The Revelry

Every year in the small town of Ember Grove, high school seniors attend a party in the woods known as the Revelry. What transpires there is a closely guarded secret: "There are no photos, no official guest list, no proof of anything that happens." This year, 16-year-old best friends Bitsy and Amy sneak their way in, despite being two years out from their own invitations, and when they wake up the next day, they bear matching scars in place of their friendship rings and only the faintest memories of the previous night. Bitsy quickly suspects something went dangerously wrong, especially when she finds that every time something good happens to Amy, Bitsy's scar burns and she experiences bad luck. The girls' friendship grows strained, so when Bitsy meets silver-haired newcomer Skyler, who seems privy to the Revelry's secrets, she endeavors to figure out what happened that night. Leisurely pacing winds down to a rushed resolution, halting narrative impact. Still, Webber (Twin Crowns) weaves sinister ambiance by keeping the Revelry ambiguous and Ember Grove's surroundings liminal, all the better to craft this tense tale of betrayal, codependency, friendship, and longing. Major characters cue as white. Ages 14--up. Agent: Claire Wilson, RCW Literary. (Aug.)

Bitsy Clark knows how to show respect to her hometown of Ember Grove. She drops coins in the Founder's Fountain and follows the local superstitions, like wearing rings of twisted strands of hair so you won't lose your companion. So when her best friend, Amy, suggests they sneak into the yearly Revelry, Bitsy knows they shouldn't; the Revelry at the end of summer is for graduating high school seniors, and the girls have only just finished their sophomore year. But Amy insists, and Bitsy always goes along with Amy. The party takes place in the woods, and no one ever reveals specifics, just saying that it's life-changing. The next morning, neither of the girls can remember what happened, but their costumes are singed, their hair is damp, and there are raised scars on the fingers where they wore their hair rings. Bitsy also starts seeing a mysterious girl from the Revelry with white-blond hair who invites her into the woods after dark. Can Bitsy unravel the mystery before her life is irrevocably changed? The atmospheric prose feels overwritten and is infused with old superstitions reminiscent of tales of European fae; in this world, magic exists but as a fickle, double-edged sword. The girls' friendship is at the heart of the narrative, but it's manipulated by events and overanalyzed to such an extent that readers may feel it is better off abandoned. Main characters seem to be white. Excessively drawn out. (Speculative fiction. 13-17) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.