The Eternal City

by Paula Morris

Overview

From master of suspense Paula Morris comes a tale of gods and goddesses, thrilling romance, and mystery set in present-day Rome.

Laura Martin is visiting Rome on a class trip, and she's entranced by the majestic Colosseum, the Trevi Fountain, the Pantheon . . . Everything in this city seems magical.

That is, until the magic seems to turn very dark.

Suddenly, statues of Cupid and ancient works of art come to life before her eyes. Earthquakes rumble and a cloud of ash forms in the sky. A dark-eyed boy with wings on his heels appears and gives her a message. Laura soon realizes she is at the center of a brewing battle -- a battle between the gods and goddesses, one that will shake modern-day Rome to its core.

Only she and her group of friends can truly unravel the mystery behind what is happening. As tensions mount and secret identities are revealed, Laura must rely on her own inner strength to face up to what may be a fight for her life.

Acclaimed author Paula Morris brings the ancient world to vivid life in this unstoppable tale of friendship, love, and the power of the past.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780545251334
Publisher:	Scholastic, Inc.
Publication date:	05/26/2015
Pages:	304
Product dimensions:	5.40(w) x 8.40(h) x 1.20(d)
Lexile:	870L (what's this?)
Age Range:	12 - 17 Years

About the Author

Paula Morris is the author of Ruined, Dark Souls, Unbroken, and several award-winning novels for adults in her native New Zealand. She now lives in England with her husband. Please visit her online at www.paula-morris.com.

Editorial Reviews

Praise for Ruined :

• "[A] haunting love letter to New Orleans . . . thoroughly embraces the rich history, occult lore and complex issues of race, ethnicity, class and culture." -- Publishers Weekly, starred review

"Fast-paced . . . [an] atmospheric page-turner." -- Booklist

"Entertaining and unique...straddles the line between ghost story and realistic fiction so well." -- VOYA

From the Publisher

A Classics class trip to Europe is everything Indiana high school student Laura Martin has dreamed of, until her classmates and much of Rome are sickened with a mysterious flu, long-dormant volcanoes begin to erupt, and earthquakes shake the city. On top of that, statues and frescoes are coming to life, and gulls and crows seem to be attacking and protecting Laura in turn. As ancient gods and their messengers return, will Laura and her group of almost-friends be able to help stop an epic battle that could destroy them all? The Eternal City never lives up to the grandeur of its setting or the presumed horrors of the gods’ war taking place just beyond mortal sight. Although Laura is key to the war and its possible resolution, she is essentially powerless, lacking any agency other than the choice to give back the mysterious stones that were given to her (and which start the war) and with them, the power and protection of the goddess Minerva. Laura and the supporting characters are flat and two-dimensional, and seem younger than the high school juniors and seniors they are said to be. It is never quite clear why the two boys from Laura’s school group do not fall sick like the others, except that it provides Laura a convenient (but not very exciting) romantic interest in one of them. This has an interesting premise—if only the students had been fully involved in this ancient fight, rather than merely stumbling through its fallout. Reviewer: Vikki Terrile; Ages 11 to 15.

VOYA, April 2015 (Vol. 38, No. 1) - Vikki Terrile

03/01/2015
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

School Library Journal

2015-02-16
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)

Kirkus Reviews