Rise

D. U. Okonkwo

Jan 2015 · A Few Words Press Ltd

About this ebook

At age eleven, Ria Ofor was caught in a fire that left her facially-scarred. Devastated by the apparent rejection by her father, Ria, now twenty-seven, is a gifted sculptress but lives a semi reclusive life. Avoiding art galleries and their consequent publicity, she sells her artwork online, scraping a living through online sales. But when she's hit with a repossession notice on her home, it rocks the shaky foundations she’s been living on.

On borrowed time, Ria must land a gallery contract in order to survive. That means stepping out of her comfort zone and coming face to face with what she’s spent the last sixteen years trying to avoid: rejection. But competition for lucrative gallery contracts is cut-throat, and Ria soon discovers that some artists will stop at nothing to keep the spoils of London's glittering art world for themselves. Torn between the events of her past and the lies threatening to destroy her future, Ria is faced with a decision that could change her life forever.

Ratings and reviews

Rise by D.U. Okonkwo is an engaging and exciting story that makes you root for the heroine. Riana or Ria, who is socially awkward and struggling due to her facial scars, is an extremely talented artist but unable to pay bills due to her withdrawn nature. Readers feel her pain and rejoice at her success. The reader experiences her self-actualization at every step. This book made me fall in love with art, mostly sculpting. Author D.U. Okonkwo’s use of imagery in the book is exceptional. The representation of art in the book is charming, elegant, and exotic at the same time. The visual appeal of the book keeps you hooked and the characters are endearing and compassionate. One of the beauties of the book is the relationship of Ria with her family. Especially the mother-daughter relationship between Ria and her mother is beautiful. Ria is scared and intimidated by the world around her, but her mother is always there for her. She also finds support in her close friends. The chemistry with her romantic interest is also terrific. The overall dynamics between the characters portrayed are quite heartwarming. One of the positive aspects that I liked about Rise by D. U. Okonkwo is the length of chapters. Okonkwo keeps the chapters short, concise and unfolds in a manner that keeps you yearning for more. The book is an enjoyable experience and keeps you entertained till the end. It soothes your heart and creates warm fuzzy fluttering in your heart. The story begins as a fun and entertaining read that turns into her experiences with God, and the rest of the book is filled sermons of Pentecostal ideology. Nonetheless, I enjoyed the book, because it was an interesting fictional account of a serious medical condition that’s handled in a compelling way. Rise will appeal to readers looking for a feel-good empowering book. Author D. U. Okonkwo has given readers a stimulating inspirational religious fiction novel.

Rise by author D.U. Okonkwo is an inspirational story that follows the journey of a facially scarred and reclusive sculptress as she is forced to come out of her comfort zone and the isolated world that she has been living, and learn to accept and embrace her true self and the world around her. Ria Ofor suffered facial scars from a childhood accident that caused her to live a reclusive lifestyle away from the public eye. As a gifted sculptress, Ria just barely scrapes by selling her creations online, but her isolated life is turned upside down when she receives a home repossession notice, and she is forced out of her comfort zone and into the public eye. Ria embarks on an emotional journey where she will discover that she can accept her self-image, and conquer the fears that she has lived with for so long. Rise is a wonderful story that easily draws the reader into Ria's story. You can't help but feel compassion and empathy for Ria as she struggles with her self-image, one that has left her traumatized and isolated from the world. Author D.U. Okonkwo weaves a thoughtful story that engages the reader to ponder how they would feel if they were in Ria's shoes.

Rise was a good read that had me think about things (life things) in a deeper way, even beyond the topics covered in the novel itself. I don't usually read books with so much description, but this felt very literary and the style represents the character's fascination with detail, so that was a nice touch. Quite a quick read, so perfect if you do a lot of travelling!

About the author

 D. U. Okonkwo was born and raised in London. An avid reader from childhood, she began writing her own stories at the age of ten. She holds a BSc (Hons) degree in Business with Spanish from Salford University, and is currently working on her next novel.