REVIEW: The Year of the Great Seventh by Teresa Orts

Sophie has always felt out of step — an outsider, even amongst friends in her high school with all the hype about celebrity culture. Her life in L.A. seems to have been already written for her, but when her junior year starts, it all takes a drastic turn. When she crosses paths with the school's heartthrob, Nate Werner, they fall for each other in a way neither can understand. What they don’t know is that by giving in to their desires, they are unlocking an ancient Egyptian prophecy that threatens to return Earth to the dark ages.

To undo the curse, Nate and Sophie embark on an adventure that takes them across the country. But their quest is not only to save the world as they know it. It is also a fight for their very survival. Behind the scenes, there are those that are counting on them to fail.

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My Thoughts:

"Ammateus, marked by the legend of Orion, will suffocate with his own hands the life that guides him. Then he will bring the sons of Satan back from the death, marking the end of it all. Only the divine stone found where heaven meets earth will save her."

Sophie is the type of teenager most parents would love to have. She has a great group of friends, she's responsible, does well in school by getting fantastic grades and has a plan for her future. Nate Werner is the popular guy at school. His family are very well off and he moves in a different circle to Sophie. But once their paths cross Sophie feels an incredible need to be with him. He is constantly in her thoughts, so much so that her grades begin to slip and she falls into a funk when he tells her they need to stay away from each other. But the pull towards each other is pretty strong. 

While the book contains an element of fantasy, that wasn't what was most prominent about it for the most part. While it was mentioned at different points throughout the story it took a back seat to the characters and their relationships. It wasn't until Sophie and Nate take their journey to New York to try to unlock the mystery surrounding Nate's illness, that the fantasy element of the story really came into play and the action picked up. And when it did, the story came to life. The whole concept of the story was fantastic. Original and different and completely new to me. The changes that take place in Nate over the last part of the book were freaky good. I loved all the references to Egyptian Mythology and the way that all the little pieces of information was released to us in small doses throughout the story.

The Year of the Great Seventh had a much younger feel to it than what I'm used to reading. Despite the characters being around the age of sixteen they did at times feel to be much younger than that. But then at other times they were discussing and making decisions on some grown up situations such as sex. But that's not to say that the story can't be enjoyed by all ages, because I did find that I enjoyed it. I would say that the first part of the book was much slower paced than the back half and it did take me a little while to get into it. But as I said, once the action and adventure kicked into gear that was really when my interest peaked.

And just when I thought that there had been a nice wrap up to book one, the author throws a little twist at the end to ensure that I'm intrigued and wondering about what will take place in book two.

3.75/5 Stars!!