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Scraping Bottom
Death consigns a young man to life aboard ship. He struggles to learn the ropes as part of a lone ship crossing the Indian Ocean. Except, is his ship alone?
A strange fog stalks his ship. Sailors whisper of pirates and haunted derelicts. He must determine if the danger's real or a cruel joke on the new cabin boy.
A strange fog stalks his ship. Sailors whisper of pirates and haunted derelicts. He must determine if the danger's real or a cruel joke on the new cabin boy.
35 pages, Kindle Edition
Published July 16, 2019
About the author
Michael J. Allen
33 books207 followersMichael J. Allen is a USA Today bestselling author of multi-layer science fiction and fantasy novels. Born in Oregon and an avid storm fan, he lives in far too hot & humid rural Georgia with his two black Labradors: Myth and Magesty. On those rare occasions he tears himself away from reading, writing and conventions he can be found enjoying bad scifi movies, playing D&D or the occasional video game, getting hit with sticks in the SCA or hanging out with the crew of Starfleet International’s U.S.S. DaVinci.
To learn more about Michael, check out his website at www.deliriousscribbles.com
To learn more about Michael, check out his website at www.deliriousscribbles.com
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews
May 5, 2020
I received this book in exchange for my honest review of the book.
This one was very nice, I liked the part of the superstition and the fact they were pirates made it effortless too.
Bilge was so good a boy, it's the best character to love on a story like this.
The plot moved steady and keep you interested on knowing what exactly is happening at all times.
A good short read if you like suspense and sea stories.
This one was very nice, I liked the part of the superstition and the fact they were pirates made it effortless too.
Bilge was so good a boy, it's the best character to love on a story like this.
The plot moved steady and keep you interested on knowing what exactly is happening at all times.
A good short read if you like suspense and sea stories.
August 19, 2021
I am not a real big reader so these short stories are perfect for me. I did have a hard time getting into this one and was going to start skipping through it but did not. It got better for me. It was not the greatest though these was a lot of activity and stuff going on that keep me going to the end. I have to admit I was confused with the word Avarta, finally near the end I realized it was the name of the ship. But all in all it was good and worth giving a read.
April 22, 2021
From the moment you begin reading you're was thrown into the ACTION! I was already into the thrill before I was even ready lol, needless to stay this turned out to be an exciting, and pretty quick yet excellent read. I normally don't like action books so much but this one I loved. Defently would recommend it.
July 11, 2021
This is surprisingly a good dramatic short story that the author portrays to his readers. It portrays a young man as he works his way aboard a ship set sail, with all the chores he inherits along the voyage. Even though it being a short story, your able to feel the intensity as the lines pass. Will highly recommend Scraping Bottom to my friends!
November 22, 2021
The story for me was very intense but in a good way. I liked how we have immediate attention catchers and do not have to wait for drawn-out situations to arise. I usually do not indulge in short stories but after this one, I believe I may. The pirates and ghosts in this story make a great conversation piece and a nice way to get others to read.
September 9, 2022
I’m impressed with how good this story was! I’m not a big fan of longer stories at the moment as my work requires a lot of attention but this was perfect for when i’m on my lunch break and want something to read. The story is impactful and hooks you in with some action. I really enjoyed the descriptions in the story as well, it feels as thought the story is brought to life and its enjoyable.
April 30, 2020
From the moment you begin reading you're was thrown into the ACTION! I was already into the thrill before I was even ready lol, needless to stay this turned out to be an exciting, and pretty quick yet excellent read.
May 28, 2020
I was asked to review this book and I’m glad I was able to. I loved that the action starts right away and keeps you going until the end of this quick novella. Once I started I didn’t want to put it down until I was finished.
June 14, 2020
We have another memorizing, incredible, captivating, jaw dropper from this author. He's done it again. Page after page you dont want to stop reading until the very end, so make sure to have a full drink and snack by your side and no distractions before getting into it.
August 18, 2020
Definitely worth the 99 cents if you're thinking on buying it. I wish it was longer but it is what it is. I've said many times that Michael J Allen's writing style is awesome! This book is no different.
August 30, 2020
Absolutely great book once I started reading it all I wanted to do is keep reading. I didn’t want to do any housework I just wanted to get to the end. And it was so worth putting the chores on hold. Great book highly recommend it. A+++ this book is an easy 100 in my eyes.
April 29, 2021
This book starts off running which is what makes it so addicting. You are thrown into the mess as soon as you start. It has enough suspense, fear and fantasy to keep you reading until your done. 5/5 stars!
May 18, 2021
Great read! It reels you in from the beginning and the action doesn't stop there. If you're big into mysteries then this is the story for you! It has an excellent plot and characters with a surprising amount of depth. Highly recommend!
June 14, 2021
this is a def must read! with some amazing cliff hangers. did i mention there is PIRATES!?!?!
