{Review} of Revel by Maurissa Guibord

Revel by Maurissa Guibord
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

GENRE: YA Fantasy
THEME: Mythology/Romance
RECEIVED: Swap
AUTHORS BLOG: Maurissa Guibords Site

BLURB:

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.

REVIEW:
SPEECHLESS! After I read the last page I sat there thinking about what I was going to say and I couldn’t think of anything but how much I loved what I just finished. The characters were wonderfully developed, the plot was mysterious and caught me by surprise and of course the romance! This is definitely my favorite of 2013 and being my first book by Maurissa Guibord, it will not be my last.

Revel follows Delia McGovern who is determined to go the Trespass Island where her mother grew up. But once she arrives, she isn’t welcomed with open arms but with stares and warnings. Even her own grandmother wants her to leave, but for her own safety. Delia quickly learns that Trespass has many secrets and she finally discovers why her mother left in the first place.

Delia is a character that readers will connect with right away. After loosing her mother, she wants to go to the place she was born and where her only living relative is suppose to be. If I was put in her shoes, I wouldn’t let anything stand in my way of visiting the only relative I had left, Delia does just that and then some. She not only discovers the strange traditions and mystery that keeps all the residents from leaving the island, but she finds out how she’s connected to it all. I loved her growing relationship with her grandmother and to see how they needed each other after the loss of her mother, plus to stay safe from all the “monsters” on the Island.

Sean is someone on Trespass that everyone seems to respect. He also has a secret and always seems to want to protect Delia. I was shocked the most by Sean’s character development, I wasn’t prepared for what happens and absolutely loved the major twist.

Jax is hugely connected to Trespass Island in many ways; he is also an outcast and most people stay away from him. Delia can’t seem to get him out of her head after their first encounter and their chemistry develops at a perfect pace. I enjoyed reading Jaxs’ development, he was so curious about Delia and the readers will definitely see how confused he is by her actions and boldness. Lets just say I’m very much Team Jax!

Overall Revel rocked and I seriously can’t wait to read this again. Delia is a memorable protagonist that the readers will love following her through her discovery of the island. The “monsters” and mysteries were creatively done and I loved the mythology twist. There are many monsters to this story, god like beings to creepy creatures that make you never want to go near an ocean. The lead characters have to rely on each other to fight off the real dangers, while learning that Delia is very important to Trespass.

As a reader who is starting to get picky about what Young Adult books I read, I was thrilled with the originality and thrilling pace that kept me hooked to finish in one sitting. If you like mythology, romance and a mystery that will keep you guessing Revel is a must read and shouldn’t be missed!

RECOMMENDATION:
This is a young adult novel that I highly recommend! Fans of Aimee Carters The Goddess Test series and Jennifer Esteps’ Mythos Academy series will want to dive into Revel by Maurissa Guibord.

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