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When Jilda embarks on a cruise with her mother and twin sister, Rosa, she has no idea of the ordeal she'll face. Feeling unwell, Jilda stays in her cabin while her mother and sister go ashore to explore a Fijian island. Jilda emerges to find the ship has been commandeered by a group determined to use it to transport refugees away from the island nation of Levy Archipelago, which is flooding due to climate change. Conditions on the ship deteriorate quickly due to overcrowding. The refugees grow restless with no idea of where they're heading, and they mourn the loss of their animals they had to leave behind on the islands. Alone and afraid Jilda finds an ally in Jade-along with feelings she's never experienced before. But will the relationship forming between them end when Jilda admits she has a boyfriend?
Clare O'Beara
5.0 out of 5 stars
Almost science fiction but maybe in a few years, this will be fact. A girl stays behind on board ship as she's not well, and before her twin sister and mum can return, the cruise ship has been hijacked...I intuited that climate refugees would be in the mix, from an island suffering from sea level rise. That's how it turned out, and the detailed account with all its sights, sounds and smells - and tragedy - kept me riveted.
Helen Tyzack ...Jilda’s Ark was a great read from the beginning. I was immediately hooked and read into the early hours of the morning. Then, sharp awake at 4.30am, I felt compelled to pick up the book and read more of Jilda’s story. I love stories where I cannot predict what will happen and when they become exciting page turners. Jilda’s Ark offered both these treats. The author has crafted the story well by using the dynamic voice of the heroine Jilda as the narrator... Jilda’s story meshes with currently topical themes including environmentalism, animal welfare ...
Life in a small mining town can be like living in a fishbowl, where everyone knows everybody else's business. Fifteen-year-old Jodi's mother wants her father to quit his binge drinking and his dangerous job at the mine—even more so after a collapse leaves two miners dead and three trapped deep underground.
As tensions escalate both at home and around the town, Jodi seeks comfort with her friends but soon faces a double betrayal. Meanwhile, her ten-year-old brother Jake reacts by joining a gang of schoolyard bullies who engage in increasingly dangerous antics.
As Jodi struggles to gain autonomy over her life, she begins to discover the person she really is. But with everything around her spiraling out of control, it may not be the right time to let her family, friends, and ultimately the whole town know—no matter how much she wants to.
What a well crafted book. I do not normally read teen fiction but a friend suggested this book as a good read. I read a few paragraphs, sceptical about the possibility of me as a granny being interested, and found myself hooked. The story line is compelling. The writer uses dialogue and appealing characters to drive the story forward - not an easy feat. But the dialogue reflects the writers insight into issues impacting teens in the Western world today. I felt like I had been allowed to enter the secret world of teenagers for a while.
Clare O'Beara
5.0 out of 5 stars
I like a lot about this intense and gripping story, which really caught my interest and had me invested in the dual outcomes. This should be enjoyed by anyone facing identity issues, and generally by young teens who wish to gain an understanding of what life is likely to bring them and whether it's all right to be different. I'd love to read more by this author.
Lara, an English language teacher, is falling in love with one of her adult Brazilian students. At the same time, her long-term relationship with partner Alex is drifting apart. Desperate for some time alone to discover who she truly is, and what she really needs and wants, Lara successfully applies for a six-month job in China. Alex meanwhile is conflicted as their mutual friend Sondra makes a play for him soon after Lara departs.
Benji and his family are downsizing from a house to an apartment. His friends are there to help with the move. Benji, his mum, and Doris the family's dog, are sad about the change. Despite the strangeness of moving to a new place, Benji assures Doris that they'll get used to it.
Sixteen-year-old Rebecca is consumed by grief after the sudden, tragic death of her boyfriend, Alastair. Her pain is exacerbated by the fact that their relationship was a secret, a love story hidden from the world. Now, as she mourns in silence, she feels trapped, torn between the anguish of losing him and the guilt of revealing their bond.
Calum, Alastair's brother, remains unaware of their relationship. As Rebecca grows closer to Calum, their friendship takes an unexpected turn when they stumble upon a mysterious suitcase in an abandoned ice house in the remote northern Scottish village of Cromarty. They also find a 19th-century diary written in code by a girl named Martha, also sixteen, whose secrets echo Rebecca’s hidden grief.
As Rebecca and Calum work together to decode the diary and uncover the truth behind Martha’s life, their bond strengthens. But with each revelation, Rebecca is forced to confront her own secrets and the emotional burden she has been carrying since Alastair’s death. The discovery tests their growing relationship, as Rebecca struggles with the question: Is it better to keep our deepest secrets hidden, or should we reveal them and let others help carry the weight of our grief?
"ALBA" explores the delicate balance between love and loss, secrecy and truth, and the healing power of sharing one’s heart with those willing to listen.
Croker has woven a terrific web of connecting characters set in the Scottish Highlands that joins Rebecca’s world with Martha’s world. It has the right blend of a dual storyline whilst also addressing the delicate subject of grief and how those left behind cope. Croker demonstrates great sensitivity when addressing the fall out of broken families by using the, at times, delicate mother/daughter connection.
Alba is an enjoyable tale of mystery and intrigue and is suitable for a 13+ years readership.
From posts by Melissa Wray on facebook and her blog
The village of Cromarty is still needing the healing sounds of a song of forgiveness Callum writes for Lachlan to play.
I loved this story.
Jill Smith on Goodreads
ALBA suits readers who enjoy mystery, Scottish landscape and intrigue with the themes of friendship and loss. Bec and Calum connect through a heartbreaking event that filters throughout the story. Suppose you like to discover what lies beneath crumbling cemeteries, or headstones, a mysterious lavender scent and an ancient diary written by Martha in 1854. In that case, you will find Verity Croker's book, ALBA, HIDDEN SECRETS, both engaging and tempting. Add to this surprises, a memorial, a birth certificate, family trees and love - and a combination of Scottish dialect! Highly recommended.
Marg Gibbs on Goodreads
Brave animals have helped people in wars throughout history. The book looks at four animals’ stories – a packhorse called Bill, a clever Pointer dog, a bomb-sniffing German Shepherd dog and a little grey kitten who is smuggled onto a battleship.
Eve is one of the best swimmers in her school, but at the annual district schools swimming competition, things don’t go her way. She doesn’t win any of the individual race medals. But in the relay she finally triumphs with her three friends.
We count down from 10 to 1 to find the oddest fish there are. We look at where they live, what they eat, what they look like, that they do and some odd facts about each one.
Bud the dog is sinking into quicksand at the beach and his owners gather all their friends together in a race against the clock to try and save him.