Crave

Vampirism in literature began with the short story “The Vampyre” (1819) by John William Polidori. Many plays were based on this initial work, creating a Gothic and Romantic subgenre of vampire-centered stories. In 1897, vampire literature became increasingly popular with the release of the classic Dracula by Irish author Bram Stoker.

Since then, the genre has gone through periods of popularity and decline. The 1931 film adaptation of Dracula starring Bela Lugosi became a classic and the basis of modern portrayals of Count Dracula. In the 1990s and early 2000s, shows like Buffy The Vampire Slayer and The Vampire Diaries became popular with young audiences. The Twilight novel (2005-2020) and film (2008-2012) series then led to an explosive resurgence of the vampire fandom, sparking many variations on YA vampire romance plots. Since Twilight, YA titles have diversified to include many paranormal romances, including series like Crave, Vampire Academy, Marked, City of Bones, Bloodlines, Blue Bloods, and many more. These novels often feature female teenage protagonists who have a forbidden love story with a male vampire. These stories are mostly heteronormative and, like other Gothic narratives, contain themes of the blurred lines between life and death, pleasure and pain, and good and evil.