Alba

Alba by Verity Croker (GenZ Publishing) PB RRP $15.00 ISBN: 9798339568339

Reviewed by Melissa Wray

Rebecca is a sixteen-year-old girl who is angry at her mum for leaving them for another family. She is also mourning the tragic death of her boyfriend, Alistair, whose relationship was secret at the time. This makes it difficult for those around her to fully understand the depth of her grief. To complicate matters further, her best friend Callum is Alistair’s brother. Callum is also trying to navigate the loss of his brother which adds another layer to their increasingly complicated friendship.

Together they uncover a diary written by 16-year-old Martha in the 19^th century. Rebecca and Callum agree to work together and decode the diary and try to uncover the secrets exposed. The reader is drawn into the historical world with enough detail and mystery to really care about Martha and what happened to her. Rebecca realises that just like the secrets kept back in the 19^th century that caused hurt and turmoil, so is the secret she is keeping about her and Alistair’s relationship.

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.

ALBA – Hidden Secrets

ALBA – Hidden Secrets, a young adult novel by Verity Croker, published by GenZ Publishing, US

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 icehouse 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.

 

Jilda’s Ark

Jilda’s Ark by Verity Croker (Harmony Ink Press) PB RRP $14.99
ISBN 9781640806016

Reviewed by Kylie Buckley

Jilda is a fifteen-year-old girl who is on a South Pacific cruise with her mother and twin sister, Rosa. The much-anticipated tropical island holiday is a gift, to Jilda and Rosa, from their separated parents to celebrate their upcoming sixteenth birthday. What should be the trip of a lifetime turns to chaos when Jilda, recovering from a stomach bug, stays onboard the ship while her mother and sister are out exploring one of the Fijian islands. Waking up from a nap, Jilda soon learns that the ship has been hijacked.

This first-person narrative tells of Jilda’s life-changing experiences on the hijacked ship and follows the friendships she forms with some of her fellow captives. It is also a tale of self-discovery as Jilda explores her sexuality and awakens her compassion for others and the environment.

Jilda’s Ark is a young adult novel suitable for mature readers over 15 years old. It includes themes of family, friendships, teenage relationships, same-sex relationships, death, compassion, refugees, global warming and environmental issues. For more information about Verity Croker and her books, visit www.veritycroker.wordpress.com