A gripping, unsettling story about friendship, secrets, the things that bind us, and the magic of the woods.

Set in Ember Grove, a little town steeped in superstition and history, it's a mystery that unfolds page by page, a story that reels you in and won't let go until you know *everything*,

I’d love to read this but unfortunately I can’t review as no send to kindle option and the PDF option is actually a .acsm file. It is telling me to install some software in order to read it which I am not comfortable downloading additional software on my computer. To put it on my phone in the app to read it is just not an option for me. Thank you for the opportunity to read this but I can't access the book.

The Revelry by Katherine Webber is described as "A story of best friends, bad luck and the consequences of breaking the rules in a town built on secrets and superstitions " and that tag line combined with the beautiful and striking cover drew me in immediately. I am delighted to say that I was not disappointed.
Set in Ember Grove, the book tells the story of Bitsy and Amy, who have been best friends ever since Amy first arrived in the town years before. As an Ember Grove native Bitsy has always known that there is something a little unusual about the woods that surround the town, so when Amy tries to convince her to sneak into the infamous Revelry, an end of year party held in the woods, she has misgivings. Unfortunately she does not listen to her gut instincts and agrees to go, then wakes up the next morning with no memory of what happened at the party, a new scar on her finger and lots of misgivings. At first things seem relatively normal but as time goes on Bitsy's need to figure out what happened starts to drive a wedge between her and Amy, especially since it seems like everything in Amy's life is going perfectly while hers is falling apart at the seams.
This was a magical tale of the bittersweet nature of friendship, especially when friends start to grow up and grow apart. The magical elements were interesting, and I would love to revisit the world for more stories, perhaps from other perspectives. The author did a really good job of creating atmosphere for the reader and the slow reveal of what happened at the Revelry had me gripped. I was so engrossed in the story that I was reluctant to put the book aside , it is the kind of thing that I could easily read in one sitting given the opportunity. This was my first experience of Katherine Webber's writing but I could certainly see myself picking up another of her titles.
I read and reviewed an ARC courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher, all opinions are my own.

The Revelry by Katherine Webber is a UKYA contemporary fantasy out from Walker Books in February. It is set in a small town, where each year, a so-called Revelry takes place – a party in the woods, shrouded in mystery and legend. Bitsy and her friend Amy sneak in, and after the party, Bitsy’s life starts to unravel through bad luck while Amy rides a wave of good fortune. So Bitsy starts to convince herself that they are bound together through a curse only she can break. There are some really good ideas in there, especially around the mystery of the Revelry and the history of it, and the way it has impacted the society in their small town, but I felt like these aspects ultimately ended up not being given enough space in the story. Most of the plot revolved around a constant circle of Bitsy having a spell of bad luck while things went well for Amy, Bitsy getting upset, the girls fighting and soon making up again because they have been best friends forever. And then the same thing again. So while the concept was really interesting, the execution wasn’t for me.

In Ember Grove everyone knows about the 'Revelry', a secret celebration in the woods for graduating high school seniors, but no one talks about it. Best friends, Bitsy and Amy, are obsessively curious about it and decide to crash the party two years early. They set off for the woods at midnight but when Bitsy wakes up the next day, she has a feeling that something momentous has occurred but she can't remember anything about the previous night. Soon strange things begin to happen that drive a wedge between the two friends and Bitsy realises that there are far-reaching consequences to their decision to sneak into the Revelry.

The concept of 'The Revelry' sounds a bit like 'The Night Circus' or 'Caraval', but the fantasy elements are subtly woven in to the book for a surreal, uncanny atmosphere that reminded me of Maggie Stiefvater's books. An insightful portrayal of teenage friendships with a sinister, supernatural twist. Loved it!

I think this book was very hard to write it was really good and I liked the characters and the story of the book because it’s about two women who are friends and have to believe in themselves be able achieve what they want and their self-doubt is what holds them back which I think is a really strong message I just think that this book could’ve been a lot of things as a young adult book but instead it’s classed as a middle grade which I think is under doing what it can do in industry

I loved this book from start to finish!

Set in a little town called Ember Grove bursting with superstitions, Amy is desperate to attend the party of the year that only leaving seniors are allowed to attend. Bitsy is very wary and knows that strange things happen after each Revelry and no one ever seems to remember what happened. But Amy is her best friend and friends stick together, no matter what, even if everything changes after they attend.

