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Cave
Marty is trapped down a cave beneath the Welsh mountains. Will his life begin at forty – or will it end?
Newly single and reunited with old friends from university, Marty finds life is no longer as idyllic as his memories of hot summers, music festivals and recreational drugs. He is persuaded to resume his hobby of caving, and, while twisted relationships play out on the surface, he descends into the strange and beautiful world of caverns and stalactites, where ghosts from the past are waiting to haunt him. But the others have secrets too - and as they are revealed, Marty unknowingly walks into danger.
Cave is a coming of age adventure, spanning twenty years of friendships and relationships. Set in Wales at the turn of the millennium.
108K words.
Also by this
The Girl on the Swing
The Cat and the Cathedral
Bloody Scared
Editing a Better Book.
Newly single and reunited with old friends from university, Marty finds life is no longer as idyllic as his memories of hot summers, music festivals and recreational drugs. He is persuaded to resume his hobby of caving, and, while twisted relationships play out on the surface, he descends into the strange and beautiful world of caverns and stalactites, where ghosts from the past are waiting to haunt him. But the others have secrets too - and as they are revealed, Marty unknowingly walks into danger.
Cave is a coming of age adventure, spanning twenty years of friendships and relationships. Set in Wales at the turn of the millennium.
108K words.
Also by this
The Girl on the Swing
The Cat and the Cathedral
Bloody Scared
Editing a Better Book.
321 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 7, 2011
1 person is currently reading
10 people want to read
About the author
Ali Cooper
10 books12 followersI live in Devon, where I write books and songs, and teach guitar. I've also just recorded a debut album of some of my songs, On White Horse Hill, and it's available to listen or buy at alicooper.bandcamp.com.
My adult contemporary novels are The Girl on the Swing and Cave, both of which are available in print and on kindle. There is also a humorous novella, Bloody Scared, available in print under the name, Melanie Dark, and on kindle under my own name, and a YA novel, The Cat and the Cathedral, available on kindle.
My formal qualifications are in psychology and archaeology and these topics tend to crop up in my books.
My adult contemporary novels are The Girl on the Swing and Cave, both of which are available in print and on kindle. There is also a humorous novella, Bloody Scared, available in print under the name, Melanie Dark, and on kindle under my own name, and a YA novel, The Cat and the Cathedral, available on kindle.
My formal qualifications are in psychology and archaeology and these topics tend to crop up in my books.
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
April 30, 2011
Ali Cooper's first novel, The Girl on the Swing, was one of the first books I read on my kindle and it was a definite a 5* book. When I heard her second novel was out I downloaded it straight away.
Cave is Marty's story, told in the first person. Marty is stuck in a Welsh cave after someone has tried to kill him. He details his attempts to survive and escape from this potential tomb, and tells the reader the story that has brought him to this point. Marty started caving at uni and was part of a tight group. Meeting Carole and getting married ultimately brought his caving expeditions to an end, but when they undertake a trial separation Marty meets up with the gang again for this first time in ten years. He is re-bitten by the caving bug and drawn back into the group, which includes his first love Beth.
I loved the way the book started with Marty's current predicament and wove together recent events and the group's history to finally reveal at the end how it was all inter-linked. I couldn't imagine any of the characters being the culprit so I was hooked and couldn't wait to see whodunnit. Towards the end of the book there are a lot of revelations that make things clear.
I found it interesting that Marty comes across as pretty likeable, although a bit of a lad. Then late in the book he is subjected to a bit of a character assassination from one of his friends which cast him in a different light. I was still rooting for him though. As it is all told from his viewpoint the other characters are developed to the best extent possible without Marty being omniscient.
I have never been caving, but this book made me want to give it a try and made me realise I probably wouldn't be very good at it - not keen on the idea of tight crawls at all. To help the non-caver the author has put a definition of various caving terms at the start of each chapter, usually in relation to a new term that appears for the first time in that chapter. I thought it was a really good way of putting in a glossary without the reader needing to go backwards and forwards to an actual glossary, and while I'd have understood some of the terms in context others wouldn't have been so obvious.
This book has been well written and proofread, and if I was trying to be critical I would say that the very end, an epilogue of sorts, maybe wasn't necessary. I might have been happy without that and left to surmise for myself what might have happened next. That said, if it hadn't been included I would probably have wanted an epilogue to find out what happened next, so this is just being picky. I loved this book, the setting, the characters and the tension throughout. In a way it's another example in my recent run of bloke lit. The description says it's a coming of age story, the age being 40, but it's a whole lot more too. It's another great read by Ali Cooper.
