Trapped at the Bottom of the Sea

The Cooper Kids Adventures #4

by Frank E. Peretti

Time is running out on a desperate rescue mission...

After an argument with her father, a sullen Lila Cooper boards an Air Force flight from Japan to the U.S. Her brooding is interrupted when a sudden hijacking leads to a scuffle and an explosion, causing the plane to plummet toward the Pacific Ocean. Trapped inside a secret weapons pod on the ocean floor, Lila can do nothing but pray that rescuers will find her before her oxygen supply runs out.

Meanwhile, Jay Cooper and his father team up with journalist Meaghan Flaherty in a frantic struggle to beat a group of angry terrorists to the pod. You will be holding your breath to find out what happens next.

Genres: Fiction, Christian, Christian Fiction, Young Adult, Adventure, Childrens, Mystery

144 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1988

About the author

Frank E. Peretti is an American author whose work transformed the landscape of contemporary Christian fiction by introducing suspense, supernatural conflict, and spiritual warfare into mainstream religious storytelling. Widely regarded as a pioneer of the Christian thriller genre, he achieved international recognition with the bestselling novels This Present Darkness (1986) and Piercing the Darkness (1989), books that captivated millions of readers and helped redefine the possibilities of faith-based fiction. His novels combine fast-paced storytelling with biblical themes, presenting unseen battles between angels and demons alongside the everyday struggles of ordinary people. Over the course of his career, Peretti's books have sold more than 15 million copies worldwide and have been translated into dozens of languages, making him one of the most influential Christian novelists of his generation. Born in Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada, and raised primarily in Seattle, Washington, Peretti overcame a difficult childhood marked by a facial tumor that impaired his speech until corrective surgery and therapy allowed him to communicate more freely. Those early experiences of isolation, ridicule, and perseverance later inspired both his memoir The Wounded Spirit and his lifelong concern for children facing bullying. Before becoming a full-time writer, he studied English, filmmaking, and screenwriting, worked various jobs, performed with a bluegrass band, and served alongside his father in pastoral ministry within the Assemblies of God. His experience teaching children at church camps rekindled his passion for storytelling and ultimately led him toward writing. After publishing the children's adventure novel The Door in the Dragon's Throat, Peretti experienced a breakthrough with This Present Darkness, a manuscript rejected by numerous publishers before becoming an extraordinary bestseller through enthusiastic reader recommendations. He continued his success with novels including The Oath, The Visitation, Monster, Illusion, and the popular Veritas Project series for younger readers. Several of his works have also been adapted into films, including Hangman's Curse, The Visitation, and House, the latter co-written with fellow novelist Ted Dekker. In addition to fiction, Peretti has written memoirs and nonfiction books addressing bullying, personal healing, and Christian living. His writing is distinguished by its vivid portrayal of spiritual warfare, moral conflict, redemption, and the enduring struggle between good and evil. While many readers praise his compelling narratives and imaginative vision, his theological interpretations have also generated discussion and criticism within Christian circles, particularly regarding the depiction of angels, demons, and supernatural conflict. Nevertheless, his influence on Christian publishing remains profound. Many authors and commentators credit Peretti with opening the door for a new generation of Christian suspense and speculative fiction, while scholars have noted the lasting cultural impact of his novels on evangelical readers and modern religious literature. Through his storytelling, Peretti established a distinctive literary voice that continues to inspire readers seeking fiction that combines suspense, faith, and the supernatural.

Reviews

[Jerry (Rebel With a Massive Media Library) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another exciting thrill ride from this series. Wish I had all of the books on hand.

[♡ Lily Jane ♡ · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was fantastic! I will say if you do not like tight enclosed spaces, DO NOT READ THIS. As the title says, the plot involves someone being trapped in a small space in the sea.

[Kris · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reread in May 2023

The drama! The action! The cheese! Is it biblical? No. Is it a classic? No. Is it the most skilled writing worthy of awards? No. But I liked it when I was a kid, and I can still appreciate it now.

Take it for what it is: Respects the reader enough to offer background, setup, and payoff. Fascinating settings with hints of complex culture. The two-dimensional characters give off a shade of something deeper. Lots of good hype in the third act. Indiana Jones-light. Good, clean fun. Glad my reread didn't destroy the nostalgia I have for the series.

This one is less archaeology, more ticking clock. Focuses more on the family dynamics, particularly Dr. Cooper and Lila. First hint of a new love interest for Dr. Cooper (ooooohhh). As usual, there's some fun, lighthearted dialogue next to some forced, tacky dialogue. Also, by this point, can you imagine the amount of therapy Lila will have to do?

On to book five: The Secret of the Desert Stone.

[ForgetMeNot(Katie Cooley) · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 and a half stars⭐
I read this for the Beaches and Books readathon for the month of July (an underwater setting).
I honestly didn't think that I would care for it, but I actually really enjoyed it.
This book had a lot more character intrigues and the plot was good and suspenseful.
But the ending took me by surprise and was my favorite part:)

[SUZY · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this one, I was kept on the edge of my seat the whole time.

