This was a bit of a let-down for me. I thought the main character wasn't written well and that she didn't really go on a journey of development that the story tried to set up. I found the side characters a little 2d and that they needed more fleshing out. The premise was interesting but it didn't really deliver on this and the moments of intrigue that worked were few and far between.

2.5 stars

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.

I love Katie Webber's books! She writes so evocatively, and I enjoyed the spooky direction her writing has taken in this book.

I was unable to read the arc copy i requested, however I have since bought the book and it is fantastic. Not a genre I typically read but I was drawn to the title, cover and description so had to read it. I loved every part of it, so well written with fabulous characters.

Ember Grove is a strange, superstitious little place. It's not welcoming to outsiders, and a lot of things happen there that wouldn't make sense anywhere else. The Revelry is one of their strangest customs: amazing and terrifying in equal measure. It's an epic party in the woods thrown once a year for the graduating class and kept secret from everyone else. No-one else knows what happens at a Revelry and no-one who has been to one talks about it afterwards.

Amy and Bitsy have been best friends since Amy moved to Ember Grove eight years ago. I am a sucker for a friendship story. I loved this friendship; the closeness of it, the way they are together, the way they are jealous of anyone who might alter that. I adored the way they always try to protect each other and their little ritual of twisting their hairs together to make a ring to wear which will always guide them back to each other. It reminded me of the intensity of teen friendships (which Katie has perfectly captured here) and made me super grateful for the wonderful best friend I have now.

Amy has found an invitation to this year's Revelry; it's not their year, but Amy wants Bitsy to crash it with her. She wants to know what happens. To Amy it sounds like great fun, but Bitsy is terrified. She feels like Amy doesn't understand; she wasn't born in Ember Grove, she isn't one of them. Amy hates being made to feel like an outsider, and sometimes Bitsy does it without thinking. Amy doesn't see what the big deal with crashing the party is, but we get the clear sense that something awful is going to happen when they do it. Katie's writing is so evocative and really builds the tension leading up to the Revelry.

I loved the idea of it being held by a lake that is sometimes there and sometimes not; a slightly magical wood that's not always on your side sounds excellent (in a story anyway. Would I like to visit one? Absolutely not, thank you). I loved the atmosphere, the darkness and the mystery of the Revelry. I loved that we don't get to see what happened there, other than in flashes of Bitsy's memory afterwards. We see them enter the Revelry and wake up, a little worse for wear with the hair rings they wore for protection burnt into their skin.

After the Revelry, things take a bad turn for Bitsy. Her dress unravelling at school made me cringe with embarrassment for her, and the spider situation in the cafe nearly made me scream. She tries to talk to Amy, but Amy always has a reasonable explanation. The tension in their friendship gets bigger and bigger, and they have more disagreements. It's hard to read and to know who to side with because they both have valid points The worse things get for Bitsy the better they get for Amy, and Bitsy is thrown off by this - she's not used to having things worse than Amy and she really struggles with her change of fortune. Both of them say hurtful things and it sometimes seems like their friendship might never survive, especially when Bitsy becomes convinced there's a curse and makes friends with someone they met at the Revelry. It becomes almost an obsession for Bitsy and we see it take over every part of her life as things take darker and more confusing turns as more pieces of her memory come back

This is such a hard book to talk about without spoiling it for those who haven't read it yet, so I will wind it up by saying that I loved how it ended. I loved everything about this book, and it was the perfect read to choose for my birthday.

This one wasn't really my cup of tea, I didn't love the characters and I wasn't engrossed. It had some good elements and might be perfect for someone....just not me :)

First off...DISCLAIMER: I requested this title on NetGalley. Thanks to Walker Books for providing an ecopy. This didn't influence my review in any way.

Magical realism meets teen issues in a compulsively readable story with a twist I didn't see coming. The complicated friendship between Bitsy and Amy rang true enough to me, though I wish there was more depth and history to it, and though I'm still not convinced that both sides of the argument bore the same weight - while I do think that Amy was too often self-absorbed and oblivious to Bitsy's plights long before the Revelry came along. (Speaking of which, could the latter's parents be more clueless about...everything?). Also, some of the fights the girls had felt a bit petty - but I was pretty much friendless in my school years, so maybe they will resonate more with people with a different history (or with actual teens).
I appreciated the story's centering on friendship/coming of age instead of romance, and I found the magical realism and contemporary aspects to be well-balanced, but I would have liked the book more if it had been a tad darker and the magic system had been clearer - are the woods evil? and in that case, why would they do a good person's bidding? or are they neutral, but somehow influenced by what the folks of Ember Grove project on them? All in all though, The Revelry was a captivating read, and I'm sure fans of lighter (and bloodless) horror* in a contemporary setting will love it.
*(Please note: there are still potential triggers like spiders, fire and drowning).

Beautifully creepy, eerie and thrilling, The Revelry is part fantasy, part mystery, and all gripping. Loved it!

I received a copy in exchange for an honest review.

A wonderfully creepy read, centring around a mysterious party that is held in the woods every year for the graduating class. Everyone attends one, but nobody speaks of it. Bitsy and Amy sneak in to one before it is their turn and Bitsy wakes up the next morning unable to remember what happened. From then on, events in her life take a strange turn. I enjoyed reading this. It has enough to spook, without keeping the reader awake at night.

This clipped along at a decent pace and I felt the characters were well-developed and believable. I liked the magic realism of the book but felt that it could have been more intense. The stakes never felt that high and I would have liked to see more development of the fantasy elements.

I know Katherine as Katie Webber who writes MG fiction (brilliantly!) with her husband Kevin Tsang. I knew The Revelry would be very different to the tales of dragons and young boys who aren't afraid of things, and I knew the book would be good, but I wasn't prepared for how much it would get under my skin and grip me!

Ember Grove is a small town in America where everybody knows everyone else and where secrets and superstitions roam the streets. The Revelry is a huge event in the town but one shrouded in secrecy. It's a rite of passage for every high school senior and occurs at the end of summer in the woods on the edge of town ... and that's all anybody knows until it's their turn to attend. This year, Amy is determined to attend, even though she and Bitsy aren't seniors, and when she finds an invite, there is no stopping her. As they have been friends for 8 years (since Amy first arrived in town) Bitsy reluctantly goes with her to the woods at midnight (which is what the invite stated) but when she wakes the following morning, Bitsy can't remember anything. How will that evening change the girls and will they ever discover what actually happened?

Set in a small town, you immediately discover that Bitsy is determined to leave as soon as she is able, after all, her brother is already away at university. Everybody knows everyone and those who aren't born in the town are considered outsiders, no-matter how long they have been there. The woods on the edge of town hold the most mystery and aren't patrolled by the police; it's an area that feels wild and is easy to get lost in; you can't always find the same spot twice when you enter, and you definitely get the impression throughout the book that the woods are a living thing - it's almost as if the woods is a character in its own right. It give off an air of danger and darkness, and undoubtedly builds the tension that I could feel pulsing throughout the book.

Bitsy is drawn to the woods but is definitely reluctant to enter them the night of The Revelry; she's a good girl and is wary of breaking the rules. She and Amy have been close for so long but you get the impression that Bitsy lives in Amy's shadow a little, and this feeling grows as you progress through the book. Amy lives in a small apartment with her Aunt, and they don't have much money but things seem to go right for her and she's popular; Bitsy often feel on the edge of things. As the book unfolds, their friendship is tested to its limits.

There's a sense of peril that runs through the book; there's danger in the unknown and I constantly felt that there was something I didn't know lurking in the pages that I was yet to read. I was desperate to keep reading in an attempt to grasp hold of the unknown, to complete the puzzle, and I think that this was definitely linked to Bitsy's memory loss - as her life began to unravel, she was desperate to fill in the blanks, and I could feel that urgency and desperation she felt. The woods hold danger and secrets that draw you in and they draw Bitsy in too...

The Revelry is a book that will unsettle and grip you in equal measure. There's a feeling of something not being quite right/of something being just out of reach that compels you to read and read and read. It will occupy your mind, get under your skin and won't let you go, even once you've read the final page - it gave me a serious book hangover which delayed me starting my next book! The Revelry is a wonderful book and perfect for those who are just beginning to venture into YA.

The mystery element of this story was really strong, details about The Revelry were peppered throughout the story, and just as I felt I was getting frustrated to find out more, the author would give us a new revelation. This kept me reading and pulling me through the novel as I really wanted to know what was happening, and for an explanation of the magical elements of this world that were not huge but just enough to other it from our reality.

I enjoyed Bitsy as our protagonist and felt the author did a really good job of making us relate to and see her world view. (I would argue too good a job as there were several characters I felt very strongly about because of the POV that I felt perhaps were resolved more neatly or generously than I had expected). There were also a few family revelations that I felt were not addressed in any detail - I think this is in part as the story did leave some elements a little open ended but did ultimately answer a lot of the more prominent questions asked during the story.

The Revelry - a mystical, annual party in the woods for the seniors of Ember Grove. Although it’s the stuff of legend in this small town, no-one really knows what goes on there, only that everyone will have their own turn to attend when their time comes. This year however, best friends Bitsy and Amy decide to gatecrash, even though it isn’t their turn yet, and even though Bitsy knows that strange things happen in the woods. She’ll do anything for her best friend Amy though, even though she knows they shouldn’t tempt fate. Strange things happen in Ember Grove. When they wake up afterwards with no memory of what happened and matching scars on their fingers, the girls try to discuss it but find they can’t. Any attempted mention of the revelry stops them in their tracks and they just can’t talk about it. Bitsy knows something is wrong though and when everything starts to go right for Amy while bad luck begins to befall Bitsy, she knows she can’t let it go. What happened to them at the Revelry and how can they set things right?

