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    The Children's Book Review

    Phoenix, by S. F. Said | Book Review

    Dr. Jen HarrisonBy Dr. Jen Harrison3 Mins Read Ages 9-12 Best Kids Stories Books with Boy Characters Chapter Books Fantasy: Supernatural Fiction Teens: Young Adults
    Phoenix by S. F. Said Book Review
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    The Children’s Book Review | April 28, 2017

    Phoenix by SaidPhoenix

    Written by S. F. Said

    Illustrated by Dave McKean

    Age Range: 10-16

    Paperback: 496 pages

    Publisher: Candlewick Press (2016)

    ISBN: 978-0-7636-8850-9

    What to Expect: Aliens, Space Travel, Coming of Age Story

    What makes a good Sci-Fi story? A good range of exotic aliens, alien atmospheres and planets, space-ships, technologies, and science would seem the obvious answer, and these are all important elements in this classic genre of children’s and adult’s literature. Even more, important to my way of thinking, however, is the way in which the best science fiction explores what it means to be human. Classics of the genre – those which have stood the test of time, such as Mortal Engines or Day of the Triffids are not so much about what changes in science and technology, as they are about what remains the same in human nature. S. F. Said’s new middle-grade science-fiction novel Phoenix excels in this area, combining fascinating landscapes, characters, and science with exploration of what it fundamentally means to be human.

    Lucky is just a normal kid living with his mom on Phoenix, a moon of the planet Aries One. Although humanity is currently at war with a terrifying race of cloven-hooved and horned aliens, the war has not reached Lucky’s sleepy home-planet, and Lucky is more concerned with missing his absent father than with worrying about Alien attacks. However, Lucky is not quite as normal as he seems: when a dream of touching the stars wakes him to find his bedclothes on fire, Luke is suddenly ripped from the safety of his home and what he thinks he knows as his mother begins a frantic attempt to flee the planet and drag Lucky away from a threat she refuses to name. Then his mother is killed, and Lucky finds himself fleeing home and the terrifying Shadow Guards in the company of a renegade group of Alien refugees, uncertain of who his enemies are, where he is going, and – most importantly – who, or what, he is. It seems that Lucky’s dream was the beginning of a blossoming new power, which could potentially end the war and save humanity – if he can learn how to control it.

    Perhaps my favorite element of this novel is the series of black-and-white star-scapes which illustrate the novel throughout. Dramatic and haunting, these illustrations are not detailed enough to detract from the reader’s pleasure of imagining these new worlds for him or herself; beautiful and abstract, they add an extra element of strangeness to the story. For readers who have been enthralled by what sci-fi has to offer, this is a fantastic new offering.

    Available Here: 

    Text, logoBuy on AmazonLogo

    About the Author

    SF Said is the Nestlé Smarties Book Prize–winning author of Varjak Paw. He was born in Lebanon in 1967, but has lived in London since he was two years old.

    About the Illustrator

    Dave McKean is a world-renowned artist, designer, and film director who has illustrated several books for children, including Coraline by Neil Gaiman, The Savage by David Almond, and Varjak Paw by SF Said. Dave McKean lives in England.

    Phoenix, by S. F. Said and Dave McKean, was reviewed by Dr. Jen Harrison. Discover more books like Phoenix by following along with our reviews and articles tagged with Christopher Silas Neal, Kate Messner, Natural History Books, and Nature Studies.

    What to Read Next:

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    2. Best Children’s Books of 2009 … Beyond the Half-Way Mark
    3. The Graveyard Book, by Neil Gaiman | Book Review
    4. My Writing and Reading Life:
      Christopher Paolini

    *Disclosure: Please note that this post may contain affiliate links that share some commission. Rest assured that these will not affect the cost of any products and services promoted here. Our team always provides their authentic opinion in all content published on this site.

    Aliens Candlewick Press Coming of Age Dave McKean Middle Grade Books S.F. Said Science Fiction Space Travel
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    Dr. Jen Harrison
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    Dr. Jen Harrison provides writing and research services as the CEO of Read.Write.Perfect. She completed her Ph.D. in Children’s and Victorian Literature at Aberystwyth University in Wales, in the UK. After a brief spell in administration, Jen then trained as a secondary school English teacher and worked for several years teaching Secondary School English, working independently as a private tutor of English, and working in nursery and primary schools. She has been an editor for the peer-reviewed journal of children’s literature, Jeunesse, and has published academic work on children’s non-fiction, YA speculative fiction, and the posthuman.

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