Cave is Marty's story, told in the first person. Marty is stuck in a Welsh cave after someone has tried to kill him. He details his attempts to survive and escape from this potential tomb, and tells the reader the story that has brought him to this point. Marty started caving at uni and was part of a tight group. Meeting Carole and getting married ultimately brought his caving expeditions to an end, but when they undertake a trial separation Marty meets up with the gang again for this first time in ten years. He is re-bitten by the caving bug and drawn back into the group, which includes his first love Beth.
I loved the way the book started with Marty's current predicament and wove together recent events and the group's history to finally reveal at the end how it was all inter-linked. I couldn't imagine any of the characters being the culprit so I was hooked and couldn't wait to see whodunnit. Towards the end of the book there are a lot of revelations that make things clear.
I found it interesting that Marty comes across as pretty likeable, although a bit of a lad. Then late in the book he is subjected to a bit of a character assassination from one of his friends which cast him in a different light. I was still rooting for him though. As it is all told from his viewpoint the other characters are developed to the best extent possible without Marty being omniscient.
I have never been caving, but this book made me want to give it a try and made me realise I probably wouldn't be very good at it - not keen on the idea of tight crawls at all. To help the non-caver the author has put a definition of various caving terms at the start of each chapter, usually in relation to a new term that appears for the first time in that chapter. I thought it was a really good way of putting in a glossary without the reader needing to go backwards and forwards to an actual glossary, and while I'd have understood some of the terms in context others wouldn't have been so obvious.
This book has been well written and proofread, and if I was trying to be critical I would say that the very end, an epilogue of sorts, maybe wasn't necessary. I might have been happy without that and left to surmise for myself what might have happened next. That said, if it hadn't been included I would probably have wanted an epilogue to find out what happened next, so this is just being picky. I loved this book, the setting, the characters and the tension throughout. In a way it's another example in my recent run of bloke lit. The description says it's a coming of age story, the age being 40, but it's a whole lot more too. It's another great read by Ali Cooper.
February 1, 2012
I loved the girl on the swing by this author. Ali Cooper made me more willing to try Indie authors after reading that great book.
But this? This is just meh.
It had an okay premise although I just picked it up because Ali wrote it. It's kinda lad lit in a way well, thats how it comes across.
I enjoyed the beginning but with all the stories within stories about his life crisis, his mates life crisis's , just didn't seem relevant to Marty's predicament- being trapped in a cave. I understood someone from his past was responsible but that doesn't mean I need to know all about his previous love life and college days. It got really, really boring.
So pretty much a hit or miss here, with the emphasis for me being on miss. Disappointed but love Ali's writing style, it's so very very readable and will try whatever she brings out next. Hopefully more to the standard of The girl on the swing rather than Cave though!
But this? This is just meh.
It had an okay premise although I just picked it up because Ali wrote it. It's kinda lad lit in a way well, thats how it comes across.
I enjoyed the beginning but with all the stories within stories about his life crisis, his mates life crisis's , just didn't seem relevant to Marty's predicament- being trapped in a cave. I understood someone from his past was responsible but that doesn't mean I need to know all about his previous love life and college days. It got really, really boring.
So pretty much a hit or miss here, with the emphasis for me being on miss. Disappointed but love Ali's writing style, it's so very very readable and will try whatever she brings out next. Hopefully more to the standard of The girl on the swing rather than Cave though!
September 14, 2011
I did enjoy this book very much, but with some reservations. These reservations were I think more my fault than the authors as the book was very well written and the story was engaging, however, I did find at times that some of the flash backs were superfluous to the plot (not many mind you) and that I was willing the story onto the next bit.
I did find the story quite disturbing in places, mostly due to my quite sever fear of enclosed places, I think this was a bit of kill or cure on my part.
Overall a great read that I would recommend to others, with a slight warning of take a deep breath and try to relax when you think about that endless cave with no way out.
I did find the story quite disturbing in places, mostly due to my quite sever fear of enclosed places, I think this was a bit of kill or cure on my part.
Overall a great read that I would recommend to others, with a slight warning of take a deep breath and try to relax when you think about that endless cave with no way out.
