Rebel Belle by Rachel Hawkins

Rebel Belle is one of those books that have been on my “to read” list for a really long time, and no matter how many times I had planned to pick up a copy and read it, something always came up and I never got around to it.  Now that I’ve read it, however, I’m kind of mad at myself for taking so long.

Rebel Belle is a light, fun read, filled with fantasy elements, high school drama, and a sweet romance that makes you weak in the knees.  There aren’t really any deep elements here – Rebel Belle doesn’t add any difficult story lines – rather, it stays on track with being a very fluffy read.  I see a lot of people were a little put off because of that, but honestly, I think that’s what was so amazingly charming about the book – it stayed true to itself and was just downright fun.  Since this is what I was actually expecting (and hoping for), I wasn’t disappointed in the slightest.  To be honest, it was an addicting read that I couldn’t put down until I had finished it.

Rebel Belle starts off at Harper Price’s homecoming dance, where we meet her, her boyfriend Ryan, her best friend, Bee, and Bee’s boyfriend, Brandon.  The four of them are best friends, and this homecoming dance is where Harper (who pretty much excels at everything she does and is the head of a good number of school clubs and organizations) is a shoo-in for homecoming queen.  However, things don’t go as planned, when a simple trip to the bathroom to apply some lip gloss turns into an event that will change her life forever.

When Harper discovers she has superpowers – powers such as super strength and accuracy – she also discovers what she is supposed to be doing with those powers.  The event in the bathroom at homecoming have changed Harper into a Paladin – essentially a protector – and when she finds out who she is destined to protect, she’s none too pleased.

She’s supposed to be protecting David Stark – her enemy since childhood.  Harper and David have essentially been at each other’s throats for years now – and they can’t stand each other long enough to even be in the same room together for five minutes, let alone spend the rest of their lives bound together.  But David is an Oracle, and since Harper is his new Paladin, the two of them are going to have to figure out how to get along once and for all.

Rebel Belle is pretty predictable as far as the relationship aspect of the book goes – but it isn’t something that will ruin the reading experience.  I found myself spending the entire book just waiting for it, and I wasn’t disappointed, either.  It was definitely one of my favorite parts about the book (alongside the magic and the ass-kicking heroine).  However, when it comes down to the whole fantasy/magic parts of the book – well, it gets a little crazy, and incredibly fun.

Which brings me to the characters in the book: I loved them all.  Harper was fantastic – she was definitely bad-ass – from the very first scene in the bathroom where she obtained her powers to the last part of the book, she knows how to take care of business, and I love that about her.  She just does what she needs to do, and doesn’t wait for someone to come to her rescue.  Also, she knows she’s a dramatic southern belle type (who has the annoying habit of having to be perfect at everything), so it just adds more fun to the story.  Even the supporting characters, like Harper’s best friend Bee, are interesting and well written.  I love seeing supporting characters who actually have personality, instead of just being your “typical YA best friend” or “typical YA boyfriend” type.   They all stood out, which really added a lot more to the novel.

If you haven’t read the series yet, it’s a great time to pick up the first book and give it a go, since the final installment will be releasing soon!  If you’re in the mood for a light-hearted and fun read, let Rebel Belle be one that you add to your list!  I’m so glad I finally bought this one, and I’m incredibly addicted to the series now.