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.

Once I really got in to reading The Year of the Great Seventh by Teresa Orts, I didn't want to put it down. It's been a tough couple of months so I lost my reading gusto, but this book helped give it back to me.

It really starts out with a BANG. Sophie and her friends go to a party where Sophie runs in to the popular and absolutely gorgeous Nate who, surprisingly, seems interested in talking to her. But things take a turn for the worst when someone gets a little too close to Sophie (that's putting it nicely) and Nate completely flips out on him.

Just that one incident sets in motion an unstoppable force. Sophie can't help but fall for Nate and contrary to the society they live in and their social circles, he falls for her too it seems. But he's got a secret that he's kept from everyone but Sophie that could end up being the end of him... or her.

I didn't quite understand how Sophie's feelings for Nate went from seemingly non existant to "I can't keep myself away from him" so quickly, and there were some questions I had about the ending that I HOPE will be answered in the next book, but other than that this was a great story. There were some moments that totally creeped me out but I was rooting for the two of them the entire time. The relationship between them may not have really been explained at the start, but the devotion Sophie shows for Nate and the protectiveness he feels toward her just make me that much more invested in their story.

Sophie reminded me a little bit of myself and I think that's important in a story, being able to relate to the characters. She saw Nate, who was broken, and made up her mind to fix him despite all the odds stacked against them. Her fierce determination and hope, I'm sure, are part of what Nate ended up liking so much about her. She wanted to help him when no one else cared. Not even his own parents.

I would recommend this book to anyone 16 and up. There are a couple of scenes that were questionable for anyone younger than that, but 16 and up seems like a safe bet. It was phenomenal and action packed and kept me on the edge of my seating waiting to find out what happened next. I'm glad this is the first in a series because with books like these you always want to read more.