September 13, 2018
This is not a review. It's the author attempting to flag the book as adult because a previous reviewer has flagged it as YA, which it def isn't, and could cause problems if someone in young or mid teens read it.
July 27, 2011
Firstly, a disclaimer; I have chatted to Ali Cooper on the forums. That has not affected my opinion of her book in any way but if you feel it invalidates my review, feel free to skip to the next.
= = = =
The review:
Cave is not an action-thriller; it won't make you claustrophobic or afraid. It doesn't blind you with the science and jargon of caving and nor is it anything like "The Descent" or other horror-type flicks. This is caving for people who love the thrill of discovery and finding new and strange wonders which may never have been seen by anyone ever before, and it is artfully depicted and explained. A nice touch is that each chapter is headed by a caving term and its definition, which simultaneously allows for enough jargon to flavour the conversation with authentic terms, while avoiding the need for a glossary.
For the most part, though, the cave itself is predominantly a strange and wonderful backdrop against which the characters play, highlighting their motivations and interactions in a way that would not have been possible (or half as interesting) if it was set up a mountain or on a hill somewhere.
And what about the characters? They're an interesting set; I recognised each of them, not as someone specific but for their similarity to character-types I have met.
Marty is the protagonist, rapidly approaching middle-age and blissfully unaware of how appalling he is with women; there is the apparently feisty Beth who seems to be moderately easily manipulated by the men around her. Rick and Joe, Fish and Taff, all of them strike a chord. They are an engaging gang who have matured into slightly more problematic circumstances than they hoped. I won't talk about plot here as it's probably covered by the other reviews and the blurb; but the interweaving of Marty's predicament and the gradually unravelling backstory was done with a deft hand, and although I disliked the main character for the damage he was doing those around him, I also felt engaged enough by his bafflement that I certainly didn't consider putting the book down. The timeline jumps around, but not to a confusing degree and the patchwork of memories slowly amalgamates until we see the shape of the whole story beginning to emerge. Details of character and plot seep out in a slow reveal that uncovers new questions as fast as it answers the old ones.
There are some very clever elements about this book. For a start, Ali Cooper has managed to write a character that I disliked from one end of the book to the other and yet still I enjoyed the book heartily; that takes no small amount of skill. I never noticed Marty not acting like a bloke, which is always a difficult trick for a female writer; and one of my favourite characters in the whole thing was Carole, who has virtually no "screen time" of her own, so to speak, but gradually grows to be a rounded character in her own right despite the fact that we only hear about what she is doing from the rather disenchanted point of view of her (soon to be ex-)husband.
If I *had* to find something to criticise (and it's taken a bit of thought to do so), the only possible quibble I have is that Ashley Roberts is not as rounded a character as some of the others; but then that is partly because that sort of character riles me in real life, so I have less patience for them in fiction; and that's not a comment so much on the writing as it is on my reading.
The formatting was impeccable and there were no typos or errors that I noticed, even with my pedantic head on. The characters were believable and engaging even when not being particularly likeable. The caving was fascinatingly written - I have been caving twice, enjoyed it both times but am too unfit for that sort of thing generally; that said, reading this almost tempted me to go back and try again! And the character Spratt is a lovely touch.
So to summarise; of the two, I personally enjoyed Girl on a Swing more, but it's pretty high praise to say that this is of a similar standard, and confirms me in the opinion that when a new book comes out with her name on the front, it's probably going to go straight onto my Kindle without further ditherment. I enjoyed Cave and can think of no reason to give it less than 5 stars.
Would I read it again? Yes. Would I recommend it to others? I would and already have!
Cave is not a happy book, but the twists and discoveries along the way will keep you hooked to the end, and fascinated along the way. If you like a well-written tale with an unusual, fresh perspective, a compelling plot and engaging characters, this is for you.
= = = =
The review:
Cave is not an action-thriller; it won't make you claustrophobic or afraid. It doesn't blind you with the science and jargon of caving and nor is it anything like "The Descent" or other horror-type flicks. This is caving for people who love the thrill of discovery and finding new and strange wonders which may never have been seen by anyone ever before, and it is artfully depicted and explained. A nice touch is that each chapter is headed by a caving term and its definition, which simultaneously allows for enough jargon to flavour the conversation with authentic terms, while avoiding the need for a glossary.
