The Line By Teri Hall

Synopsis:
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 uncrossible 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 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?

My Rating: 7/10

My Thoughts:
I gave this book a seven, though it's really more like a six and a half... I was really excited for it. It had an interesting premise and had a lot of potential, however as soon as I started it I had to force myself to keep going.

I found Rachel to be a really annoying character. She is naive and sheltered and seemed very immature to me. Normally, this wouldn't really bother me, however the prose describing Rachel seemed almost like I was reading a middle grade book, and it really turned me off. I stuck with it, though, hoping things would improve as the story progressed.

And it was this interest in seeing how the book would end that kept me reading more than interest in the plot. But as soon as things FINALLY started to happen, and the plot FINALLY started to pick up, the pages ran out. Yes this book ends on a HUGE CLIFF HANGER! And it wasn't even really a cliff hanger, it was more like the book ended in the middle. Nothing was resolved. In fact, it felt like the book had barely begun. It seemed more like a very overly-detailed plot synopsis than a full novel with build up, a climax and a conclusion. There was no climax and no conclusion. Only build up.

Oh well, it was short and the possible future world that Hall creates is kind of interesting so I think I might pick up the next one, if only to see if the story improves.

...And bring on a love story! I'm always down for that!