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.