The Huaca

By Marcia Mickelson

ISBN: 9781462111909

Publisher: Cedar Fort, Inc.
Publication Date:  May 14th 2013
Number of Pages: 256

Source: Local Library
Goodreads Summary: Seventeen-year-old Ellie Cummings just wants to be a regular teenager, but after her mother’s mysterious murder, she isn't sure if she’ll ever be normal again. Her mother’s death has left Ellie and her father worlds apart. And when her best friend abandons her, Ellie has no one else to turn to—except for the strange boy who says he can help.

Gabe de la Cruz seems to know way too much about everything,

and her instincts tell Ellie to stay far away. But when he claims that he can communicate with the dead through an ancient Incan artifact, Ellie can’t resist the temptation of seeing her mother again. In the hanan pacha—the Incan afterworld—Ellie’s mother sends a message to help Ellie understand what happened the night of the murder—a message that may be better kept a secret . . .

My Rating:  

I really wanted to like this book more than I did. It is such an interesting story filled with intrigue and mystery. El's mom was murdered and her killer never caught. She has grown apart from her best friend, as they no longer prize the same things. Her father is distant and avoids discussing her mom. Enter the mysterious loner Gabe, who introduces El to his ancestral history - he descends from the Incas.  

"'No. It's not a jewelry box. It's a huaca.' He pronounced it 'wa-ka.'
'What?'
'It's a sacred object. That's what huaca means. The Incas believe in performing worshipping ceremonies. They give sacrifices to the gods through a huaca.'" - The Huaca, 45

This huaca has the power to transport you to the hanan pacha - which is the Incas' version of heaven. El is able to meet her mother there and through Gabe's sacrifice, she is able to slowly piece together what happened the night she died. 

I feel like the story was executed poorly. There are so many conversations that I felt were just repeating themselves over and over. It got really tedious.

El is an okay character. I can't fathom a person's reaction to what she went through but I do feel that she treated Gabe unfairly at times - this is probably to be expected, but his reaction? Not believable. He is always understanding and caring. He doesn't ever really fight her back and it just didn't feel right to me. Yes, they are 17 years old and should be maturing, but can you see a 17 year old guy acting like that? And how obsessed he was with her? I just found it all....kinda creepy (yes, yes he is wonderful after you get to know him but still!)

Gabe's family history and his quite absent mother held my interest and intrigued me. He suffered a lot in his life and has turned out great, but like I said above, he sounds a little too good to be true. 

The big secret (which I'm not giving away) I had guessed from the beginning. So really, I was just reading to see when they would figure it all out and how it would end. 

It is a quick read and I enjoyed the mythology discussed. It is a mystery book and it is thrilling enough to keep you reading.  Though there are some character holes, I did like the book and would recommend it!