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The Obelisk Trap
When Billie, Charlie and their uncle are mysteriously transported to The Place of No Name, they find themselves in a land carved from nothing by The Traveller; lord and master of this strange world.
With no way home and strict rules to obey, the danger increases when they discover that girls and trouble makers are 'unloosed'-disintegrated, unbound, liberated, gone to God. Where they disappear to, nobody knows, but they are never seen again.
The newcomers have a deadly secret that must be kept at any cost. Billie is a girl!
Escape is the only option they are interested in; and they need to do it fast. They don't know who they can trust. There are eyes and ears everywhere. And Billie can't seem to control her smart mouth. She's sure to get herself into strife one way or another.
With no way home and strict rules to obey, the danger increases when they discover that girls and trouble makers are 'unloosed'-disintegrated, unbound, liberated, gone to God. Where they disappear to, nobody knows, but they are never seen again.
The newcomers have a deadly secret that must be kept at any cost. Billie is a girl!
Escape is the only option they are interested in; and they need to do it fast. They don't know who they can trust. There are eyes and ears everywhere. And Billie can't seem to control her smart mouth. She's sure to get herself into strife one way or another.
130 pages, Paperback
First published October 1, 2013
2 people want to read
About the author
Margaret Pearce
91 books6 followersMargaret Pearce is a prolific writer in multiple genres, including realism, fantasy, science fiction, and romance, and for different age groups.
She has over 60 published titles.
She has also published romantic Suspense under the name of Jacquelyn Webb
She has over 60 published titles.
She has also published romantic Suspense under the name of Jacquelyn Webb
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
March 18, 2015
This review was written for LibraryThing Early Reviewers.
In The Obelisk Trap, by Margaret Pearce, our young narrator Charlie, his sister Billie and their uncle Bill, an archeologist, encounter an obelisk in an unfrequented area of a park; when Billie climbs on it, she inadvertently pushes a lever that transports them to a strange new world, The Place of No Name. There, they find a strange race of shadow people, and a strange village apparently made up of Victorian-era Brits, along with the Traveller, a mysterious god-like being who controls the lives, and deaths, of everybody in The Place of No Name. Girls arriving there are immediately killed, and therefore it is imperative that nobody recognize Billie as the girl she really is; and the children and Uncle Bill have to do everything they can to find their way back home before Billie's secret is uncovered.... This is a short novel, presumably for a reading age of around 10 to 12. The story is brisk and it's a very quick read, but I found some big problems with it. First, our narrator Charlie has a tendency to End! Various! Sentences! with! Exclamation! Points! - which is done in a seemingly random kind of way, and which is very irritating. Far more problematic is that the "native" peoples here, the shadow people, are consistently called "the blacks" and consistently presented as essentially inferior to the (all-white) villagers. It may be that the term is unexceptional in Australia, the home continent of the author, but in North America that's very loaded terminology and gives an impression of racism where, I presume, none was intended. I'm afraid I wouldn't recommend this one to anybody, especially not to young children; there are just too many problems with it.
In The Obelisk Trap, by Margaret Pearce, our young narrator Charlie, his sister Billie and their uncle Bill, an archeologist, encounter an obelisk in an unfrequented area of a park; when Billie climbs on it, she inadvertently pushes a lever that transports them to a strange new world, The Place of No Name. There, they find a strange race of shadow people, and a strange village apparently made up of Victorian-era Brits, along with the Traveller, a mysterious god-like being who controls the lives, and deaths, of everybody in The Place of No Name. Girls arriving there are immediately killed, and therefore it is imperative that nobody recognize Billie as the girl she really is; and the children and Uncle Bill have to do everything they can to find their way back home before Billie's secret is uncovered.... This is a short novel, presumably for a reading age of around 10 to 12. The story is brisk and it's a very quick read, but I found some big problems with it. First, our narrator Charlie has a tendency to End! Various! Sentences! with! Exclamation! Points! - which is done in a seemingly random kind of way, and which is very irritating. Far more problematic is that the "native" peoples here, the shadow people, are consistently called "the blacks" and consistently presented as essentially inferior to the (all-white) villagers. It may be that the term is unexceptional in Australia, the home continent of the author, but in North America that's very loaded terminology and gives an impression of racism where, I presume, none was intended. I'm afraid I wouldn't recommend this one to anybody, especially not to young children; there are just too many problems with it.
June 6, 2014
First, let me discuss the story. It really is a neat concept. I won't give a description of the plot here since I'd just be repeating the description above. All in all, it was a solid storyline and it keeps you engaged. There are a couple of instances where the plot is predictable, but that did not stop me from reading. In terms of the writing style, there are a few things I would like to see different. The plot moves along quickly, maybe too quickly. I would love to see more description and definitely more character development. I really didn't like the character of Billie throughout the book. I was not able to lose myself in the book because of this. Also, I feel like I didn't know anything about the narrator of the book, Charlie. He is billie's brother but I didn't get a feel for his character. The ending had a twist that I wasn't quite expecting and neatly tied up all loose ends. It was an engaging book that I read in one sitting and would recommend for a quick read. The lack of 4 stars is due to character development.
July 24, 2014
I was happy to write an honest review of this book for the author in exchange for a free copy of the book.
I gave this book 3 stars though it really should be 2.5.
It was a good read for middle school age students due to the story being interesting, but it also had negatives of racism and sexism which lead me to give it a lower rating.
The story has some suspense, and is easy to comprehend, but the negatives hurt my rating.
Billie, a girl must pass as a boy to survive as all girls are killed in the world they have entered through a portal. The goal is to escape this alternative world, but first they must survive. The story is imaginative and has some archeological ties, which are pluses.
The negatives are the sexism as stated above, and racism. I feel that these two things are a reason to not recommend the book, unless there will be discussion regarding these issues so as to show that they are not things we support in today's world.
I gave this book 3 stars though it really should be 2.5.
It was a good read for middle school age students due to the story being interesting, but it also had negatives of racism and sexism which lead me to give it a lower rating.
The story has some suspense, and is easy to comprehend, but the negatives hurt my rating.
Billie, a girl must pass as a boy to survive as all girls are killed in the world they have entered through a portal. The goal is to escape this alternative world, but first they must survive. The story is imaginative and has some archeological ties, which are pluses.
The negatives are the sexism as stated above, and racism. I feel that these two things are a reason to not recommend the book, unless there will be discussion regarding these issues so as to show that they are not things we support in today's world.
June 19, 2014
I received this book free in exchange for an honest review.
This was an entertaining, quick read. I think my middle schooler would love it. There was action and suspense. I did see the end coming, but it was a good read nonetheless. Clean and suspenseful for the middle school crowd. Recommended. :)
This was an entertaining, quick read. I think my middle schooler would love it. There was action and suspense. I did see the end coming, but it was a good read nonetheless. Clean and suspenseful for the middle school crowd. Recommended. :)
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews