.

Vitality is the promising debut novel from author Crysta Levere. Vitality follows the story of Ava and Layton.  After suffering a mental breakdown, Ava decides she needs to move and have a fresh start. She instantly becomes friends with her roommate Dalilah. Dalilah brings Ava into her circle and gives her the friendship that Ava hopes will help her move on. Everything changes for Ava when she meets a mysterious stranger named Layton. He's beautiful yet cold. He brings out a side in Ava that she didn't know existed. Layton is everywhere, even her dreams and staying away is proving harder than Ava thought....

Overall, I thought this book was an ok read. I found the plot to be promising and original. I liked the darker tone that this book gave off. I thought this story was written well and I liked that it wasn't your typical vampire romance. I thought the characters were interesting and they definitely left you wanting more. I also appreciated the way the author dealt with the heavier subjects and the plot did hook me from the beginning.

However, there were some things that bothered me about this book. While I felt that the story was written well, there were times where I was left utterly confused. I didn't really know what was going on and that felt a bit distracting to me. Now, being left in the dark, isn't always a bad thing, but there is a big difference with being left in the dark and feeling utterly confused. My other issue, and to some, it might seem like a silly one, was that Ava kept going to her locker. Now, if she was in high school, this wouldn't even be an issue, but she's in college--there are no lockers in college. And that little aspect just drove me nuts. My last issue was that when it came to the characters, I wanted more. Don't get me wrong, I found all of the characters enjoyable and I liked what we got from them, I just wanted a little more depth and connection, especially with Ava and Layton.

Overall, I thought this book was an ok read. It wasn't a hit or miss for me, just somewhere in between. I think that this book wasn't bad for a debut novel and I do feel that the author has a ton of potential. Vitality is an intriguing story with a different twist on vampire romance. While I did find some aspects of the story confusing, I will say that Vitality does deliver with the unexpected twists and turns, and an ending that I certainly didn't see coming. So, even though this book wasn't a 100% hit for me, I will say that the ending left me intrigued enough that I'd like to see what happens in the next book.

Dangerous secrets churn beneath the veneer of small-town charm in Aberdeen, Massachusetts. Nineteen-year-old Ava has pulled herself up from abandonment and homelessness into being a student at Agatha College. A classified ad leads her to off-campus housing with Dahlila, a local, and friendship with her fellow designated Outcasts. Their small group ventures to an underground social club that pulses with sinister intentions. Soon, Ava's life becomes entangled with mysterious Layton's murky existence and hidden agenda. Their chemistry sizzles. Volatile confrontations, multiple mysteries, a sometimes unreliable narrator in Ava, and sliding timelines combine to make Vitality a whirlwind tale of obsession.

Loaded with young adult angst and declarations of existential philosophy, Ava and Layton's story also includes smooth integration of sexual orientation as a fluid trait, and references to mild kink. Moody atmospheric prose teeters close to purplish territory. Mixed metaphors, odd word substitutions, a few clunky scene transitions, and a pattern of discordant syntax in characters' dialogue distract from a strong premise and compelling intrigue that moves forward with accelerated momentum. More clarity in the initial setup would support a less jumbled sense of competing unknown key factors for readers to sort and understand. A thrilling, unpredictable conclusion establishes high expectations for Vitality 2 [sic]. Fans of Rachel Caine's Morganville series who enjoy more edgy menace and erotic intensity should devour this imaginative mix of supernatural lore.

I really wanted to follow this book from the first chapter since I was captivated by the description. The pacing was off and there was a lack of explaining the background throughout. It just felt short a little and I wished I could have say it swept me away, but it didn’t.

This book was received as an ARC from BooksGoSocial in exchange for an honest review. Opinions and thoughts expressed in this review are completely my own.

I could not stop reading this book and I basically read it in almost less than an hour. Every page was a surprise and it became more exciting each time you read it. I could not get enough of the passion and pain brought to Ava from moving to a new home to the adventures that awaits in the fairytales she reads. Then all is brought out when Ava meets the mystery stranger and her world gets turned upside down and they always say, be careful what you wish for. My heart was thumping, goosebumps were forming and I felt like I was along for the ride as Ava feels again for the love of the stranger, adapting to her new home, and accomplishing the thrilling adventures that await her in her tales. I know our YA readers will go crazy for this and I can't wait to hear their rave reviews.

We will consider adding this title to our YA collection at our library. That is why we give this book 5 stars.

The first thing I’m going to say is this: I’m confused.
I think that the story had a good primary concept, but it wasn’t well assembled.
The prose is not bad, the are certain parts that were little gems, but if you see it as a whole there are still a lot of lacks. For example - as a reader - I’ve found that some descriptions weren’t necessary, some parts felt like sort of filler before big moments.
I also didn’t feel connected with the characters, some things about Ava (the main character) are still confusing to me.
All in all I believe that as a first novel it is not bad and would recommend it as a quick read to lovers of the genre, but I expect more for the sequel if there is going to be one.

I really liked the book because I enjoy the mysterious and poetic descriptions and the good setting very much. The characters are very well described and look well thought out. The writing style is pleasant and very fluently to read.

First off, I don't want to make this a negative review because in my opinion there isn't really any "negativity" when it comes to books, it's just your opinion and your preference in reading. This review is based solely on my opinion and my reading preferences.

This book really had me confused from page 1 and throughout. With this being the first book (in a series I'm sure to come) you start off with no back story, no understanding who these characters are, why Ava moved to where she did even though her roommate Dahlila at the beginning asked "why did you move here, with me?"

This book was all over the place, there was no depth to any of the characters including Ava. This had a feel of so many other plots where she sees a strange guy and is instantly drawn to him despite what her body or emotions are trying to tell her.

This kept me too confused and bounced around too much I had the hardest time following along. I still don't even understand what the plot of the book was, what the characters were trying to achieve or for that matter why this story needed to be told.

I liked the concept of this novel and appreciated the story at its core but I was not a fan of the writing style, and the pacing made it hard for me to pay attention. I found myself reading the same paragraph multiple times.

Vitality is very well written and has an original plot that keeps the reader enthralled, trying to guess what happens next and unravel and get to know the characters,

‘And I fear some have no choice in who they are. If the sun wanted to change his course just to see the moon, look at what he would have to destroy to get there.” Layton turned her over into the sand and lay over her, his hold on her wrist still tight. “And yet, I think he would do it.”


I don’t even know what to write in this review for fear I’ll give the whole game away and what a game it is. This is another case of a story starting off really strong, being able to hook a reader in from the offset, but somehow, somewhere along the way, something slipped or just didn’t pan out the way the reader was hoping and the fall out from it was a loss of interest. Or maybe not so much a lack of engagement but it became too convoluted for me to bask in the enjoyment of reading it. When I couldn’t trust what I was reading, I started to feel a little bit of a detachment. I understand what was occurring, I even appreciated the originality and dramatic flair but it left me feeling cold and confused. Which I guess is precisely how our heroine was left.


I had a hard time connecting to either the heroine or the hero. They were both so aloof, clinical, detached and cynical. To the point where their personalities were very wooden, self-contained and very hard to really understand. In our hero’s instance, I guess it was because of what he is and for that I was able to look past his remote character and see beneath. It is only when our two protagonists become more involved within each other’s lives that they melt one another’s icy exteriors. There is more emotion, more passion and conflict, more drama and heartache. Yet as we steamed straight ahead to the ending, I feel like I was Kaiser Sozed by it all. Lulled into a false sense of security within the plot and within the characters actions and dialogue. The ending left me gobsmacked, unsure, aggravated and tense. Nothing made sense to me then. It was one of those stories where I had to sit and replay everything back in my head to determine if I enjoyed it or not.


Overall, Vitality is well written. It’s certainly different from any other vampire romance that I’ve read. It was a little dark, packed with little twists and turns, an array of differing characters, sometimes too many to keep track of, but I’m not sure how other readers fared with how it concludes, I just know that I wasn’t a happy bunny.

This was interesting and definitely kept me reading until the end. It's no stretch to say this is one for the Twilight crowd, it contains a similar, intense fantasy based romance. There the similarities end however and it goes it's own way. I liked the book but I acknowledge that I fall a little outside the target audience. For one thing, I just wasn't invested in the romance - though I should point out that I was not invested in the romance in Twilight and any similar books; I am a hard sell for romance fill stop. The story was engaging enough that I enjoyed it anyway and I think it captured the sense of loss, isolation and the inability to trust your own mind after trauma very well.