Growing up, Autumn and Finny were like peas in a pod despite their differences: Autumn is “quirky and odd,” while Finny is “sweet and shy and everyone like him.” But in eighth grade, Autumn and Finny stop being friends due to an unexpected kiss. They drift apart and find new friends, but their friendship keeps asserting itself at parties, shared holiday gatherings and random encounters. The finely drawn characters capture readers’ attention in this debut.Īutumn and Phineas, nicknamed Finny, were born a week apart their mothers are still best friends. Laura continually comes across as uncertain, finally forcing herself to a snap decision that leads to an exciting battle and the story’s climax-but then to a rather anticlimactic ending that doesn’t seem to follow through on the novel’s potential.Ī passable supernatural adventure for the summer break. Morris weaves history and mythology into the story but focuses mostly on action, ratcheting up the violence of the supernatural events. Laura becomes the epicenter of the battle and soon learns the supernatural importance of her two stones. It seems that the ancient Roman gods are still around and still fighting. Sea gulls attack, while crows seem to be defending the teens. As the story progresses, mayhem develops, starting with a volcanic eruption that blankets the city with ash. Oddly, she finds in her backpack another stone almost identical to hers. It holds a star sapphire that her grandfather had found in Rome during World War II. Could he be Mercury? Tension mounts when someone tries to steal Laura’s bracelet. Statues and paintings seem to move, and she sees a boy with wings on his feet.

But it’s even more exciting than she’d expected. Laura loves learning about the ancient world, so her Classics class trip to Rome is a natural for her. Teens visiting Rome become embroiled in a battle between ancient gods.

The Eternal City by Paula Morris