"Rebel Belle," by Rachel Hawkins
Rebel Belle is a tale following seventeen-year- old Harper Price as she becomes and has to come to terms with being a Paladin, as well as what her new status entails. Being a Paladin, she quickly finds out it is her mission to protect and defend a thing or person from any and all danger. And in the process wicked twists are thrown her way, spells are cast, people are deceived, and yeah, there's romance, and a whole lot of crazy action.
I think my favourite part of this novel is that although romance is a pretty big part of the story, it's not the main focus. The main focus is how on earth Harper is going to protect what she needs to without dying and without hurting too many people. And also the people who help her and make her job harder; that's focused on too, of course.
The pacing is great. Not once did I feel like it was moving to slow or too quickly, and with each twist presented, you were kept hooked the entire time. I only put Rebel Belle down once, and I was almost 200 pages in. And then I was craving more and so I finished in all in one sitting. I mean, who doesn't want to read about a teenaged girl gaining like, superpowers because her school janitor (who's not really a janitor, as it turns out) kisses her while he's on his death bed and transfers some weird power-thing (aka the power of a Paladin) into her body, and then she has to fight and battle and do a whole bunch of wicked stuff in order to protect something/someone? Does that not sound intriguing? I mean, if you don't want to read this book even after hearing that, well obviously it's not your taste, but seriously, I recommend Rebel Belle to everyone.
That brings me to the characters. Harper is a strong, confident character, and yeah she has flaws and she knows it, but she goes with it. She's kind and tries to help everyone and she's pretty badass. David may actually be my favourite character though, no joke. Bee is pretty cool too, though. She's a great best friend, and I wouldn't mind having someone so supportive. Although at times she did question Harper, and maybe seemed to be less loyal, she still came out on top as loyal as ever. I won't say much more about David, Bee or the other characters, because I don't want to spoil anything. But if you read Rebel Belle and David isn't your favourite character, then Harper or Bee will be.
Overall, the characters were likeable, maybe even relate-able if you're like Harper and are really invested in your school. The pacing, plot, and writing were amazing. And you should read this book. Because its awesome and not reading this is like missing out on coffee, or cookies, or a seriously great book!
Rating: 5/5
I hope my review is alright, and if anyone reads this, feel free to comment your thoughts if you have read Rebel Bell!:)
~Juliann<3
