The Line Review

The Line - Teri Hall
*March 4th, 2010 Dial

An invisible, uncrossable physical barrier encloses the Unified States. The Line is the part of the border that lopped off part of the country, dooming the inhabitants to an unknown fate when the enemy used a banned weapon. It’s said that bizarre creatures and superhumans live on the other side, in Away. Nobody except tough old Ms. Moore would ever live next to the Line.

Nobody but Rachel and her mother, who went to live there after Rachel’s dad died in the last war. It’s a safe, quiet life. Until Rachel finds a mysterious recorded message that can only have come from Away. The voice is 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?

Teri Hall's The Line is an intriguing introduction to a new dystopian series.

At 220 pages, The Line is a pretty fast read - I was able to read it in one sitting, actually. It has an engaging concept, and it's pretty high in entertainment value. Language-wise and content-wise, it did feel as though the novel is geared towards the younger spectrum of YA.

One of the most important aspects of successful dystopian science fiction - regardless of whether it's YA or adult - is the ability to make readers think. The Line does that - quite well, I might add. It was really interesting to see the way that the society depicted here functions, how certain aspects pertain to our society. Hall managed to intersperse the information throughout the course of the book to enhance world-building, which was great to see.

I'll admit - at the beginning, I was a little wary; the story was starting out kind of slowly, there were some events where I was like, "just did what?" and there was a fair bit of telling (as opposted to showing). But if you find yourself having those same doubts when first starting out - hang in there! The story really picks up, and the intricacies of the plot start to come to light.

It's odd though; in spite of everything, The Line just has that extra little quality, that sort of charisma, that simply makes it a likeable book. More than anything, The Line feels like it's really just setting the stage for what's to come. And considering the ending it left off with? Definitely looking forward to finding out what happens next. (Away, the follow-up, will be published in 2011).

What's also super-cool is the fact that The Line has been optioned for television! It would definitely be awesome to see how they would bring the story to the screen with live-action.

All in all, Teri Hall's The Line is an entertaining and likeable quick-read.

Teri Hall | Goodreads | IndieBound | The Line Excerpt