Friday, August 20, 2010

The Line by Teri Hall


Book Summery:

Rachel lives with her mother on The Property. The good thing about living there is that it's far from the city, where the oppressive government is most
active. The bad thing, at least to most people, is that it's close to the Line - an uncrossable section of the National Border Defense System, an invisible barrier that encloses the entire country.

She can see the Line from the greenhouse windows, but she is forbidden to go near it. Across the Line is Away, and though Rachel has heard many whispers about the dangers there, she's never really believed the stories. Until the day she hears a reco
rding that could only have come from across the Line. It's a voice asking for help. Who sent the message? What is her mother hiding? And to what lengths will Rachel go in order to do what she thinks is right? -goodreads.com

Book Review:

Before I say anything, I must admit that this is one of those books that will stay with me long after I've finished it. The first thing I love about this book (besides the cover...for more, see the "cover art commentary" section), is the world building. Hall does an amazing job at building a future dystopian U.S. It's almost frighteningly realistic! Hall does a great job of incorporating ""history lessons" of how the U.S. went from "land of the free" to "land of the enslaved." I also really loved the characters in this book. They are all flawed, each containing their own secrets. Instead of building up the characters, Hall strips them away, layer by layer, until we reach the core of their understanding. I found this aspect to make the characters more believable and substantial.
Another aspect I enjoyed about this book, is the pacing. First, we learn about Rachel, Vivian, and Ms. Moore. Then, as the story progresses, we are introduced to more characters and delve deeper into their pasts and secrets. It truly made for fantastic pacing. I found myself constantly thinking about the book and eager to return to it. My only complaint is the ending! What a cliffhanger! I am DYING to find out what happens next. Overall, I absolutely relished The Line and anxiously await for Hall's follow-up Away. Check out Teri Hall's website for more information! ;)

Favorite Quote:
"What did you say?" Vivian reached up and stroked Rachel's hair.

"Monsters," Rachel replied. "You said people turned into monsters because they were so afraid."

"They did." Vivian nodded. "They still do."

Rachel shrugged her mother's hand away from her hair and turned toward the passenger's window.

"After today," she said, "I don't see how we're any different from them." (p. 89)

Cover Art Commentary:
I really love the cover of this book. It's one of the first things that drew me to the book. As you read the story, you can just imagine the way the greenhouse looks at night, all lit up, against the dark countryside. I love that you can somewhat see the orchids inside the greenhouse! ;)

Overall Rating:

7 comments:

  1. I've had my eye on this one for a while now and really want to read it soon! Great review, Lily! Very convincing!

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  2. I definitely agree about that cliffhanger ending! I liked this book as well, though it wasn't my favorite, and am looking forward to the sequel.

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  3. Oh, I'll probably skip the book, but I agree about the cover: absolutely gorgeous.

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  4. @Jillian
    I really enjoyed reading this one! I hope you pick it up! :)

    @Juju
    LOL! I totally picked this up after reading a few other great reviews! :)

    @Steph
    Yeah, I saw on goodreads that this book received a lot of 3 and 4 star reviews. However, I just fell in love with it! I am anxious for the sequel! :)

    @TJ
    I think you might like this one...it reminded me of Hunger Games meets Uglies. Regardless, the cover is pretty awesome! :)

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  5. Great review. This was a great read for me and I sort of wished that the book was longer. The twist at the end really had me anticipating book 2.

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  6. Very cool! I was interested in reading this one. I may see if the library has a copy in stock. :)

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