I’ve long been a fan of Katherine Webber’s writing. She is excellent at getting to the heart of her characters. I was completely drawn into this story. The town has an air of mystery and the forest stands in its own right as a character. It has Practical Magic vibes to it with a strong theme of friendship. I love it when friends can overcome the difficulties that occur.

I think this has a really unique & thrilling storyline with strong female characters. A very clever book and one I will definitely be recommending.

I’m a big fan of Katherine Webber as an author and a person and when I saw she was releasing another book I was very excited. This book has all the warmth and ease I have come to expect from Webber, it’s comforting, pleasant and a lovely read to curl up and get lost in.

While the book is called The Revelry, referring to this mysterious party in the woods that teenagers go to, some don’t return from, and no one can remember or talk about, the main plot coursing through the veins of this book is friendship. Bitsy and Amy have been best friends for years but after sneaking into the Revelry one night, a distance starts to form between them. The more Amy finds her way, the more Bitsy feels lost, the more questions Bitsy asks about what happened that night, the less Amy wants to listen. This is something I’m sure we’ve all gone through, especially when we’re young, that feeling of drifting away, and that is the most unsettling part of this book. That’s not to say the woods aren’t every and awful and you really feel that unsettling vibe.

This book is a love story, but the love of friends, arguably a more important love story for 16 year olds that is not nearly focused enough on in YA. This is what i particularly loved about this book, that it doesn’t focus on fickle romance but the stronger love of friendship, it feels a lot healthier. That’s not to say I always like the characters, Bitsy is incredibly unfair and childlike at times and while some of this is explained and justified, at times I wonder why Amy is friends with her as they seem so different. But then that’s friendship and it doesn’t always make sense!

Thank you NetGalley for the early review copy, once Katherine Webber doesn’t let me down :)

I was honestly hooked reading this right from the beginning. The premise is so exciting, a story about teenage angst and the fears plaguing young women through young-adulthood, mainly though it is an accurate and sympathetic portrayal of intense female friendship.
There is an overwhelming sense of dread hanging in the air throughout which builds the tension and makes it a gripping read right until the end.

I walked into this expecting a contemporary YA with a hint of romance (I obviously did not look closely at the cover) and that is not what I got at all - it was even better! The Revelry is just so different from anything I have read by Katherine Webber before and although I loved both Wing Jones and Only Love Can Break Your Heart, this one completely smashed it out of the park.

It is set in a small, quiet town where every year the senior year of school throw a huge party called the Reverly in the woods. But this isn't like normal parties. It is shrouded in mystery so that no one actually knows what takes place in one and people have been known not to survive them. After Bitsy and Amy sneak into a Reverly that was not their own, weird things start to befall them and test their friendship to it's limits.

It was so deliciously twisted! It had that same beautiful but wrong quality that House of Hollow by K.M. Sutherland had. The kind of quality that gives you the need to make sure all the lights are on in your house. I definitely won't be stepping into the woods alone anytime soon!

Bitsy Clark has lived her entire life in Ember Grove. She knows how distrusting of strangers and how secretive of their rituals the town inhabitants are. However, this does not stop her befriending new girl, Amy, and them both sneaking into the the Revelry, the mysterious end-of-year party in the woods. When the morning arrives both feel changed - one for the better and one for the worse - and Bitsy becomes convinced that they are tied by a bond far more long-lasting and sinister than their tremulous friendship of the day before.

I had such a fun time with this thriller and my investment into understanding just what had occurred during the Revelry continued throughout the course of the novel. In fact, it became heightened as the events transcended into chaos and Bitsy's life began to alter at an ever-increasing rate. I was forever unsure of where the real motives, true answers, or characters to be trusted lay and this muddied all events and interactions.

The narrative of the story was perfectly encapsulated, I believe, by the gorgeous yet unsettling cover. It showcases female bonds, natural beauty, descending shadows, and the decay that lays behind it all - all of which heavily feature throughout the novel, too.

Unfortunately I can’t review as no send to kindle option and both my phone and kindle too old for netgalley app. Will update if a send to kindle option becomes available as I’d love to read this