Monsters

Gr 10 Up—Bick takes listeners on a post-apocalyptic journey in this final volume in the "Ashes" trilogy. The sheer volume of main and secondary characters and their complex (and often serendipitous) relationships are impressive, but the capriciousness of the point of view makes the story difficult to follow. Also, many of the mysteries from previous books in the trilogy (Ashes, Shadows) remain unresolved. Listeners learn that the Changed are evolving, but little is shared about how and, even less, about why. Despite the weakened story line, Katherine Kellgren offers a gripping performance for listeners, with climactic pacing around every turn during Bick's lengthy action sequences. The audiobook opens with Kellgren's decrescendo as Alex plunges into water, her voice fading to almost a whisper as Alex sinks into a memory, allowing listeners to experience the full gamut of her emotions. Despite Kellgren's outstanding performance, however, this dark dystopian thriller is only recommended if books one and two are popular in your collection.—April Everett, Rowan Public Library, Salisbury, NC