Revel By Maurissa Guibord

Revel by Maurissa Guibord

Hardcover, 352 pages

Published February 12th 2013

by Delacorte Books for Young Readers

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.

I like to experiment. Since I am a cover lover, I sometimes pick out books to read based solely on their covers, and just hope the contents do it justice. That's exactly what I did with Revel. Though honestly, the description ( now that I have read it ) is wonderfully elusive as well! Unlike many descriptions that give away 1/2 the story before you read the first chapter!

 My reactions within the first few chapters were all over the place! Like A fish out of water flip floppin on the deck! * Snickers* 

* No one will take her to Trespass Island? ... huh.. weird.
* Weird old man rolling literal Knuckle bones to make decisions ? Even Weirder!
* WTF is in the water! o.O
* ... Gonna smack the Grandma...
* AWE nvm, Gonna Hug her!
* Oh Cute guy!... Ugh Jerk... Awe Sweet!     

Seriously.. my emotions were everywhere. 

Thankfully this didn't last through the whole book. Slowly I started to work out what was going on and it was like an " ah ha" moment. ( Nope, not gonna tell ya (; ) 

Trespass island is filled with mysteries that will keep you guessing. An almost cult like atmosphere that will have you questioning your feelings about the characters, and some gruesome and terrifying scenes that may leave some with nightmares. 

In the midst of all this we have Delia, a character that won my heart in the first chapter when readers learn she was removed from her last foster home because she spoke up and called the cops because the foster mom was smoking in the car with a baby. This girl knows what she believes in and fights for it tooth and nail. She recognizes that things are not just black and white, but varying shades of grey. Ex: the Glaukos are creatures who did at one point attack, but when she sees one in obvious distress she cannot ignore it's cries of pain. 

This story had some major twists that left me stunned. A few I was able to guess a little earlier on than others, but still shocked me non the less. The Revel, The Glaukos, Sean, even Delia herself has secrets to share. 

The only thing that left me wanting was the back stories on some of the other characters. Zuzu and Jax in particular. We learn very little about  their lives before Delia arrived. I would have loved to know more about their lives growing up on the island. As far as I know this is a standalone ( though personally, I can see a possibility for more ) which makes me even more sad that we don't learn more about these side characters. 

Overall though I was thrilled with this story! I highly recommend it for fans of mythology/ folklore, dark stories and strong Female MC's! 

Rating: 5/5