Review: Revel by Maurissa Guibord

Revel by Maurissa Guibord

Publisher: Delacorte Books for Young Readers

Publication Date: February 12, 2013

Rating: 5 stars

Source: Copy provided by the author

Summary (from Goodreads):

There’s an island off the coast of Maine that’s not on any modern map.

Shrouded in mist and protected by a deadly reef, Trespass Island is home to a community of people who guard the island and its secrets from outsiders. Seventeen-year-old Delia grew up in Kansas, but has come here in search of her family and answers to her questions: Why didn’t her mother ever talk about Trespass Island? Why did she fear the open water? But Delia’s not welcome and soon finds herself enmeshed in a frightening and supernatural world where ancient Greek symbols adorn the buildings and secret ceremonies take place on the beach at night.

Sean Gunn, a handsome young lobsterman, befriends Delia and seems willing to risk his life to protect her. But it’s Jax, the coldly elusive young man she meets at the water’s edge, who finally makes Delia understand the real dangers of life on the island. Delia is going to have to fight to survive. Because there are monsters here. And no one ever leaves Trespass alive.

What I Liked:

First, let me say that this book is in no way associated with Mrs. Guibord's first novel, Warped. Warped (2011) is AMAZING, a story about time-travel and curses and Fate, and I totally recommend to anyone, but Revel is not related to Warped in any way. Just a note :)

Second, can I just say how GORGEOUS the cover of Revel is!? I love the blue and white swirls, and trust me, it's even prettier in person. AND SHINY. This one is quite the stunner from Delacorte.

Okay, now the actual book. This review might be a little short, because I LOVED this book. And usually, with books that I absolutely love, I tend to go on and on and gush endlessly about things that I loved (which tends to be everything), and I'm sure people get the idea after a while.

The story does not start slowly at all - which I appreciated. While I will read through them, I am not a fan of slow starts. Revel kicks off quickly and gains speed, adding the mythological aspect of the book faster than I expected (not at all a bad thing). The pacing of this book was perfect (in my opinion), and fit the story extremely well.

I enjoyed reading about Delia. She is a heroine that anyone can like, and she is tough and inquisitive. I love the way she stood up for herself at every chance she got. She wasn't snarky or rude, but she was assertive, and I found myself cheering her on. It is never easy fitting in a place where no one wants you. I think she handled everything thrown at her very well, especially the no-technology-on-this-island thing. That one would not have sat well with me.

Delia's Gran is a fabulous mentor, and Zuzu and Reilly are excellent friends. Each character's relationship with Delia is different and rocky, but each character cares about each other and Delia, so I genuinely liked each of them by the end of the book. Sean is another sweet secondary character who fights to protect everyone on the island, which almost ended up being a disaster for him.

But Jax. Jax is my favorite character of this book. Right from his formal introduction (there was an informal one first), we know that he is not perfect, or godlike (no pun intended), or the stereotypical divine male that pops out of nowhere and is suddenly a love interest. He still is a love interest, but he's not like, the usual HOT supernatural male creature. That made me love him even more. He is an outcast, but he is so noble. There seriously aren't enough to describe this guy. Just trust me - he's amazing in a not-so-typical way. I feel like only shallow readers wouldn't like him, because he isn't perfect. But I think his imperfections make him even more appealing, and apparently, Delia thought so, too (hint hint).

So, yes, there is sort of a love triangle. But you can tell where it was going as soon as you read about both love interests. It is so obvious, which is GOOD. No choosing teams or getting up-in-arms over Delia. She knew what she really wanted, they knew what they really wanted, and the romance wraps up cleanly.

The plot of this book was fantastic. I don't want to give anything away, but believe me, you will not be bored at any point in this book. I always found myself wondering, "What happens next?" throughout the book, and I could not wait until the end to find out. And contrary to what I thought, the ceremony Revel is NOT the climax of the book. Usually, the one big event of the book is the climax, towards the end-ish. Well, the ceremony Revel is past the middle, but it isn't the climax. A nice surprise for me, who usually has things figured out halfway through books. The monsters, the transformations, the deaths... you will NOT be disappointed! Or bored! 

I thought this was going to be a short review, and I wouldn't gush. Oops.

What I Did Not Like:

There really isn't anything that I can put here. Maybe the fact that I can't understand how Delia gave up technology to live on Trespass Island? I could never do that. But that's more of a personal preference, not a negative in a book.

Would I Recommend It:

YES! Go get it NOW! Anyone can read and will most likely love this book. 

Rating: 

5 stars - there was no doubt in my mind after I finished this one that it would be 5 stars from me. Revel will definitely be in my favorites of 2013 list, just as Warped as in 2011!

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