[Lovely Day · Rating 4 out of 5]

4⭐️

Lila and her father have a huge, hurtful fight and before they can make things right, Lila is kidnapped and Mr.Cooper and Jay must follow the clues to get to her before the unthinkable happens

[Elizabeth Ray · Rating 5 out of 5]

I remember loving these books and I felt like I learned a lot from them. I think a good deal of research went into writing them.

[Rachel :) · Rating 2 out of 5]

DNF at about 75%
It just got super boring.

[Bookworm · Rating 5 out of 5]

Christian Teen Fiction
Fast paced and exciting!
Characters we care about!

Written in the 80’s, so they fight Russian communists/commies/KGB and face “savage” cannibals (who call them “savage Americans!”)

Approved for the library!

[Cassie Armstrong · Rating 5 out of 5]

This one was one of my favorites of the series when I was younger and it still is with this reread. Less on the archeological aspects, and more on the ticking clock.

[Ian Cooley · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 and a half stars

[Christie Stoneback]

Kiddos got too scared to continue. Will revisit later, maybe…

[Molly · Rating 2 out of 5]

Well-written. I didn’t like this one very much.

[Layla Gatlin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Themes of forgiveness and healing after loss.

[Luisa Knight · Rating 5 out of 5]

My twelfth birthday was definitely one for the books (figuratively and literally!). I think I got five book series to read - and this was one of them!

The Cooper Kids series are the perfect thrillers for a twelve year old - or at least for me when I was twelve. I would find myself starting to get decently spooked and wanting to put the book down, but at the same time unable to tear myself away. Uh, it was agony for sure, but it was sure fun agony, if you know what I mean. (My second go around of reading these as an adult has me smirking at my young self - I scared easily I guess, ha!).

Peretti does a fabulous job of taking a couple of Bible passages, mixing them with some pretend legends/superstitions and wrapping them up in a tween’s Indiana Jones styled adventure story.

This particular title deviates somewhat from the other tales. But that’s not bad - I think I read this over four times as a kid! Lila has a Jonah-like experience and works through her anger/bitterness with her dad and the loss of her mom. Some great truths in here and a relationship strongly restored.

I highly recommend these! This particular title was a favorite in the series!

Ages: 10+

Cleanliness: there are mentions of cannibalism - it does not happen. A few people die in a plane crash and several bad guys die.

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[Amanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cooper Kids series by Frank Peretti

Recommend with some notes below.

I loved these as a kid! I don't remember how old I was when I read them, but the suggestion range on the cover is 10-14. Some of these are intense as kids books go so depending on the child some may ok earlier, but I think the stated range is probably accurate for most.

As an adult who just reread them, they aren't top tier literature. That's ok. They're still good reads & their aimed at kids. Not everything needs to be top tier.

One of my favorite things about the series is that it is solidly Christian. Not "oh we threw a prayer in over the meal so it's Christian" but scared: pray, thankful: pray, confused: pray for guidance, running for your life: pray as you run. But it's not hokey. It feels very real as a kid reading the books & is faith building!

The series is a mix of genres and this is where my age caution really comes from. If I had to categorize all of the books with one label is would be "Spiritual Thrillers (for kids)" though the adventure label definitely applies to all of them also. Breaking it out:

Book 1: Door in the Dragons Throat - spiritual thriller
Book 2: Escape from the Island of Aquarius - adventure/maybe a bit of science fiction ala Journey to the Center of the Earth
Book 3: Tombs of Anak - spiritual thriller
Book 4: Trapped at the Bottom of the Sea - adventure/"real life (unrealistic)" peril- this is the one book where you don't see the 3 Coopers getting along harmoniously & you see tensions and hurt feelings.
Book 5: Secret of the Desert Stone - adventure, definitely supernatural aspects but it's not a thriller
Book 6: Deadly Curse of Toco-Rey - thriller but not a spiritual thriller
Book 7: Legend of Annie Murphy - science fiction
Book 8: Flying Blind - adventure/realistic peril

As a kid the ones that stood out to me the most & were the scariest are books 1, 3, and 6. Book 7 was odd in a different way because of the time travel, but it wasn't scary. Book 8 was my least favorite as a kid - I almost (but not really) found it boring. That's just because they're not traveling anywhere this time. As an adult it's the only one of the books that brought tears to my eyes - it's much easier to create separation when you're looking at extremes and improbable situations like running for your life in an underground booby trapped tomb than something that feels more familiar like the possibility of an air plane crash.

If you're not familiar with Peretti please preread these books. They're pretty unique in Juevenile Fiction from my experience. If you are familiar with Peretti don't worry, he writes to kids just fine and while there are those spiritual thriller aspects theyre quite tame compared to his adult novels!