Hurry and read this you wont regret it. Absolutely great book once I started reading it all I wanted to do is keep reading
Hurry and read this you wont regret it. Absolutely great book once I started reading it all I wanted to do is keep reading
June 26, 2022
anothr amazing book!!!
so many boooks to read, yet so little time in the day to do so
i looooooooooooovr the piraty vibe that the cover gives off
to be honest i camt think of anyone that didnt want to be a pirate at sone point in their lives
stupendous writing, as always!!!
so many boooks to read, yet so little time in the day to do so
i looooooooooooovr the piraty vibe that the cover gives off
to be honest i camt think of anyone that didnt want to be a pirate at sone point in their lives
stupendous writing, as always!!!
March 13, 2023
An entertaining and thrilling short read that kept me engaged throughout the entire book until I was finished. I enjoyed the atmosphere and world that I was immersed in. I would read it again once I'm less familiar with it. I would recommend. I received a copy in exchange for my honest review.
June 13, 2020
An enticing book of a ship’s crew through a dialogical-based conversation between the crew mates while on a journey in an earlier time with some violence, sex, and domineering adventure.
November 25, 2020
I absolutely LOVE this ebook! I really related to this one!!!
March 22, 2021
Absolutely great book once I started reading it all I wanted to do is keep reading.
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April 29, 2021This was a great short story. It moved right along. It was creepy and kept me on the edge of my seat. It was a great fantasy read without being long and overwelming.
May 17, 2021
Pretty good! Another great story by Allen. Keep writing, man!
May 20, 2021
Outstanding sea novel short story
July 27, 2021
This was an amazing read!
November 11, 2021
Loved this story!! Very intriguing!
January 11, 2022
Great story! Kept me interested and the visual descriptions were enough to make me stay in the story till the very end.
January 13, 2023
It was a good read just not my kind of book. It was interesting I was in the book till the end. I would recommend it to others.
September 28, 2019
I am always thrilled to have the opportunity to review a Michael J. Allen novelette. This author's ability to set the tone of the story and create a vivid scene using very few words is incomparable. Scraping Bottom had the atmosphere of a Twilight Zone episode and encompassed both Lovecraftian and folktale elements while avoiding being a copy of any of those things.
Like the supernatural threat facing the crew, Scraping Bottom swooped in, hit hard, and took no prisoners. It was brief and brutal in its approach. If fiction were food, this story would be a snappy bit of Wasabi briefly overwhelming the senses while leaving the diner pleasantly surprised and grateful for the momentary takeover of the palate.
The only reason that I give Scraping Bottom four rather than five stars is because of a few unaddressed editing issues. The tale seemed a bit more rushed than some of Allen's previous works.
Like the supernatural threat facing the crew, Scraping Bottom swooped in, hit hard, and took no prisoners. It was brief and brutal in its approach. If fiction were food, this story would be a snappy bit of Wasabi briefly overwhelming the senses while leaving the diner pleasantly surprised and grateful for the momentary takeover of the palate.
The only reason that I give Scraping Bottom four rather than five stars is because of a few unaddressed editing issues. The tale seemed a bit more rushed than some of Allen's previous works.
October 11, 2019
I absolutely love spooky ghost like stories. This story captivated me from page 1 until the very end, where I found myself disappointed to have nothing more to read. I was drawn in immediately by the story and the feel overall. It is a super fast read, being only about 35 pages in length and written for a young adult audience so at a lower reading level. But it was still a fascinating story that made me think. I just wish it didn't feel as unpolished and unrefined as some of Allen's previous stories. This one felt a little different, almost lacking, when I compared it with his previous works. But it was still a great read and one I enjoyed immensely! I actually read it through quickly then went back and read it again to see if there was anything new I could glean from it or anything new I might learn. Well done!
July 22, 2019
Michael J Allen does it again with this YA short story! Fantastic read, in-depth character development, exciting, and worth the read!
Here is what Goodreads has to say about the book: “Death consigns a young man to life aboard ship. He struggles to learn the ropes as part of a lone ship crossing the Indian Ocean. Except, is his ship alone? A strange fog stalks his ship. Sailors whisper of pirates and haunted derelicts. He must determine if the danger's real or a cruel joke on the new cabin boy.”
Here is what Goodreads has to say about the book: “Death consigns a young man to life aboard ship. He struggles to learn the ropes as part of a lone ship crossing the Indian Ocean. Except, is his ship alone? A strange fog stalks his ship. Sailors whisper of pirates and haunted derelicts. He must determine if the danger's real or a cruel joke on the new cabin boy.”
July 26, 2019
As we all know Michael is one of my favorite writer I hav read everyone of his books and he has not let me down yet. I’ve learned when I get a new one to do everything I need to do before I start reading because I cannot put his books down. From the start of this book he had me completely enthralled. The main character was a cabin boy who was being told everything he need to know about ship life but then a fog starts to roll in then he’s ok read the book and find out the rest
Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews