Relic

Gr 7 Up—Fans of The Hunger Games will devour this book. The world suffered a cataclysmic flood a century earlier that the survivors believe occurred as punishment by their gods for the evils of that civilization. Now living in the Arctic North, bound by ice and water on all sides, the rulers of the Aerie are rigid and demanding to ensure that they not repeat the evil of their ancestors and bring about another flood. After the death of her twin brother, Eamon, 18-year-old Eva, the daughter of an Aerie ruler, decides to take his place in The Testing, which involves traveling by dogsled over snow and ice to an area where artifacts from the past corrupt civilization must be excavated from a crevasse in the ice. Proper and popular Jasper of the ruling class and outsider Lukas of the Boundary People, servants to the ruling class, are both vying for Eva's attention. Until her twin's death, Eva was a dutiful daughter to her status-conscious parents and not averse to their plans of marrying her to Jasper. Lukas, who had been training Eamon, now works with Eva to prepare her for The Testing. On the eve of the event, he gives her Eamon's journal, which makes her realize that her brother was about to embark on a mission that would change her world forever, but the journal isn't clear about how. The relic that Eva finds during The Testing, and her interpretation of its meaning, alters her worldview and will ultimately lead her to challenge all she believes and holds dear. Although Relic's story line is familiar, Terrell has created an interesting setting and memorable characters. Teens will be looking forward to the next installment in the series.—Kathy Kirchoefer, Henderson County Public Library, NC