Sutherland, Tui T. So this is how it ends.

SUTHERLAND, Tui T. So this is how it ends. (Avatars, Book One.) HarperCollins. 353p. c2006. 0-06-0750243. $16.99. S*

It's the end of the world as we know it, and five teenagers are feeling anything but fine. They've been plucked from their lives in 2012 and thrown ahead 75 years into the future. They aren't your usual teenagers, either. Kali has survived a number of disasters. Tigre has an affinity with animals and runs without a goal during the storms that dog him. Venus is a wildly popular pop star who got her start as a preteen. Gus, orphaned at 14, lives with his older brother in Los Angeles. The fifth teenager, Amon, has always known just how special he is. All five are drawn together from around the world for a special purpose. The title says it all: they are avatars, mortal incarnations of gods from various pantheons, brought together to determine which pantheon will reign supreme through combat. That the rest of the world's population had to be devastated in the process is a minor issue to these gods, traditionally unconcerned with the fate of humans. Gus, however, is the monkey wrench in the mix. He was never intended to be an avatar, but has become one nevertheless.

Sutherland is an innovative and eloquent writer, creating complex characters and handling a complicated plot told from different perspectives with ease. She has a keen ear for convincing dialog, and she injects humor and hope into what seems to be a hopeless and humorless situation. The mythological elements are handled well, and readers with a passing knowledge of them will enjoy searching out the allusions, which are not always obvious. The story ends with a cliffhanger; readers will be simultaneously satisfied and clamoring for more. Donna Scanlon, Libn., County Lib., Lancaster, PA

S--Recommended for senior high school students.

*--The asterisk highlights exceptional books.