Review - The Revelry by Katherine Webber

 

 

 Title: The Revelry

Author: Katherine Webber

Pages: 272

Publisher: Walker Books

Release Date: 6th January 2022

 

Blurb from Goodreads: 

A story of best friends, bad luck and the consequences of breaking the rules in a town built on secrets and superstitions.

I am girl of Ember Grove, and these are my woods...

Growing up in Ember Grove, Bitsy Clark knows better than to mess with the long-held traditions of her hometown. Until her best friend, Amy, persuades her to sneak into the Revelry - the end of school party in the woods, to which only those leaving are invited.

When she wakes the next day, Bitsy can't remember anything from the night before. Weirder still, whenever she tries to speak about the Revelry, Bitsy chokes on the words. But this is just the beginning, and what starts out as a run of bad luck starts to feel like a curse. As Bitsy's life goes from bad to worse, things only get better and better for her best friend. It's as if there's only so much luck to go round and Amy's getting all of it...

 

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My Review:

*I received an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. Thanks to Walker Books and NetGalley*

Bitsy Clark has lived in Ember Grove her entire life and knows not to go against the traditions that have lasted generations. Traditions such as the Revelry - a party held in the woods at the end of the school year where only the graduating classes are invited.

But when Bitsy's best friend, Amy, convinces her to sneak into that year's Revelry - which is not their year to attend - strange things begin to happen. Bitsy can't remember anything from the Revelry, and words get stuck in her throat when she tries to talk about it.

Then bad luck starts to plague Bitsy, meanwhile Amy seems to be getting all the good luck.

What happened at the Revelry?

Will Bitsy be able to change her luck before it's too late?

The mystery element of this book really intrigued me, so I was looking forward to reading it.

Bitsy was a likeable and relatable protagonist most of the time - for while I did feel sorry for her, there were also times when I found her annoying.

I felt the same about Amy, Bitsy's best friend. Although, I did prefer Bitsy to Amy.

The setting of Ember Grove was interesting, and I thought the author did a good job of making Ember Grove feel small, isolated and a bit creepy.

The plot was interesting to begin with, but after a while I did start to lose interest, partly due to finding Bitsy frustrating at times. Unfortunately, I did become less invested as the book went on.

The concept of the Revelry was interesting and I enjoyed finding out more about it.

The writing style was easy to follow.

I'm disappointed that I didn't enjoy this more.

Overall, this was a mixed read.