The Phoenix Files: Arrival by Chris Morphew

Saturday, September 19, 2009

The Phoenix Files: Arrival tells the story of Luke, forced to move with his mother to Phoenix, a new town in the middle of nowhere where she’s offered a job, following his parents’ divorce.

Upon his arrival in Phoenix, he discovers life isn’t quite normal there – everything is expensive and new, but the phone lines are always down, there isn’t any TV or internet and security guards constantly roam the streets.

Then he discovers a plot to destroy the world. He and his mother are the last residents of Phoenix, and their arrival marks the start of the countdown to the end of the world. Together with friends Peter and Jordan, Luke tries to uncover what’s really happening.

This was a fantastic book – incredibly interesting premise, really strong setting and well-executed. Each revelation was shocking, particularly right near the end. There are many things left unanswered at the end of this book, and I wish perhaps a bit more had been uncovered, but it does a great job of making you want to read the next book, and find out what happens next.

The characters seemed to be secondary to the plot, and though they were interesting and unique, I felt they could have been further developed. I suppose there’s room in further books for us to find out more about them.

It’s difficult not to give anything away in my review (I really, really want to), but this looks like a really promising start to a new series. I believe it’ll appeal to both teenage boys and girls, particularly those who enjoy adventure series. The sequel, The Phoenix Files: Contact, comes out in February 2010, and after reading The Phoenix Files: Arrival you’re definitely going to want to get the next book and find out what happens next.
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