For the most part, though, the cave itself is predominantly a strange and wonderful backdrop against which the characters play, highlighting their motivations and interactions in a way that would not have been possible (or half as interesting) if it was set up a mountain or on a hill somewhere.
And what about the characters? They're an interesting set; I recognised each of them, not as someone specific but for their similarity to character-types I have met.
Marty is the protagonist, rapidly approaching middle-age and blissfully unaware of how appalling he is with women; there is the apparently feisty Beth who seems to be moderately easily manipulated by the men around her. Rick and Joe, Fish and Taff, all of them strike a chord. They are an engaging gang who have matured into slightly more problematic circumstances than they hoped. I won't talk about plot here as it's probably covered by the other reviews and the blurb; but the interweaving of Marty's predicament and the gradually unravelling backstory was done with a deft hand, and although I disliked the main character for the damage he was doing those around him, I also felt engaged enough by his bafflement that I certainly didn't consider putting the book down. The timeline jumps around, but not to a confusing degree and the patchwork of memories slowly amalgamates until we see the shape of the whole story beginning to emerge. Details of character and plot seep out in a slow reveal that uncovers new questions as fast as it answers the old ones.
There are some very clever elements about this book. For a start, Ali Cooper has managed to write a character that I disliked from one end of the book to the other and yet still I enjoyed the book heartily; that takes no small amount of skill. I never noticed Marty not acting like a bloke, which is always a difficult trick for a female writer; and one of my favourite characters in the whole thing was Carole, who has virtually no "screen time" of her own, so to speak, but gradually grows to be a rounded character in her own right despite the fact that we only hear about what she is doing from the rather disenchanted point of view of her (soon to be ex-)husband.
If I *had* to find something to criticise (and it's taken a bit of thought to do so), the only possible quibble I have is that Ashley Roberts is not as rounded a character as some of the others; but then that is partly because that sort of character riles me in real life, so I have less patience for them in fiction; and that's not a comment so much on the writing as it is on my reading.
The formatting was impeccable and there were no typos or errors that I noticed, even with my pedantic head on. The characters were believable and engaging even when not being particularly likeable. The caving was fascinatingly written - I have been caving twice, enjoyed it both times but am too unfit for that sort of thing generally; that said, reading this almost tempted me to go back and try again! And the character Spratt is a lovely touch.
So to summarise; of the two, I personally enjoyed Girl on a Swing more, but it's pretty high praise to say that this is of a similar standard, and confirms me in the opinion that when a new book comes out with her name on the front, it's probably going to go straight onto my Kindle without further ditherment. I enjoyed Cave and can think of no reason to give it less than 5 stars.
Would I read it again? Yes. Would I recommend it to others? I would and already have!
Cave is not a happy book, but the twists and discoveries along the way will keep you hooked to the end, and fascinated along the way. If you like a well-written tale with an unusual, fresh perspective, a compelling plot and engaging characters, this is for you.
September 6, 2011
Cave is about Marty. Marty is a bit of an idiot. What's more if he isn't careful he's going to be a dead idiot. As the story opens, he is trapped in the entrance to a cave, injured, frightened and alone, with no chance of rescue and no immediately obvious way out. At first even the reason for him to be marooned there isn't immediately clear.
As the events unfold, Marty tries various ways to get to safety and when each ends in failure he returns to the same spot to take stock and plan the next one. He's plucky, and if he's going to go down, he's definitely going down in flames. As he carefully rations his food and plans each attempt to get to safety he is prompted to think through events and aspects of his recent life, taking the reader through them with him.
It took me a couple of chapters to get into this book because, initially, I didn't like Marty. It is clear, at the start, that for a large portion of his life he's been a total git.
However, I am glad I kept going (I whizzed through Cave in a couple of days in the end) because as I began understand Marty's personal development I began to like him a lot more. He is unfailingly honest with himself and as he starts to face up to his faults he seems vulnerable and human in a way that makes many of his less attractive traits forgiveable. He wants to make sense of his emotions and relationships but he doesn't always get it right. This is an appealing flaw, too. His character development is subtle and beautifully drawn and as the book progressed I found that, underneath the vacuous exterior, lay a far deeper and more rounded personality than I'd expected.
The quality of the writing is excellent, indeed, the denoument, while it works perfectly well, is effective, first and foremost, because the author has the writing skill to carry it off.
I read the e-book, which was very well presented and I didn't spot any typos.
