Stella is a twenty-something moonshiner with a past she's trying to outrun. She's distanced herself from her family for...religious reasons. Back in a Tennessee holler that is days away from being seized by the federal government lies Stella's childhood home, where she was raised by her grandmother, Motty. Growing up with Motty, Stella became acquainted with the family's personal god that dwelled in the mountainous caverns of the Smoky Mountains, Ghostdaddy. Stella is forced to return to The Cove years later, upon Motty's passing. Here she is faced with the task of assuring her 10-year old cousin Sunny remains safe and that moving with Stella's Uncle Hendrick is the best fit for the young girl. Stella has to dig through the pain of the past to ensure that her family stays safe in the present.

I finished this book 4 days ago and not a day has gone by that it hasn't crossed my mind. If I was asked, I'd be hard pressed to fit Revelator into a particular genre besides Southern Gothic. The story elements are disturbing and real without crossing a line into full terror/horror. The book alternates between 2 storylines and while initially I thought that one timeline was more interesting than the other, I quickly began to realize that both were equally alluring. What really hit me with this story was how ALL elements were extremely well written. This read was character-driven, I found myself rooting for Stella and Abby, while simultaneously praying (to Ghostdaddy?) for Hendrick's downfall. Themes of secrecy, power, greed, and faith scream through the unpredictable events that take place. Throughout both timelines I made predictions that were very, very wrong. Feelings of heartbreak snuck up on me as I read, both timelines rearing back and punching me in the FACE with feels before the story was over. Gregory's writing style makes the reading effortless; weaving even the smallest of details together that make Revelator a read that feels like it took charge and wrote itself.

If you like Southern stories on ANY level, this is for you. I will recommend this to anybody and everybody.