The Seventh Mesa: A Novel

Rating:
Summary: Native American X-Files...
Review: ...with a smidge of Stargate as well. The plot's been done before but it can still be fun if given the right twist. The ending's rather obvious so I'm giving anything away by explaining that this is one of those stories where a small group of people are drawn together by fate or inhuman forces or whatever to discover that humans are descendants of aliens and that all ancient monuments were really built by them, etc. It's hard to tell though if the author is presenting this seriously as some sort of secret wisdom or if she is simply letting her imagination run wild.

I'm glad I got this book used because I never would want to pay full price for this (if I had, I might have been less willing to give three stars). The emotion behind it is very warm and light hearted, although the author's writing style kept me from full enjoyment. The prose is amateurish and naive to the point of distraction. It reminded me of early Nancy Drew, of all things. (Seriously. Try to read those again as an adult.) The story was very slow to get going, one of the plot points is abandoned towards the end, and I had to force myself to get to the finish. I was constantly reminded about why you should stick to writing what you know. For example, if you're going to make a character an anthropoligist, been sure you know a good deal about anthropology. Or if you set the story on a college campus, know something about what life there's like. And really know that a professor is not allowed to date one of his students, flaunt it all over campus, including in front of his boss, and have everyone accept it. The story is best when it sticks to the one thing the author seems to know, which is Native American culture and ceremonies. Nevertheless, the intent behind the book seems so well meaning, I just couldn't hate it. And I do think in the right hands it could even make a good tv movie.

Rating:
Summary: the Seventh Mesa
Review: This is a wonderful novel. There is a treasure of knowledge hiddden in the mesa. Four people learn about this sacred place and seek to find it. What they find is most amazing. This book will hold you attention from start to finish