Poseidon's Storm Blaster
The Legend of Pineapple Cove, Book 1
Two ten-year-olds race against time to save their town from a sea monster in the fun mystery novel Poseidon’s Storm Blaster.
In Marina J. Bowman’s mystery novel Poseidon’s Storm Blaster, a seaside town is threatened by a monstrous octopus that’s bent on destruction.
Good-hearted Kai, digging clams on the beach, hears a group of children being nasty to Delphi, a fellow ten-year-old and the town’s resident oddball. He moves to comfort her. Then, cries of distress from the sea catch their attention: Blue, a dolphin, is caught in a net.
Fearless Kai swims out and frees Blue. The grateful magical beast presents him with a mysterious trident necklace in thanks. Meanwhile, Delphi, who’s afraid of water and swimming, stays on shore and marvels at these events. A horn calls the children to town, where they learn that a sea monster is threatening their home. Delphi and Kai are sent to collect Captain Hobbs, who once protected Pineapple Cove. But Captain Hobbs is not the man he used to be; Kai and Delphi are on their own.
Kai and Delphi are underdeveloped because of the book’s rush toward action. It is noted that Kai is accepted by most of his peers, while Delphi is an outcast who hangs around with a ’blubbery sea lion named Sammy.“ Kai protects and affirms Delphi, while Delphi proves herself and helps Kai to think in new, creative ways. Aunt Cora, who adopted Delphi, is present as a wacky outsider who suggests outlandish ideas that turn out to be good solutions. She possesses knowledge that other people ignore or refuse to acknowledge, and her house is full of strange animals and unusual sights. But she, like other characters, rests too much in a familiar archetype.
As the children move from the beach to a wrecked ship and pub, then to an underwater chamber, the prose proves to be efficient, making use of short, uncomplicated sentences and lively conversations and progressing with speed. The book’s chapters are also concise, with compelling endings and mini cliffhangers to sustain interest.
Grayscale sketches appear in each chapter, though without adding much on their own. They result in a game, though: the audience is charged with finding the hidden pineapples within them, with the answers revealed in the back of the book. Other activities based on the book’s content are also contained at the book’s end.
In the adventure novel Poseidon’s Storm Blaster, two children face a gigantic octopus that puts their town in imminent danger.
Reviewed by
Camille-Yvette Welsch
Disclosure: This article is not an endorsement, but a review. The publisher of this book provided free copies of the book and paid a small fee to have their book reviewed by a professional reviewer. Foreword Reviews and Clarion Reviews make no guarantee that the publisher will receive a positive review. Foreword Magazine, Inc. is disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.
