Review: Miss Mayhem by Rachel Hawkins

Book: Miss Mayhem, Rachel Hawkins

Series: Rebel Belle #2

Publisher: Putnam Juvenile

Release Date: April 7^th, 2015

Life is almost back to normal for Harper Price. The Ephors have been silent after their deadly attack at Cotillion months ago, and her best friend, Bee, has returned after a mysterious disappearance. Now Harper can focus on the important things in life: school, canoodling with David (her nemesis-turned-ward-slash-boyfie), and even competing in the Miss Pine Grove pageant.

Unfortunately, supernatural chores are never done. The Ephors have decided they’d rather train David than kill him. The catch: Harper has to come along for the ride, but she can’t stay David’s Paladin unless she undergoes an ancient trial that will either kill her . . . or make her more powerful than ever.

Rating: 3 stars

This is a hard book to rate. I’m debating between 3 stars, 3.5 stars or giving a VERY generous 4 stars. Well, let me get on with the review and maybe it’ll help me make up my mind.

First off, I really enjoyed Rebel Belle. I loved the story, the independent character of Harper, her southern charm and how well she dealt with the changes in her life. So I had high hopes for the sequel and that Rachel Hawkins would develop her characters so they’d grow even more independent and stronger in their powers. Sadly, I didn’t get that vibe off this book.

Harper has accepted her duties as a Paladin to David who is an Oracle and can tell the future. She wants to do her best with her powers, even though she wishes more than once she could keep her life exactly as it is while protecting David. She and David are all happily loved up and she’s even dealing with having her ex-boyfriend Ryan as mage and partner in keeping David safe.

In this book, we discover the Ephors want to take David and make him the most powerful Oracle ever even though Harper won’t let this happen. They tell Harper that unless she partakes in three trials, she will never be a proper Paladin and won’t be able to protect David properly. If she succeeds she’ll be more powerful than ever. If she fails, it will cost Harper her life.

It sounds like it’s an action packed book, but it sadly isn’t. A lot of it is waiting around for those trials to begin while David and Harper go through second-book-drama every series-couple inevitably goes through. There are secrets and arguing and lying to protect people even though you know it’s not going to end well.

While Hawkins still provides a funny and witty narrative with Harper being a proper southern belle, there were still some slow points throughout the book. There was a lot of waiting around for the trials to begin with a pageant that did not seem necessary or sub-plots that didn’t really seem to fit into the story.

I would still recommend this book to those who enjoyed Rebel Belle as it’s still a fun and light read, just not as good as its predecessor.

Mm... now that I’m done I think I’ll go with 3 stars. 4 stars is just too nice.