The Eternal City

March 1, 2015
Teens visiting Rome become embroiled in a battle between ancient gods. Laura loves learning about the ancient world, so her Classics class trip to Rome is a natural for her. But it's even more exciting than she'd expected. Statues and paintings seem to move, and she sees a boy with wings on his feet. Could he be Mercury? Tension mounts when someone tries to steal Laura's bracelet. It holds a star sapphire that her grandfather had found in Rome during World War II. Oddly, she finds in her backpack another stone almost identical to hers. As the story progresses, mayhem develops, starting with a volcanic eruption that blankets the city with ash. Sea gulls attack, while crows seem to be defending the teens. It seems that the ancient Roman gods are still around and still fighting. Laura becomes the epicenter of the battle and soon learns the supernatural importance of her two stones. Morris weaves history and mythology into the story but focuses mostly on action, ratcheting up the violence of the supernatural events. 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. A passable supernatural adventure for the summer break. (Paranormal suspense. 12-18)

March 1, 2015

Gr 6 Up-On the last day of Laura Martin's class trip to Rome, all she wants to do is grab her BFF Morgan and soak up the sights in the city that's always enthralled her. Instead, when most of her group members, including Morgan, fall ill, she's stuck with some classmates she barely knows. As they walk around, strange things begin happening: Laura sees a Cupid statue shoot a pigeon, crows are always flying near her, and a sewer cover tries to eat her hand. Then the god Mercury appears, telling Laura that she wields two powerful stones called the Eyes of Minerva and that the gods are going to war over them. As Laura and her classmates traverse an increasingly dangerous city, they have to figure out what to do with the Eyes before Rome-and everyone who lives there-is destroyed. While fans of Rome and Roman mythology will find an enjoyable story, those looking for more may be disappointed. Some disruptions in an otherwise exciting plot stall momentum, though there are still plenty of periods of tension and intensity. Characters come off as two-dimensional and underdeveloped, and while some are intentionally enigmatic, most feel bland. Protagonist Laura ultimately has little agency and seems to rely on others to make decisions and plans for her. Still, readers interested in mythology and looking for action and romance without excessive violence and gore will find something to appreciate. VERDICT For libraries that can't keep myth-based adventures on the shelves.-Kelsey Johnson-Kaiser, La Crosse Public Library, WI

Copyright 2015 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

May 15, 2015
Grades 7-10 The great landmarks of Romethe Trevi Fountain, the Pantheon, the Colosseumspring to life in this unusual little adventure romance. Laura is on a long-awaited school trip to Rome when strange things start happening. Why have most of her companions fallen ill? Who is this new student and why does she seem to know so much about mythology? And did the snakes in that fresco . . . move? There's drama aplenty as Laura finds herself at the epicenter of a battle among the ancient Roman godsand possibly among her attentive male companions, too. Though the premise is more than a little far-fetched (Minerva has approved Laura as a fit custodian of two important gems, prompting violent reactions from Vulcan and Neptune), the lustrous descriptions and entertaining characters keep the pages turning as Laura and her friends quest their way through the parks and avenues of an increasingly chaotic Eternal City. Teens eager for anything akin to Percy Jackson's milieu will get a kick out of this.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2015, American Library Association.)