Review : Rebel Belle by Rachel Hawkins

Summary (from Goodreads) 

Title : Rebel Belle (Rebel Belle #1)
Author : Rachel Hawkins
Publication Date : April 8th 2014
Publisher : Putnam Juvenile
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Harper Price, peerless Southern belle, was born ready for a Homecoming tiara. But after a strange run-in at the dance imbues her with incredible abilities, Harper's destiny takes a turn for the seriously weird. She becomes a Paladin, one of an ancient line of guardians with agility, super strength and lethal fighting instincts.

Just when life can't get any more disastrously crazy, Harper finds out who she's charged to protect: David Stark, school reporter, subject of a mysterious prophecy and possibly Harper's least favorite person. But things get complicated when Harper starts falling for him—and discovers that David's own fate could very well be to destroy Earth.

With snappy banter, cotillion dresses, non-stop action and a touch of magic, this new young adult series from bestseller Rachel Hawkins is going to make y'all beg for more.

Personal Thoughts

Rebel Belle was a light, charming and delightful read that managed to get a few laughs out of me. It's a typical Rachel Hawkins book, which means it was entertaining all the way through.

Harper, the protagonist, was a riot! She was a sassy Southern belle who seemed like she wasn't afraid of anything she had to potentially face in the future. I love a good character who is driven and knows exactly what she wants to do with her life and Harper was the girl. She was absolutely delightful as a character. I loved how girly and snarky she was! When she obtains her power at the Homecoming dance, she didn't become one of those heroines who acted like an idiot and waited for information to come to her. No, Harper was a smart girl who actually researched everything and looked for the necessary people to help her out. Harper was also the kind of character who thought about the consequences of her decisions and wasn't irrational and impulsive in any way. Harper was a star, all in all! The only thing I disliked about her was how lied to her good friends and came across as suspicious to them. David Stark was also a blast! He was super adorable in a nerdy way and he was very charming as well. He was supportive of Harper and was there to tell her when she was wrong or acting a little silly.

Their dynamics was one of my favorite things about Rebel Belle. These two were both super snarky so whenever they had a conversation, I knew I was in for a ride. They argue a lot in the beginning, because of David's need to shred Harper's personality on his school newspaper, but their banter was so much fun to read. They eventually grow to understand each other better and become friends and it was delightful to watch the growth in their relationship. Harper did have a boyfriend when David and her become friends due to Harper's powers, but fret not! Their relationship didn't go into the cheating zone. While Rebel Belle was an entertaining read, especially with the action-packed plot, the humor peppered all over the book and the snarky main character, the world building in itself was weak. By the end of the book I was left a little disappointed with the world since I wanted to get to know about the Paladins better. However, this is a series, so I guess more of my questions will be answered over the course of the next few books.

Rebel Belle was a nice blend of YA paranormal and romantic comedy. If you liked Hex Hall, you're going to like Rebel Belle (although Hex Hall is a lot better than this). It's a light, hilarious and mindless read that's the perfect relaxation book.

Rating 

Cover : 4/5
Plot : 3/5
Characters : 4/5
Writing : 3/5

**Overall rating : 3.5/5**