A cracking book, thoroughly recommended.
As the events unfold, Marty tries various ways to get to safety and when each ends in failure he returns to the same spot to take stock and plan the next one. He's plucky, and if he's going to go down, he's definitely going down in flames. As he carefully rations his food and plans each attempt to get to safety he is prompted to think through events and aspects of his recent life, taking the reader through them with him.
It took me a couple of chapters to get into this book because, initially, I didn't like Marty. It is clear, at the start, that for a large portion of his life he's been a total git.
However, I am glad I kept going (I whizzed through Cave in a couple of days in the end) because as I began understand Marty's personal development I began to like him a lot more. He is unfailingly honest with himself and as he starts to face up to his faults he seems vulnerable and human in a way that makes many of his less attractive traits forgiveable. He wants to make sense of his emotions and relationships but he doesn't always get it right. This is an appealing flaw, too. His character development is subtle and beautifully drawn and as the book progressed I found that, underneath the vacuous exterior, lay a far deeper and more rounded personality than I'd expected.
The quality of the writing is excellent, indeed, the denoument, while it works perfectly well, is effective, first and foremost, because the author has the writing skill to carry it off.
I read the e-book, which was very well presented and I didn't spot any typos.
A cracking book, thoroughly recommended.
September 29, 2013
I often hear books called "page turners" but I really need a stronger description for this book. I am usually a very "responsible reader" only reading during my work-day breaks and after all my work is finished at night. But from the instant I opened this book, I had to argue with myself to stop reading - my lunch hour turned into two hours. Finally, I took a day off from work to finish it - I could NOT concentrate on my work, I just HAD to get back to the book.
I have recommended this book to everyone I know and I plan to continue doing so. The book is extremely well crafted. And, as another reviewer said, it just keeps dishing out unexpected twists. The location descriptions make me (a claustrophobic and serious chicken) want to go underground!
The beautifully painted scenes in Cave are truly worthy of being called literature and the story is strong and compelling. Try it, you won't be sorry!
I have recommended this book to everyone I know and I plan to continue doing so. The book is extremely well crafted. And, as another reviewer said, it just keeps dishing out unexpected twists. The location descriptions make me (a claustrophobic and serious chicken) want to go underground!
The beautifully painted scenes in Cave are truly worthy of being called literature and the story is strong and compelling. Try it, you won't be sorry!
October 2, 2011
I really enjoyed Ali Cooper's The Girl on the Swing, so was looking forward to this book. The writing is still crisp and natural and pulls you on to keep reading. However, for me this book was not as good as the first. My rating of 3 stars is mainly because I found the flashbacks, not only a tad confusing at times as they become multi-layered, but also not entirely necessary to the plot. The other main problem is I didn't identify with - or even like - the main character, Marty. By about two-thirds of the way through I was still only interested in finding out why he was trapped in the cave and not whether he survived the ordeal or not! I usually like flawed characters, so not sure why this one left me a little cold. My feelings towards this book would not stop me reading more by Ali Cooper as I like the style of her writing.
September 19, 2011
This is the follow up to her first book "The Girl on The Swing" and is equally good but very different. The author uses her own experience of caving to write thoroughly engrossing novel based on a group of people whose only real connection is they go caving. Again as with her first book one that is difficult to put down. Demonstrates one of the real strengths of a Kindle in that I am sure I would never had come across her as an author in a bookshop
May 25, 2015
A man ends up trapped in a cave, for reasons which will become clear through the book. He tries to find a way out and also thinks back on his life.
The physical and emotional strands, examining the cave and examining his life, run in parallel and blend very well.
It did not enjoy this book as much as the other I have read by the author, but I did think it was very well done.
The physical and emotional strands, examining the cave and examining his life, run in parallel and blend very well.
It did not enjoy this book as much as the other I have read by the author, but I did think it was very well done.
September 7, 2011
Pretty good book, it makes me want to explore some caves.
September 18, 2011
Started this with no great expectations but rather enjoyed it - nice switching of time and scary descriptions of caving - slightly cardboard lead character though
April 17, 2012
Interesting, sort of. Lots about caving culture. The story fell a little short for me, seemed slow. Do not recommend unless you are into caving. I thought the character were all very flat.
February 13, 2016
Quick read, mildly entertaining story of things gone sour among a bunch of caving buddies.
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews