Yay sea monsters

Fun fact about me: I used to be obsessed with cryptozoology, aka the study of animals (usually from myth and legend) currently unknown to science. I loved hearing about Mothman, the Jersey Devil, Bigfoot, el Chupacabra, etc. But my favorite was always sea monsters, especially the Loch Ness Monster. One of my many far-fetched dreams was to find solid evidence of ol' Nessie for once and for all, ending the longtime debate. I have yet to fly to Scotland, but I still have a soft spot for sea monsters. Luckily, my inner ten-year was (mostly) appeased reading Revel by Maurissa Guibord. Emphasis on mostly. 

(Photo from www.goodreads.com)

Description:
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. 

My Thoughts (Mild spoilers):
I wanted more sea monsters and less awkward interactions between characters. Seriously. Delia's treated pretty hostiley (is that a word?) ever since she steps foot on Trespass Island. The islanders there for the most part are very cold, traditional people, rooted in their mysterious ways. Also, there happens to be a ritual/holiday thingamabob that everyone prepares for that happens to be very, very unexpected. And in my opinion, demented. But I won't ruin the surprise. Anyways, Delia's love interests happen to be Sean and Jax. Sean is your typical golden boy, the kind of guy that literally everyone on the island depends on. He's one of the only people who shows kindness to Delia, but he has a terrible secret, which I feel makes him more interesting, personally. There's also Jax, a demigod (though honestly I just keep calling him a merman because that's pretty much what he is) who acts very rude and distant to Delia, almost never giving her a straight answer about the secrets of Trespass Island. There's lots of different plots/conflicts in this story, but I feel they were all resolved effectively by the end. I was still left with some questions, however. So, to sum it up: sea monsters (YAY), passive-aggressive islanders (UGH), a great atmospheric setting (PRETTY), and a love triangle of sorts (NOT SURE HOW I FEEL ABOUT THIS). 

Overall Rating:
Revel is an interesting take on the paranormal genre, certainly not your typical vampire/werewolf stuff. It was a unique and eerie book to read. My main problems with it were the way the ending wrapped itself up sloppily (Not very satisfying) and the romance between two of the main characters (Just wasn't a huge fan). I suppose you could say I simply have mixed feelings on the whole thing. 
I rate this book three out of five sea monsters. 
And sorry if I seem a little vague in my analysis here. I actually finished the book a couple weeks ago, so it's not fresh in my mind. 

Ouch, my heart

Here's my long-awaited review for Going Bovine by Libba Bray. I just finished a little under an hour ago, and let's just say I'm still tearing up a bit.

(Photo from www.amazon.com)

Description:
"All sixteen-year-old Cameron wants is to get through high school-and life in general-with a minimum amount of effort. It's not a lot to ask. But that's before he's given bad news: he's sick and he's going to die. Which totally sucks. Hope arrives in the winged form of Dulcie, a loopy punk angel/possible hallucination with a bad sugar habit. She tells Cam there is a cure-if he's willing to go in search for it. With the help of Gonzo, a death obsessed, video-gaming dwarf, and a yard gnome who might just be the Viking god Balder, Cam sets off on the mother of all road trips through a twisted America of smoothie-drinking happiness cults, parallel-universe-hopping physicists, mythic New Orleans jazz musicians, whacked-out television game shows, snow-globe vigilantes, and disenfranchised, fame-hungry teens into the heart of what matters most. From New York Times bestselling author Libba Bray comes a dark comedic journey that poses the questions: Why are we here? What is real? What makes microwave popcorn so good? Why must we die? And how do we really learn to live?"

My Thoughts (Mild spoilers alert):
I certainly wasn't expecting to have my heart strings tugged so painfully. Cameron's not the most likable character at the beginning, with his stubborn pessimism and questionable attitude, but he and his quirky buddies gradually began to grow on me. The description makes this novel sound mostly like a wacky journey (and that does ring very true) but there's also many interesting, almost philosophic quotes that are sprinkled throughout. Example:
"'...I mean, suppose you take your anger and you channel it into a painting. Pretty soon, you don't care about getting back at that idiot who pissed you off anymore because you're totally into your painting. And then maybe that painting hangs in a gallery someday and it inspires other people to find their thing, whatever it is. You've influenced the world not because you wanted to hug it and cuddle it and call it sweet thing but because one day you wanted to beat the crap out of somebody but you didn't. You made a painting instead. And you couldn't have made that painting without that feeling, without anything to push off against. We human beings can't evolve without the pain.'"
Cameron's journey is definitely a crazy one, mostly outlined in the above description, but there's also this one particular mystery laced throughout, one that isn't answered until the ending. I won't spoil it for you, but it's the main reason I was crying by the ending of the book. This book is very adventurous and funny, but also emotional and deep, elements I hadn't predicted before reading.

Overall Rating:
Going Bovine is a fast-paced read that almost reminds me of John Green's writing style, in a way. If you want a book that can make you laugh, cry, and think excessively, then you've come to the right place. But a warning: it's not the most appropriate book, with language, alcohol, drug, and sexual references. It is, however, a memorable one, and I'll be sure to read more of Libba Bray's books in the future. Once I stop internally crying.
I rate this book four out of five yard gnomes. 

Update for those of you who like knowing stuff

I'm currently reading Going Bovine by Libba Bray and should be done soon. It's taken me a lot longer than I've hoped it would, but I'm a bit of a procrastinator, so... yeah. I'll be sure to make it an uber-fabulous review to make up for my laziness.
Auf wiedersehen!