Rockton Series Books 1 and 2

 City of the Lost

By Kelly Armstrong

Rockton Book 1

Adult Fiction, Thriller

Reviewed by Michelle from the Altona Branch

    Casey Duncan, detective, killer, and best friend who needs to escape her life, finds a remote town for other castaways.  On the first day of her arrival, she is thrust into her first job-a murder. How does one fight crime in a town so remote, with no computers, no vehicles, and very little electricity? With skill!

    I am not a fan of thrillers, but this one kept me gripped. It was an easy read in a genre I never read and I became invested in the characters.

To place this book on hold, click here.

A Darkness Absolute

By Kelly Armstrong

Rockton Book 2

Adult Fiction, Thriller

Reviewed by Michelle from the Altona Branch

    A continuation of the story of cast-away detective Casey Duncan.  Follow her latest investigation with her partner  in the remote community of Rockton.

    Will and Casey team up with a cabin crazy fellow and together they try to solve the kidnapping and confinement of a local woman

    Great story, keeping with the characters that I fell in love with.

To place this book on hold, click here.

If I Stay

 By Gail Foreman  

Young Adult Fiction

Reviewed by Kaylee

    If I Stay is about 17 year old Mia, who is in a tragic car crash. She doesn't remember any of the accident, but little by little she pieces together the events of the past. She has to make the extremely difficult decision of whether or not she has enough left to survive.

    I liked that Gayle Foreman was able to change the way you look at life and the challenges you face. If I Stay is one of the best books I've read and I love how I was able to feel everything that Mia felt. Her story really stayed with me.

To place this book on hold, click here.

The Sour Grape

 By Jory John 

Illustrated by Pete Oswald

Junior Easy

Reviewed by Wendi from the Altona Branch

    Grape used to be sweet, but then something happened that turned him into a bitter grape and eventually a Sour grape. When his good friend holds a grudge against sour Grape, he realizes how unfair grudges can be and how life is so much sweeter when we forgive and show compassion.

    I love how this book is set up not only for children but for people of all ages.

To place this book on hold, click here.

The Ferryman

 By Justin Cronin

Adult Fiction, Sci-Fi/Dystopian

Reviewed by Rachael-Altona Branch Administrator

    In The Ferryman we meet Cynthia, who lives on the  island of Prospera, a place that is hidden from the outside decaying world to keep the residents safe. The people of Prospera are reborn as teenagers to start new lives when their health is in decline and through this process they take on wards to help guide them back into adulthood. Before Cynthia is gone, we learn about how she came to love her ward and husband.     

    As we get into the story, we meet Proctor, Cynthia's grown son. Proctor is a ferryman, an important job that involves helping retirees board the ferry to the nursery where they reintegrate and start new lives.  While most people are willing to go to the nursery, some are not so it becomes the ferryman's job to help these residents transition when it is time.

    There is unrest in Prospera, the residents that live in the Annex are not like the people of the island, they live and work to serve the people of Prospera. Life is not easy for them and they and they do not have the ability to retaliate. The treatment of the people of Annex has started an uprising and gradually you find some of the Prospera residents are also not okay with the treatment. 

    Proctor ends up having to transition a family member for the ferry and things do not go as planned.  He overhears things he was not meant to and this puts him in danger.  As he starts to find out more about the mystery surrounding their cozy little island, he falls deeper and deeper into trouble.  The conclusion to this story is truly shocking and most people would never guess what is actually happening.  

To place this book on hold, click here.

    

All the Living and the Dead

 By: Hayley Campbell

Adult Non-Fiction

Reviewed by Michelle from the Altona Branch

    In this book, the author goes on a journey through the business of death.  Interviewing many professionals that help the living with their dead, she learns the many facets of how to treat our dead with dignity.

    While there are many similar books on the topic of death, this one is intriguing because Campbell covers topics and people I had not seen before, including, an executioner, a death mask creator, and a murder scene clean-up crew.

    I especially enjoyed the chapter about the embalmers who work with children and babies.  It taught me about the great lengths professionals go through to support families who have lost little ones.

To place this book on hold, click here.