'The best books, reviewed with insight and charm, but without compromise.'
- author Jackie French

Friday 31 May 2019

Review: River Stone

Imagine if the only world you’ve ever known encompassed a small village of survivors, hard labour to keep food in your belly and stories of a civilisation that crumbled.

You must follow rules you may not agree with, do what you’re told and stay within the boundaries of the village. 

But what if you longed for more? What if staying put and towing the line wasn’t enough? What if your deepest desire was to explore beyond the boundaries? 

What if you discovered there was something else, but it wasn’t what you expected?

River Stone is a thrilling start to a new dystopian series by Rachel Hennessy. 

It follows Pandora of the River People and her journey to save her people when disaster strikes. 

But through this, Pan must also discover who she is. Is the river village the place she’s meant to be, or does she have another calling? Maybe one that’s connected to the world’s past — to the city her parents fled from years ago that now crumbles in silence.

This is a chilling, thrilling and addictive novel. It’s one of those books that forces you to look at yourself as you connect with the characters. You’ll wonder what you’d do in similar circumstances, about your own future, about our planet’s future. 

It raises all sorts of juicy topics, like when is it right to make sacrifices for the greater good? What is the line between victim and enemy? Is it ever okay to turn a blind eye to evil?

River Stone will send chills down your spine and have you reading just one more chapter late into the night. It’s thought provoking and imaginative and filled to the brim with amazing and varied characters that see the world differently, providing readers with many different perspectives on the topics explored through the novel.

If you like dystopian stories that challenge ideas and make you think, I highly recommend River Stone.

Title: River Stone
Author: Rachel Hennessy
Publisher: Midnight Sun, $19.99
Publication Date: May 2019
Format: Paperback
ISBN: 9781925227499
For ages: 13+
Type: Young Adult