Summary
Summary
TEARDROP launches a new series from Lauren Kate, author of the #1 New York Times bestselling FALLEN series. Haunting, mysterious, romantic and steeped in mythology, TEARDROP is the epic saga of Eureka Boudreaux, a 17-year old Louisiana girl whose tears have the power to raise the lost continent of Atlantis . . . a world where everything you love can be washed away. With the international phenomenon FALLEN , Lauren Kate has captured the hearts and imaginations of readers all over the world, with rights sold in 33 countries and counting.
Never, ever cry. . . .
Eureka Boudreaux's mother drilled that rule into her daughter years ago. But now her mother is gone, and everywhere Eureka goes he is there: Ander, the tall, pale blond boy who seems to know things he shouldn't, who tells Eureka she is in grave danger, who comes closer to making her cry than anyone has before.
But Ander doesn't know Eureka's darkest secret: ever since her mother drowned in a freak accident, Eureka wishes she were dead, too. She has little left that she cares about, just her oldest friend, Brooks, and a strange inheritance--a locket, a letter, a mysterious stone, and an ancient book no one understands. The book contains a haunting tale about a girl who got her heart broken and cried an entire continent into the sea--and something about the story is uncannily familiar.
Eureka is about to discover that the ancient tale is more than a story, that Ander might be telling the truth . . . and that her life has far darker undercurrents than she ever imagined.
Reviews (5)
School Library Journal Review
Gr 7 Up-Eureka Boudreaux has a unique set of problems. Not only does she have to deal with an overbearing stepmonster, senioritis, and a clueless therapist, she also has the burden of being the sole bearer of an ancient curse that could bring destruction to the entire world. A bit much? Well, add a suicide attempt to the mix along with a dash of survivor's guilt. A book in a dead language, a weird stone, and a rusted locket are all that Eureka's mother left her when she died. She must find out what they all mean, and no one can help her make sense of the mess, except the strange boy with the luminescent skin who seems to pop up whenever bad things happen. With uncommon grace, Lauren Kate manages to couple supernatural intrigue and romance with the very serious subject of suicide. Part lyrical contemporary fiction and part paranormal romance, this work bends the myth of Atlantis to fit modern experience. Narrated by Erin Spencer, this is a solid addition to any public or school library.-Shanna Miles, South Atlanta Educational Complex, GA (c) Copyright 2014. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Publisher's Weekly Review
In this first book in Kate's new series, set in the bayou, 17-year-old Eureka Boudreaux wishes she were dead, after the death of her mother. But with a mysterious inheritance and a very special power-the ability to raise the lost city of Atlantis with her tears-Eureka embarks on an adventure of epic proportions. Narrator Spencer breathes life into this mysterious tale. Her reading is straightforward but effective, her tone soft, and her pacing perfect. Spencer ably captures the essence of the characters, lending them suitable voices. Listeners-particularly fans of the genre-will find this a fun and rousing audiobook. Ages 12-up. A Delacorte hardcover. (Oct.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
Horn Book Review
Eureka promised her mother that she would never cry. But now her mother is dead, her best friend is possessed, and someone is stalking Eureka--someone who brings Eureka closer to tears than anyone before. Although underdeveloped character motivations jeopardize credibility, the plot--that Eureka's tears can raise Atlantis--is intriguing enough to keep readers turning the pages. (c) Copyright 2014. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Kirkus Review
When given the choice to "[s]ave the world, or save the girl," a young man named Ander, scion of a mystical race of beings with power over water, chooses the girl. Seventeen-year-old Eureka Boudreaux has no idea how or why she survived the car crash that claimed her mother's life, and there have been plenty of times when she wished she hadn't. Four months and one suicide attempt after the accident, Eureka struggles to adjust to life without her mother and to a world that is suddenly filled with mystery and danger--with Eureka, unwitting agent of an apocalypse Ander's people are trying to prevent, at the center of it all. Kate's lush, sensuous descriptions bring the Louisiana bayou to life as Eureka battles against extraordinary forces of nature, desperate to discover who and what she truly is and how she can save the people she loves. While the characters are rich and appealing, and there's plenty of danger, romance and intrigue to entertain, readers may find themselves frustrated by how long it takes to learn the truth about Eureka's powers. All of the ingredients are there, but the murkiness surrounding the mythical underpinnings of the novel keeps it from reaching its full potential. Still, there's plenty here to make for a terrific weekend-afternoon read. (Paranormal romance. 14 up)]] Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Booklist Review
Seventeen-year-old Eureka Boudreaux survived the car accident that killed her archaeologist mother, but she is left physically and emotionally battered. Once captain of the cross-country team, she has abandoned the sport she loves and now lives with her unsympathetic stepmother, her caring but ineffectual father, and her beloved four-year-old twin stepsiblings. Eureka is also torn between new, intense feelings for two young men: childhood best friend Brooks and Ander, an attractive stranger who seems to understand her better than anyone. Upon inheriting a pendant, a handwritten book in unidentifiable language, and a mysterious stone from her mother, Eureka and friends discover her true legacy as a descendant of Atlantis whose tears have the power to raise the lost city. In this series opener, Kate sows the seed for several more titles filled with magic, action, and romance. The Louisiana setting lends appropriately oppressive humidity to a story dominated by water in all its changing forms. Romance and mystery readers will enjoy the smooth predictability of the many plot twists, made fresh by a promising backstory and atmospheric setting. HIGH-DEMAND BACKSTORY: Expect a multiplatform marketing and publicity campaign for the #1 New York Times best-selling author of the Fallen series.--Carton, Debbie Copyright 2010 Booklist