The Line

It’s an interesting book within many in the current trend of dystopian fiction. What I really enjoyed is the clever idea of the background on how the setting came to be in form of a history lesson from Rachel’s mom. She poses it in a question and answer (Rachel gives the answers in good detail) format so the reader is informed on the background information needed to understand this novel.

It does take a while to get started, despite the length of this novel (about 219 pages) I’m not sure why the pace was unbelievably slow for such a thin book. You do feel a lengthy lull and you wonder where this is all going to end up. Also, I am not sure what to think about Rachel. One the one hand, I liked her for her strength to do what was show more right, regardless of the consequences. Yet there was just something about her that I didn’t like. Perhaps it was her personality?

The book does take a turn for the more interesting as it progresses. Despite the fact that I am not really a fan of Rachel in the first place, she does develop into quite a character within the last third of the book. When she meets Pathik, things get even more interesting and you’re left with a tremendous cliffhanger at literally, the very last pages of the book. That got me pulling my hair out.

What irked me the most about the book is the name of other countries besides the US (Unified States). What was that all about? why were they named such strange names and how did it come to be? to be truthful, the names of these other countries sound like they should be different planets instead. Maybe they’re inhabited by aliens? I don’t know, it sure sounds like it though. Although the pace of the book was slower than usual, it changes towards the end and the pace suddenly becomes faster than the speed of light. It’s inconsistent and uneven.

I will look for the second book only because this one ended in such a huge cliffhanger I am curious to know what’s going to happen next. Not sure if I could recommend this one, take it or leave it as there are much better novels featuring dystopias out there. show less

My thoughts...WOW, this is one of the best books I have read in a while. This is the first dystopian story I have ever read and I really enjoyed it. The best part of the book is the suspense. From the very first chapter, you are immediately drawn into this world divided by an invisible barrier. My imagine ran wild as I thought about what could be on the other side and how life would be, if such a barrier split our world. The mystery continues, even as we learn more about The Line. Through a mother's history lessons, some of the questions are answered. Still we are left to wonder who is good and who will betray as morals are tested. The plot was very original, face-paced, and very exciting.

From the beginning, my mind sorted the show more characters into two categories...those who supported the government, and those who opposed it. The heroine, young Rachel is heavily influenced by her mother to believe the government is wrong. Her mother is a very strong character in the story, very determined and loving. Several chapters told in her point-of-view reveal just how much she loves and daughter and how desperately she wants to keep her safe. We also get a peek into the mind of their employer, the stern Ms. Moore. Her stone personality gives the story some extra edge. All of the characters were memorable. I enjoyed the shifting POV, it helped the story flow smoothly.

The cons...The next book, titled Away, doesn't come out until early 2011. I don't know if I can wait that long. show less

No one wants to live next to the Line- an invisible barrier that separates the United States from...what's outside. It appears only as a thin strip of dirt, grassless, stretching as far as one can see in either direction, and beyond the Line, everything looks pretty much as it does on the Property. Of course no one wants to really go to the Property either, though it's far enough from the city to escape the ever watchful eye of the harsh controlling US government, it's too close to The Line, too close to the Others.

Rachel gazes wistfully out over The Line from the safety of her hiding place in the Property's orchid greenhouse. From here she can stare out into Away, and daydream about what might exist just over the invisible barrier, but show more nothing ever actually happens. Until one night...

"It was real. Somebody was out there"

I'm so loving dystopian YA fiction right now. It's so inventive and fun- who knew the zombie apocalypse could be so entertaining. And while there are no zombies in The Line, Hall gives an equally as nightmarish monster to fear- the government.

In this world, there has been a huge war that leaves the United States completely bordered off and segregated from the rest of the world. Sounds oddly realistic doesn't it? And the reigning government uses terror, taxes and slavery to control the people- again, we are scarily realistic here. Maybe even scarier than zombies.

I love the ominous feel of Hall's capitalized names for things- the Line, The Property, Away, Others. Such simple little words with a lead weight feel that drops on you each time they are mentioned on the page. I swear I heard the Jaws theme song each time Rachel approached the Line.

This was a fun, quick little read- too quick to warrant a sequel. I think she could have easily put it all in one book and we would have gotten a more well rounded story than what we ended up with. The ending has one hell of a cliff hanger that I loved, but the lead up to it was choppy and very unrealistic (if I told you it would be a spoiler but I didn't like the fantasy turn of events here).

All in all, Hall is a very gifted storyteller and the book had a fairytale feel to me in regards to the way the story was told and her tone never wavered even if the plot did a bit. With such simple narration, I could easily see it being a bedtime story- if you wanted your kid to have nightmares and piss himself. I'm on board for the next book, Away and I'm really interested to see where Hall takes this because honestly, it's unpredictable- and I love that. Read this in the day time, and don't listen to the news afterwards. show less

Okay, so these people (Rachel, her mother, and the woman she works for) live on The Property which is right by The Line. The Property is an out of the way estate with, it seems, a nice bit of land and The Line is an invisible boundary between Rachel & crew and "The Others" - which Rachel has never actually seen. She's only heard stories about them. Strange stories. Oh, and the other side of The Line is known as Away. Oh - and the boundary cannot be crossed.

So, naturally, I figure this kid (Rachel) is going to try to cross said boundary - but it is made pretty clear from the beginning that one cannot walk through that boundary, so....well, I won't spoil it.

In the first half of the novel the back story is delivered in the form of history show more lessons (sort of) for Rachel given by her mother. Poor kid. I wasn't sure I liked that delivery and I sort of felt bad for the kid having to recite all those things about what happened way back when, and what the government did when The Line first came into being... However, by the second half of the book I understood why Rachel's mother grilled her on all that history, and then learning about it that way didn't bother me anymore.

In the second half of the story, the pace picks up quite a bit. That is not to say that the first half dragged, but once I started reading the second half, I read it right on through to the end without putting it back down at all. It's not that long - I read the first half just a couple of chapters at a time over a couple of days. But, see, then this recorded message shows up that must have come from Away, and the voice on it is asking for help. What will Rachel do? And what will mom and boss lady do if they find out about it? Then all these other things happen and the next thing I knew, I was finished reading the whole book. And then I read the first few pages of Away - the sequel. And now I have to buy it. Where's my Kindle... show less

Rachel has lived on The Property with her mother, Vivian, for as long as she can remember. The Property is right along the section of the U.S. National Defense border known as The Line, an invisible yet physically repellant boundary between the Unified States and Away, home of the mysterious Others. Rachel has been taught to never fully believe the official reports the government issues about their history and present conditions.

Then, Rachel picks up a message from someone on the other side of the Line, asking for help. This opens up an explosion of revelations that challenge everything Rachel has been used to.

THE LINE is an intriguing but unfortunately very slow start to what could be a great and unique series. It’s extremely hard show more for me to pass judgment on this book on account of its “first in a series” symptoms. If you have a patient love for dystopian literature, you might really enjoy this book…unless you put it down first due to its slow pace and youngish writing style.

Teri Hall has created a scarily believable dystopian world where the government has taken on a whole new type of authority and people must abide by these strict laws or else risk their lives. The idea of living behind a boundary, forbidden to even wonder at what lies on the other side, can be seen as a metaphoric manifestation of a child’s struggle between staying safe by his/her guardians’ rules or venturing out to learn on one’s own, sometimes breaking serious rules along the way. This comparison is subtle but will likely make THE LINE appeal most to late elementary/middle school readers, who will be enthralled by this dystopian world and not put off by the way the story is told.

Indeed, the story is unfortunately quite slow and often not flavorful enough to make it truly stand out among others in its genre. The first two-thirds of the book is spent slowly explaining the state of their world via long-winded and stationary dialogues, with few discernable scenes that contribute to the plot instead of the background information. And the “turning point”—Rachel’s discovery of the message for help—really doesn’t kick the story into action either. I’ll concede that what we glimpse of the Others is fascinating and will surely make this book’s sequel, AWAY, an interesting read. However, too much time is spent on world-building, and not nearly enough on the development of the actual story.

Ultimately, readers may find THE LINE lacking in aspects of plot, and elementary in its telling-instead-of-showing writing style. However, this book will surely find its audience in young fans of Margaret Peterson Haddix, for it is truly an intriguing concept. show less

The Line begins with mystery. Every action and bit of dialogue builds onto this the mystery of what is on the other side of the line. As I read, I found that the who, what, where, when and why of the line was my only concern in this story.

The Line contains a well-built alternative world where governmental control and interference in the United States has hit a scary high. Citizens freedoms are all but taken away completely and it is easy to see parallels between the this fictional version of the country and the real life countries the US often gets involved with in the name of freedom. It's a beautifully twisted form of the country becoming it's own worst enemy.

Rachel's parents, especially her mother, are at the forefront of what is show more supposed to be an important thread of the story. Unfortunately, the information revealed is obvious well before it is told. The big, emotional plot climax of the book feels almost too easy. It's obviously a set up for further novels, but everything works out so neatly and without realistic emotion that it was a letdown.

As characters - Rachel, her mother, her mother's employer and even the boy from the other side of the Line - fall flat. I couldn't bring myself to care about any one of them. There was nothing intensely interesting or sympathetic about them and I needed much more of a reason to feel for them and their situations. Aspects of the others, their differences and abilities, were very intriguing but were only touched upon lightly.

The Line isn't as eventful as it seemed like it would be, but it shows promise as the beginning of a longer story line. Life on the other side of the line is what really held my interest and although I didn't absolutely love this book, I will definitely be reading the next. show less

The Line by Teri Hall is a book that gets better and better and better until a conclusion that will leave you flipping the last page back and forth sure there has to be more. Rachel and her mother live on an estate, The Property, that borders the Line. Her mother is Ms Moore's housekeeper and Rachel works with the orchids in the greenhouse and does her schooling with her mother at night.

All of this, though, leaves enough free time for Rachel to be plenty curious about the Line and those that live Away on the other side. The Line has been maintained as a tangible border around the US since the Korusal dropped bombs. The Others are trapped on the other side of the Line but Rachel's time that's just that.
That doesn't stop Rachel from show more wondering, especially living as close to the Line as she does. A curiosity that's only heightened when she receives a messages from the Others asking for help.

Is there a way for Rachel to help the Others? And not get caught and punished?

Rachel's attempt - or at least desire - to help those in Away brings to light a lot of the history and secrets of how everything got to how it is (with Away and the Line and Others). It's a great way of telling the story and history without it making it seem like a The Line history lesson.

It's fantastic the way The Line slowly unravels. In the beginning it's an interesting tale that you are, okay, kind of invested in but as you read you get more and more into the plot and the characters and wanting to know what happened.
By the end I'd decided I love this book and wanted to tell everyone to read it if they hadn't already!! (And find one of those stress balls, it has one crazy cliffhanger ending - it's why I'm posting this now actually, the second book comes out on the 15th so I'm giving you less time to go crazy waiting on what happens.)

Books that slowly unfold and unveil their story as you go are something that can really be a pleasure to read. (Hard to summarize and even review sometimes - but a great joy to read.)

The Line doesn't focus solely on Rachel so while readers do get to know her and she's well developed this isn't a character study book. Rachel's mother, Ms Moore, and Rachel are all important characters in The Line and the world they live in is used to tell their stories, too.

I am looking forward to more of the characters in the next book now that we know things about them and seeing how they grow and develop.

I really can't wait for September 15th when the second book comes out and I can see where the characters and the story progresses.

10/10
(won this from LibraryThing's Member Giveaways) show less