Revel by Maurissa Guibord

Setting: A private island off the coast of Maine where visitors aren't welcome, unnatural mists roll in unexpectedly from the sea, and where, once there, you might not be allowed to leave.

First Line: Maybe I should have known from the beginning to stay away from Trespass Island.

My Thoughts: I've always wanted to live on an island, but I don't think I'd want to live on Trespass. Delia McGovern's mother, Helen, escaped the island when she was 16, but now Helen is dead, and Delia, just 17 herself, heads to Trespass with her mother's ashes, hoping to meet her grandmother and find some answers to her mother's mysterious past. What she discovers is much more magical and strange:  demigods straight out of a Greek myth, sea monsters, portents and rituals, an impossible love ... and danger, especially for someone like Delia who doesn't understand the island's rules. Can she survive the island? Or will she be forever changed?

Guibord's writing is a pleasure to read. She's adept at building suspense, and I liked that I couldn't tell how this YA novel was going to end. Another bonus for me, since I'm stuck here in Salt Lake City in the winter cold, was being able to escape to the warm summer sun and sand of Trespass Island for a little while each day:

"I was growing to love the sea. Every morning the tide made a new beach, washing away whatever had been there before and leaving new treasures. And the water was never the same color twice. Some days the waves were rich indigo blue, sparkling with winks of sunlight; on others, a bleak gray as cold and heartless as stone."

 See what I mean? If you're looking for a fun beach read with a bit of romance, myth, and magic, give this book a try. It won't disappoint.

Happy Reading!