The Huaca

by Marcia Mickelson

[sstaley]

The Huaca starts as many YA contemporary books showing the life of a teenage girl. Ellie is a junior in high school trying to fit in and not always doing a great job of it. Ellie is on the outs with her best friend of 10 years, Sarah. Ellie does something that gets Sarah's prospective boyfriend in big trouble. Also, Ellie's mother was murdered so her life was turned upside down. Ellie meets the "strange" kid (Gabe) at school and they become friends. Through him Ellie learns some new details about her mother's murder.

Without giving too much away, Gabe, whose grandfather was an Incan from Peru has a Huaca at his disposal. Author Marcia Mickelson spoke of what the Huaca is and how it is used in her story...

"A huaca (pronounced waca) is an object that represents

something revered. Huaca is a word from the Quechua

language, a native American language of South America.

In my story, the huaca is an Incan artifact .(The picture of the Huaca is found on the front cover of the book.)

Gabe De La Cruz has the huaca, and it has been passed
down to him from his ancestors. Ellie Cummings wants to
know who killed her mother. She turns to Gabe who claims he can communicate with her dead mother. Ellie takes a chance and discovers that the truth may be better kept a secret."

The book turns from a high school drama/love story, into a full blown mystery uncovering who killed her mother. There is a supernatural feel to the Huaca or some may see it as sacred. That is what it felt more like to me. Gabe and Ellie grow close very quickly, but it is through their experiences together using the Huaca. It all feels OK though because of their backgrounds and hardships they both have gone through. Ellie and Gabe both grow stronger to face their trials in their lives. I liked how Marcia wrote the relationship between the two characters. It showed true loyalty between friends as they are dealing with grief and sorrow.

The story flows along so well that you can't quit reading. You want answers to the mystery right along with Ellie. I have to say I was surprised when those answers came. Even though this is written for teens, I can tell you that adults will also be pulled into the stories of Ellie and Gabe. This captivating tale with a flavor of Incan history will be sure to draw you in until the last page is read.