Title: The Grotto
Author: Fredrick Cooper
Genre: Young Adult, YA Adventure
Book Blurb:
Brooklyn never knew her father. But when Vince James, a down-on-his-luck, Tlingit Indian shows up and pleads for Brooklyn's mother to help him, her mother unwittingly agrees to go with him and then disappears. Brooklyn, with a strange group of friends that include Tony, a Tlingit boy she once loathed, an Alaskan sourdough named Luther Calhoun, and Bingo Bob, who is considered the town drunk, sets out to find and rescue her mother from a person bent on vengeance.
My Review:
With her mother’s disappearance weighing heavy on her heart, Brooklyn compiles a rag-tag group of friends to rescue her mother. Brooklyn never knew her father but when a man named Vince shows up one day pleading for her mother’s help, Brooklyn is shocked when her mother agrees. Now, her mother has disappeared into thin air and Brooklyn insists on going after her mother. She brings with her an odd group of friends. All she can think of is saving her mother. Will she free her mother in time or will revenge take more victims?
The Grotto is an immersive adventure story, unlike anything I’ve read before. The descriptive narration takes the reader inside the heart of the protagonist and the result is an empathetic reading experience. The plot moves at a good pace with a colorful cast of characters whose life experiences are polar opposites of mine. I learned so much about harsh living while reading The Grotto. This is a young adult adventure, but teens and adults will both enjoy this novel. If you love adventure and looking for a unique story, pick up The Grotto. If adventure stories are your reading jam, you’ll want to read The Grotto. This is my first book by Fredrick Cooper. I look forward to reading more.
My Rating: 5 stars
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Author Biography:
Fredrick Cooper was born and raised in the Pacific Northwest and lived in Alaska for many years. Before obtaining a doctorate in civil engineering and pursuing a professional career, he worked as a road surveyor, longshoreman, commercial fisherman, cannery worker, and even as a technician and news anchor for a cable television station in a small community in Alaska. He is of Coastal Salish and Lower Chehalis Band descent and is enrolled with a Northwest Indian Tribe. In addition to his second career in writing fiction, he is a master woodcarver, specializing in Native American artifacts such as canoe paddles and ceremonial items. He is a member of the Pacific Northwest Writers Association and the Willamette Writers and his novels have received several awards. He currently lives in Portland, Oregon and is working on another story.
Social Media Links:
@fredrickcooper17
Reviewed by: Mrs. N