The Cooper Kids (age 13 & 14) are the only kids in the series, which I actually like & kids will too I think because they're given adult sized tasks and are responsible with them. The kids as well as thei father & various other adults pray & reference the Bible with regulararity.

The theme of the books is God is bigger, stronger, more powerful than any other religion or curse. He controls the earth. He convicts. He reveals. He works things for our good. Few kids books give that awe-some perspective in my opinion and I'm glad that these books tackle that.

[Kristi Drillien · Rating 4 out of 5]

Frustrated by her father's lack of willingness to discuss her late mother, teenager Lila insists on leaving Japan, where Dr. Cooper is teaching about his work, and going back to the States. But on the way, her plane is hijacked and crashes over the ocean. While she is trapped at the bottom of the sea in an air-tight weapons pod, Lila's dad and brother try to find her before it's too late.

This book was quite a departure from what the series has been up to this point. Instead of uncovering secrets in Dr. Cooper's capacity as biblical archaeologist, it's more a straight race against time to find and save Lila. I liked it, though, maybe more than the one before it that had been my favorite so far. I liked the adventure and excitement, the ways that Lila tried to keep herself from panicking in the pod and tried to save herself, and the descriptions of the tiny islands in the South Pacific.

Though the heavier supernatural elements that came about in the previous books weren't here so much, it was still clear God was involved in the story from start to finish. This book has led me to realize that the series is basically a modern-day parallel to certain biblical accounts and truths. It's as if Peretti started each of these books by asking himself, "How would these certain verses of the Bible look if they happened today?" This one, for example, has shades of the story of Jonah (not subtly so either). It's a solid addition to this middle-grade series.

[Ian King · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've always loved Frank Peretti and this is the first of the kids books I've read by him. However, this didn't float my boat (excuse the pun) as much as I expected. I enjoyed the story and recommend it to tweens and teens. There were some funny scenes and I particularly liked Mrs. Flarity. The story line was a little predictable though. Along the journey there were many colourful characters and it turned out to be an ok read.
I listened to the audiobook version of it, narrated by Frank Peretti himself and I have to say, he can, and usually does a better performance than this one. Maybe this was his first audiobook narration. Still, this won't put me off any other work of his. He is awesome!!

[Joy Crain · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another page turner by author Frank Peretti.

Lila just wants to get away from it all. After having a fight with her father, 13 year old Lila Cooper is done traveling the world and wants to go back to America so she boards a military plane to America. What she doesn't know is that the plane has been hijacked by Russians...and its going down! Now she's trapped in a metal container at the bottom of the ocean with one oxygen bottle and no hope for anyone to come looking for her.


I recommend this book to all ages.

[Gretchen Garrison · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another great Cooper Kids book that I enjoyed listening to with my son - a perfect series for tweens and young teens. Frank Peretti narrates his books, and they are always connected to a Scripture story. Not surprisingly with this title, this book is connected to Jonah. I think it was my favorite one so far as I loved the different connections made with the characters. There was a bit of humor, adventure and plenty of redemption. I highly recommend this series!

[Aidan Garcia · Rating 3 out of 5]

We revisit the Cooper family, but this time with a little bit of family drama! Now we talking!

An interesting and compelling story and I liked how the baddies in this book are the “Commies”. Those damn Reds! If we don’t protect ourselves say goodbye to god-given Capitalism!

Ahem. Anyway. I liked it!

[Daniel Witcher · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read these years ago and remembered enjoying them. Finally convinced my daughter to give #1 a try. She started 2 evenings ago, has finished #1 & #2, has begun #3, and was telling her friends at church they have to read them.

Indiana Jones (especially the first several) with Christian/biblical themes. Rereading this brought back the childhood pleasure of a good adventure.

[LaRae☕️ · Rating 4 out of 5]

I skipped the third book, because I thought they were a little bit ridiculous. However, my daughter told me this one was much better, and it was!

It was quite suspenseful, the character building was much better done, and even though it triggered my claustrophobia, I actually enjoyed it.

[Beverly · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fast-paced adventure in which Lila's adventure is compared with Jonah's (of the Bible, the one swallowed by the great fish). Two characters have to come to terms with their anger and find a way to mend hurt feelings. The characters pray a lot during this adventure.

[Sheila Myers · Rating 4 out of 5]

A nice little adventure/thriller for teens. I've enjoyed many of Frank Peretti's adult novels and think his books for kids are just as enjoyable.

[Charis Jackson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I still love it just as much as when I read it as a kid, but I did feel like something was missing in the story.

[Penney Letbetter · Rating 3 out of 5]

The story seems to be more from an adult perspective, which is disappointing for a children's book, but I enjoyed it anyway.

[Susan Forsgren · Rating 3 out of 5]

Outstanding, safe, adventure for your more religious readers.

[Linda · Rating 5 out of 5]

First rate YA Christian Fiction. I really liked it!

[Danette · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another Cooper family adventure. Reminded me of the story of Jonah.
Listened to the audio with my boys.
2018 - A book of my choice.