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Symbols are objects, characters, figures, and colors used to represent abstract ideas or concepts.
Katmere Academy
Katmere Academy, where the story unfolds, is a microcosm of the real world. Like all schools, it’s a place of learning, not just academically but also in terms of self-discovery and understanding the demands that adulthood will bring. The Academy's Gothic architecture, alarming décor, and hidden corridors reflect the secrets and mysteries central to the story. Even without the paranormal students, going to Katmere would be like attending school in a creepy fairytale set in modern-day Alaska. At the same time, it’s also a place where different supernatural entities are able to (somewhat) peacefully coexist. The school reproduces the real world the teenagers will shortly have to face on a smaller scale, including the necessity for managing emotions, practicing acceptance and standing up for oneself.
Blood
In Crave, blood represents life, power, and survival. Everyone requires it to stay alive, but the vampires in particular spend a lot of their time and energy managing their cravings for it so that they can live among others without harming them. Blood is more than just a physical necessity. On a metaphorical level, it’s a symbol of deeper connections and relationships. While drinking human blood is a fundamental part of vampiric needs and desires, the right bloodlines are also a ticket into all aspects of the world of the supernatural aristocracy. The paranormal world is deeply segregated by blood relationships, as magical powers of all kinds are only passed on through families. Paranormal beings also live in a society with a self-contained class system based on this inheritance, as the “heirs” to all four major communities attend Katmere Academy. Who a person is, and what they are allowed to do is inextricably tied to what’s in their blood and who knows about it.
For Grace, who has no idea what her bloodline consists of, blood is also a source of intense curiosity. Lia tells her that she knows Grace is not human, and that there’s something else in her blood. Grace has no idea what she means at the time, but later discovers the latent gargoyle powers flowing through her veins. Her own blood is also a constant reminder of the fine line between life and death in her relationship with Jaxon, as she’s not only a partner but a potential food source for him.
Hot Pink
The color hot pink appears several times in the novel as a symbol of Grace’s childhood and her relationship with her family. It’s strongly tied to her grief about losing her parents and giving up the life she knew in San Diego. She loved the color as a child, which is one of the only things Macy and her uncle Finn know about her when she comes to Katmere Academy. When she arrives in Alaska, Macy presents her with a set of hot pink snow equipment, and upon their arrival at Katmere she discovers that Macy has also bought her hot pink clothes and a hot pink comforter set. Although Grace’s favorite color is actually purple, she gradually begins to like hot pink again as more hot pink care items from Macy show up in her day-to-day life. She wears it more and more during her time at Katmere, becoming more comfortable with it as she moves through her mourning process and into acceptance. Eventually, it becomes so tied to her character that Jaxon says he will “associate that color with Grace until the day [he] dies.”