This should have been a really good book. The concept is intriguing and it starts off in a promising fashion, after the first few chapters I just wanted to read more! I loved the mystery surrounding the revelry and the missing partygoers of years gone by, however as it progressed it became clear that there was something missing for me. It’s like it was building to a big crescendo but then kind of fell flat at the end. There were crumbs dropped for the reader throughout about previous revelries and what might have gone on, but we never really get into any proper detail about any of it which is a shame, it’s always just alluded to. And the same can be said of the characters, it’s briefly mentioned that Amy has had a harder life than Bitsy, however their back stories aren’t really explored so you never really care enough about either of them. And then it just sort of ends, and you’re left feeling like “oh? Is that it?”, which is never a great way to feel at the end of a story.

This could have been so so good, it had all the makings of a great, small-town, superstitious tale, but it just didn’t hit the mark for me. That said I think it would make a good film with a bit more detail added. Overall it’s a quick and easy read if you like YA books so I wouldn’t discourage anyone from reading it, but for me it could have been amazing so I was a bit disappointed. It’s OK, but it’s not great.

Not a bad title. I was pretty quickly swept up by this book, desperate to find out what was going on, why the main character, Bitsy, after visiting 'the Revelry' with her best friend, Amy, suddenly seemed to have everything in her life go wrong. It was just enough magic and fantasy to keep me hooked, as normally a story set in high school doesn't really grab my attention.
I found the characters interesting, not my favourites by any means, but still interesting. You could see the faults in both MC's, but were definitely skewed more towards liking Bitsy, as it is told from her POV.
I think a lot of teens would enjoy this book, as it explores friendship at a stage where things in life are constantly changing, and sometimes you find that your best friend isn't always there for you when you need them. But that they aren't always 'gone' forever.
I would say this wasn't really one of my favourite books, and I likely wouldn't read it again, but i did enjoy reading it. I recommend mostly to teens aged 14-17.

Bitsy is an interesting protagonist in that you can’t quite fathom how you feel about her. Sometimes she’s highly relatable in how imperfect and utterly human she is, and sometimes her faults weigh high above her charms. I very much enjoyed this; especially when it comes to teenagers, we need to remember that humans are ever developing and changable in their moods and actions. Her friendship with Amy is impacted more than Bitsy would care to admit by people outside their relationship, and there’s a great moral to the story there.

As she slides further and further into the mysteries surrounding their small town, Bitsy becomes obsessed with finding answers that Amy is untroubled in seeking. This drives a wedge between them, but ultimately unites them too.

Curious and raw, and with moments that remind you of books like The Devouring Gray and House of Hollow, The Revelry is the perfect read for these last winter nights. Creeping and ever changing, you can never quite be sure what the next pages will bring.

This was an interesting and tense read; I couldn't put it down. It's a quick read but is full of mystery and mystical undertones. Bitsy and Amy have a strong bond and I liked how the ups and downs of their friendship was portrayed as they grapple with the circumstances.

Rating: 🌟🌟🌟🌟
Age recommendation: YA

Bitsy Clark grew up in Ember Grove - a town built on secrets and superstitions. She knows one doesn't break the rules, especially those around the Revelry - the mysterious end-of-year party in the woods. When her best friend, Amy, persuades her to sneak in, Bitsy is riddled with doubt.

As she wakes up the next day, Bitsy can't remember much from the party but she can't shake off the uncanny feeling that something happened that night. She becomes obsessed with unraveling the truth. When Bitsy's life suddenly takes a downward spiral and Amy is on a winning streak, Bitsy's convinced that the two of them have been tied in a curse that only she can break...

I'm always a bit wary of YA books. Often, the characters speak in a way that simply annoys me too much. 🙈 Luckily, that wasn't the case with The Revelry. Katherine Webber painted an astute portrait of Bitsy's and Amy's friendship with aIl its complexities. I really liked the eerie atmosphere created in the story and the mystery around the Revelry. However, after all the build up, I found the ending a bit anticlimactic and wished for a darker twist but that's just personal preference.

Just read: The mysterious #TheRevelry party in the woods marks the end of school. Best friends Amy & Bitsy sneak into the Revelry 2 years early, they can't remember what happened & their luck changes for better & worse. Can Bitsy unravel the mystery & save them both?📚🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

Twitter review @DHFS-LRC

The Revelry is a mysterious, and slightly creepy, story of secrets, friendship and power. The entire town of Ember Grove accepts that sometimes strange things happen and that the woods have powers of their own. Every year the revelry happens, a secret party for graduating students that no one really remembers. Our protagonists, Bitsy and Amy, sneak into one and chaos ensues. The plot unwinds slowly; we learn what happened at the revelry bit by bit as memories return and bad things happen. It gives the story an addictive unsettling feeling throughout, as if you can never really relax or know what's going to happen next. I wouldn't describe it as scary, but you certainly feel on edge! An intriguing read I zoomed through.

Recommend for fans of fantasy, mystery and thriller YA.

Every year, the graduating class head into hw woods of Ember Grove for The Revelry - a party that nobody will discuss and from which some people don't return. Bitsy and her friend Amy sneak into The Revelry 2 years too early and have the consequences...

This book has such a creepy vibe to it, and Ember Grove really jumps off the page. A little bit thriller with the mystery of what actually happened at The Revelry, its a gripping story that I read in a single sitting. Perfect for a winter night to get your pulse racing!

I received a copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.