The Triangle (The Rise Trilogy) Book #1 by Robert P. Ottone - Review

The Triangle 
(The Rise Trilogy) - Book #1
by Robert P. Ottone 
[Review]

Print Length (Paperback) - 244 pages
Publication Date - 5th April 2022 

My Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Synopsis

The world, as we know it, is over. Sea level rise has all but finished off life on Earth.

Born with a gift for engineering and technology, Azlynn and her father Merrill spend their days running a small shop in the flotilla community of Coral Cove. They scavenge shipwrecks, sunken vessels, and what precious little remains of the world before the planet drowned. With her best friend Ellis, they do their best to support their community, while struggling to survive.

When a group of scouts sent by The Order, a mysterious and powerful northeastern cabal, goes missing in the nearby Bermuda Triangle, Merrill is tasked with finding them. Unbeknownst to him, Azlynn and Ellis have snuck aboard to join in on the mission to find out what lurks within The Triangle. The ancient, cosmic truths they discover may be more terrifying than they ever imagined.

Review

An absolute gem of a story that will be every young adult's perfect horror read.

As a person who loves reading, horror and the ocean, what could possibly be more perfect than a horror novel set in the chaotic world of the ocean? 

The main star of the show is the wonderful Azlynn, who is a typical teenager who just so happens to be extremely talented at engineering. Azlynn is a funny and sarcastic teenager who likes to push the boundaries as much as she can which happens to lead her to a whole new world of which she is somehow part of. Azlynn lives at home with her dad and loves him the most in the world, their relationship is so wholesome and you really get a feeling for the love that they share for one another. 

Then there is the brilliant Ellis who stands to be the voice of reason and always tries to keep Azlynn on the straight and narrow but is somehow always pulled into the danger that seems to have some kind of magnetic pull on Azlynn and her family.

Robert's writing is absolutely stellar, the words flow right off the page and into your soul. He's able to create characters that are not easily forgettable and manages to pull at all the right heartstrings whilst giving you a fantastic visceral image of blood, guts and gore. What else can a horror lover ask for?

If you love horror, post-apocalyptic, coming of age novels then this is absolutely perfect for you!

About The Author

Robert P. Ottone is the author of the horror collection HER INFERNAL NAME & OTHER NIGHTMARES (an honorable mention in THE BEST HORROR OF THE YEAR VOLUME 13) as well as the young adult dystopian-cosmic horror trilogy THE RISE.

His short stories have appeared in various anthologies as well as online. He’s also the publisher and owner of Spooky House Press.

Robert is also an English as a New Language teacher, as well as a teacher of English Language Arts. He can be found online at SpookyHousePress.com or on Twitter/Instagram (@RobertOttone). He delights in the creepy and views bagels solely as a cream cheese delivery device.

 The Ghost Ship Mary Celeste
by Marie-Louise Gregory and illustrated by Nicola Brooks
[Review]

My Daughter's Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Synopsis

History fan Sophia Slewfoot is a budding amateur detective who loves nothing more than curling up with a good whodunnit or, even better, finding a real life mystery to unravel. Join Sophia, her best friend Betty and her beloved Beagle Toby, as they embark on amazing adventures to solve some of the many mysteries which, throughout history and even to this day, have otherwise remained unexplained…

Sophia Slewfoot is an ordinary ten year old girl, but today is not an ordinary day. Today is the day that Sophia makes an extraordinary discovery which catapults her into a world of excitement, intrigue, adventure and mystique.

What happened to the Victorian ghost ship, the Mary Celeste? Was it magic or malevolence of some kind which caused the crew to disappear? Can Sophia solve the mystery that has baffled some of the world's greatest minds over the last century? Can she somehow even save the day?!

Delve into myth, legend, fact and more than a little fiction, to accompany Sophia on the very first of her history's mystery-solving missions.

Review 

My 10 year old daughter was very kindly gifted a copy of The Ghost Ship Mary Celeste for her birthday and has given me some lovely feedback which I wanted to share.

My ten year old is fascinated by history and loves to learn new things about past events and so she was absolutely delighted to receive a copy of this novel as she had already learned all about this mysterious ghost ship. My ten year old is not unlike myself and enjoys a good detective novel but we often find it hard to get a book which really captivates her attention for a lengthy period of time. 

This book managed to keep her attention very well and my daughter particularly found Sophia interesting and enjoyed the similarities between them both, I think it really helped her identify with amateur sleuth detective 10 year old Sophia Slewfoot. 

Sophia Slewfoot has just moved into a historic house built in the 1700's and discovers that the house has plenty of charm and secrets for Sophia to discover. My 10 year old was easily sucked into the magical whirlwind of a story that allowed my daughter to feel like she also time travelled besides Sophia. 

This is a perfect book for 10-12 year olds that will have them eagerly awaiting to find out the secrets that the adventures have to discover. Sophia is a very relatable and amusing character which allows children to easily relate to. Myself and my daughter recommend this book to any history loving child! 

Purchase links here:

Amazon|BookDepository

About The Author

Marie-Louise Gregory - Author

Having always enjoyed curling up with a good book, especially old-fashioned mystery and adventure stories, Marie-Louise studied English Literature at Leeds University.

Marie-Louise’s passion for language, literacy and traditional storytelling prompted her to write the part-fact, part-fiction ‘Sophia Slewfoot Solves History’s Mysteries’ series (https://sophiaslewfoot.co.uk/), with which she hopes to challenge, inspire and entertain a new generation of mystery- and history- loving bookworms.

When she is not reading or writing, Marie-Louise enjoys indulging in food and wine, walking the dog, and taking horse-riding lessons with her daughter and friends.

Nicola Brooks - Illustrator 

Nicky Brooks grew up in a small town in South Cheshire.  Following periods living in Birmingham and Manchester, Nicky returned to Cheshire where she now lives with her husband, two daughters and playful Labradoodle.

 

Nicky studied Printed Textile Design at UCE Birmingham, which led to a career in fashion buying that saw her travelling the world.  When she became a mum, Nicky chose to retrain as a Teaching Assistant, enabling her to spend more time at home with her children.  Nicky has found being a Teaching

Assistant to be hugely rewarding. Helping primary aged children to learn and grow has given Nicky an invaluable insight into what motivates children, which has been inspirational in her illustrations.

When not working or illustrating, Nicky enjoys being creative around the house and garden.  She also loves family outings to the beach, socialising with friends, walking her dog, Rusty, and attending ballet classes.