Away by Teri Hall

Source: Publisher
After crossing the Line, Rachel finds herself in a world where survival is never guaranteed - a world where bizarre creatures roam the woods and people have strange abilities. Everything has gone to ruin Away and the survivors have banded into warring clans. Rachel finds her father being held prisoner by a tribe of Others, and she and her new friends set out to rescue him. But when they cross back over the Line, Rachel and Pathik make a foolish decision, bringing them into further danger that can only be resolved with an unthinkable sacrifice.
An adventure filled with life-and-death choices, dark conspiracies, and heart-poundingly suspenseful moments, this sequel delivers.
After the intense ending of The Line, I thought that this book would start quickly. It didn't.  Instead it focuses on Away and everything that is going on, which I found interesting. The plot was really quick and as a result, I read the majority of it in one sitting. An issue that I had, is that all of issues in the book would arise and be quickly resolved. There was no intensity in this book. Hall's writing is as strong as the previous book and she wraps up the book nicely. My only real issue is that the events of the plot seemed really convenient and sudden. Overall, I think that this is a futuristic society that younger readers might enjoy more, but it you like the first one, I would recommend it.

The Line by Teri Hall

Rating:

Characters: 18/20

Plot: 18/20

Originality: 19/20

Writing: 19/20

Recommendation: 18/20

Overall: 92/100 or A
Source: Publisher

An invisible and uncrossable barrier encloses the United States. The Line is part of the border that lopped off the country and doomed the citizens to a mysterious fate, when the enemies used a banned weapon. There are rumors about bizarre creatures and mutant humans live on the other side of The Line, in Away. Nobody would be strong enough to live there, except the old, yet tough Ms. Moore. Rachel and her mother work for Ms. Moore. They went to live there after Rachel's father died in the last war. It is a safe and quiet life by The Line. That is until Rachel finds a recording from Away and they are asking for help. Who sent the message? Why is her mother so protective? And to what lengths is Rachel willing to go in order to do what she thinks is right?

Rachel was a sweet and naive girl. She didn't know a lot about what was happening with the government, after she found that recording and I also liked that she asked a lot of questions. She also grew a lot during the book. I really like how strong she became. Ms. Moore was also a strong character and I liked her attitude about life. She had a really strong personality. Jonathon was an interesting character and I could tell that he felt sorry about what he did in the past. Rachel's mom had a lot secrets and it was awesome to see into her pass.The plot of this book started out slow, but it gained speed as it went on. I found the way that the government ran to be similar to 1984's system, which while complex was interesting and simple. I found this Dystopian to be well though out and original. Hall created a well written book, with amazing characters and a fantastic plot. I can't wait for the sequel to come out in 2011, because there are so many questions that I have about what will happen in Away.

Woot! A Contest!

I asked on Saturday, which book would you would want to see in a contest... Well, I decided to do a contest with both books, since the vote were pretty much even and it is almost Christmas. The books are Undead Much? by Stacey Jay and The Line by Teri Hall.

The Line by Teri Hall is about:

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 recording 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?

Undead Much? by Stacey Jay is about:

Q: How many guys does it take to make your boyfriend wild with jealousy?A: Only one, if he's UNDEAD.

Megan Berry had a perfectly average new-sundress-and-boy-obsessed life--until her power to settle the Undead returned. Oh, and then her best friend tried to kill her--and ruin homecoming--with a bunch of black magically raised zombies. At least she got a spot on the pom squad and a smokin' boyfriend (Ethan). But now Megan is in deep fertilizer all over again.

Why? Well, let's see... · Feral new super-strong zombies? Check. Cheerleader vs. pom squad turf war threatening half time as they know it? Check.
An Undead psychic hottie (Cliff) who's predicting a zombie apocalypse--and doing his best to tempt Megan away from Ethan? Yum. I mean, Check.
Earth-shattering secrets that could land Megan in Settler prison for life? Um, IT WASN'T ME!!!
Everyone thinks Megan's at fault for the new uber-zombie uprising. Looks like she'll need the help of both Cliff and Ethan if she's going to prove her innocence before it's too late...

To enter(if you want both books, answer both questions):

For Undead Much?: What would you do, if zombies are coming after you?

For The Line: How far would you go to help someone?

Extra entries:

1. New or Current follower. +5

2. Re-post it in any social network or blog. +3 each

3. +1 for each referral and +1 on being referred.

This Contest is open till December 26th at midnight. It is only open to USA and Canada addresses only.