The Line by Teri Hall

The Line
Teri Hall
Release Date: March 4, 2010
Publisher: Dial Books
Pages: 192

Rating: 3.5 stars

Set in the near future, THE LINE chronicles the adventures of fifteen year old Rachel Quillen. Since her father died in a war, Rachel and her mother, Vivian, have lived in relative isolation on a place called The Property. It's the home of Ms. Moore, a taciturn woman who makes her living growing orchids. She hired Rachel’s mother as a housekeeper, even though she sensed Vivian was in some sort of trouble. Ms. Moore couldn’t be too picky, for there are reasons that good help is hard to find when you live too near the Line.

The National Border Defense System is an impenetrable barrier intended to protect the Unified States from invasion. Because of an impending attack, construction of the System had to be rushed, and the last section—called the Line—was built inside the U.S. border. When it was hastily activated, it created a permanent division between those lucky enough to be on the U.S. side and those who were not. Families were ripped apart, lovers separated. The territory left unprotected became known as Away; the abandoned unfortunates who survived the enemy attack became the Others. Over the years frightening stories circulated about the Others, stories about strange abilities and evil intentions. The Line became a place to avoid.

For Rachel, the activation of the Line is just a history lesson; it happened long before she was born. Life on The Property has been good, if rather dull, and the Line is just something that has always been there. But things are about to change in ways she never imagined and suddenly the world outside The Property—a world of government control and corruption, where people without power or influence have few choices—begins to intrude.

I really enjoyed The Line. With it, I have found a wonderful new author. The plot is intriguing - dealing with a futuristic society in what used to be the United States.

I absolutely loved the idea of the dystopian society. The plot was wonderful. My only complaint about the plot was that the beginning was slower and, to me, was almost like a prologue to build up to an amazing end.

I loved the characters Teri Hall casted in the story. All the females in the book were strong, which was something I loved. Ms Moore was a wonderful character. She seemed simply a cranky old lady at first, but you really get to know her as the story goes on. Rachel was adorable, and I loved her determination.

The Line ends with an ending to make readers gasp. I cannot wait for book 2, as I am desparate to know what'll happen next! Is it next year yet? This is a wonderful debut you do not want to miss.