The Arrival

by Kieran Fanning

“Indiana Jones meets The Da Vinci Code” for kids (11+) and teenagers.

When mysterious artefacts are discovered in an underground tunnel, teenagers Sarah and Declan assemble them to create an electricity-filled gateway, through which an unusual boy arrives. Declan thinks he has been sent from God. Sarah thinks he is an alien. Others believe he may be something else…

Genres: Science Fiction, Adventure

291 pages, Paperback

Published April 15, 2024

About the author

By day, Kieran Fanning is a primary school teacher who enjoys helping his pupils to write, illustrate and publish their own books. By night, he writes his own stories, and has published 7 books for young people.

Reviews

[Liz Fully Booked · Rating 4 out of 5]

This YA sci fi/fantasy thriller was a really good read. It may have been written for a younger audience, but as an adult I found it very interesting and entertaining. It blends sci-fi and religion in a way I’ve not read before.

The book is fast paced and an easy read. Some artifacts are found during an underground dig, and two teens solve the mystery of them, leading to the appearance of a strange young man, who may or may not be the second coming of Christ. What follows is an action packed, thought provoking story full of twists and turns, and humans doing what humans do when things don’t make sense.

I enjoyed this book as an adult, and I think this is a great YA book. I would recommend for those young adults who are just getting into the sci fi genre as it was not too technical. Good read!

I received an advance reader copy from the author, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Patricia · Rating 4 out of 5]

A tunnel is being dug when the machinery runs in to a disc that is embedded in a white substance. More discs are discovered, and efforts are made to connect them together, which ultimately fail. Enter Sarah and Declan. Declan has been having nightmares since the night he went into the tunnel; these dreams or nightmares showed him symbols that are on the discs and in what order to connect them. Sarah and Declan do this and open a doorway or portal that leaves behind a boy.
From there on there is chaos, especially when news of the boy gets out. His he an alien, just a boy, or something else entirely?
I enjoyed this story, it had some unexpected elements that made me keep reading to figure out where the story was going to next. It ends in a kind of cliffhanger, and I am hoping that the author will follow thru with another book, because there are a lot of questions left unanswered.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Samantha Mannone · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a great read! I may or may not have stayed up to late reading this book. Mainly because I needed to know what happened next. There are so many great life lessons throughout the book that make this the perfect read for kids, teenagers, and even adults. Sarah's character grows from a typical angsty teenager to someone curious about getting to the bottom of those strange artifacts and the mysterious boy that shows up out of nowhere. Declan is a shy reserved teen at first and starts to come into his own as the story unfolds.

[Suja Sukumar · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Arrival is a fast-paced story with plenty of twists and unexpected moments. I read in from start to finish in one sitting largely because I couldn’t put the book down until I found out what happened in the end. This has all the captivating elements required in a Sci-fi novel and with the added benefits of characters you can empathize with. The writing is excellent and made the scenes feel real to me. I would recommend this book without hesitation.

[Beverley Turnquest · Rating 5 out of 5]

Original

Original is hard to come these days and that is what makes this such an enjoyable read. I think this will be good if converted to a screenplay.

[Joan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review of eBook

At the construction site of the St. George’s Tunnel project in Wexford, Ireland, a brand-new tungsten carbide disc has been worn away and workers cannot explain how this happened in an area supposed to be composed of carboniferous limestone. What could have caused the disc to be worn away in only one day?

Site manager John Buckley enters the excavation site and sees a circular black metal shape. Patterns . . . symbols . . . are etched into its surface. He experiences a strange disorienting incident; one he cannot explain. What could have caused it?

Archaeologist Andrew Moore arrives on-site with his teenage daughter, Sarah, to examine the artifacts uncovered by the drilling. When he enters the excavation, he becomes stupefied, incapable of movement, but Sarah is unaffected. Unknown to the workmen, Declan Whelan had been dared by friends to break into the tunnel; Sarah finds him there and when Declan twists his ankle and falls, the two unknowingly end up with each other’s phones.

When Sarah and Declan use the artifacts to construct an electrified arch, they inadvertently create a doorway through which a mysterious boy appears.

Who is he? An alien from another world? A time traveler? A god?

And what is the message that he brings?

=========

This target audience for this captivating science fiction tale is the young adult reader, ages eleven through sixteen [but all readers are sure to enjoy this ingenuous tale]. Strong, empathetic characters, a premise that is both creative and intriguing, and an inventive sense of place all work together to pull readers into the telling of the tale from the outset.

As the unfolding narrative brings an unexpected revelation or two, the young adult reader has the opportunity deal with issues such as belonging and knowing yourself even as the characters deal with them. Larger themes of trust, belief, and faith are underlying themes woven throughout the narrative.

Declan is the one ostracized from the group by the other boys; Sarah is the lonely only child of parents a bit too wrapped up in their own lives. The mysterious boy . . . an alien or, perhaps, Christ returning or, possibly, a divine messenger? . . . speaks only to Declan, and, while readers get some answers, the story [sad to say] leads to a denouement that is a bit of a cliffhanger.

Young adult readers [and others] who enjoy science fiction, especially with an embedded mystery, will find much to appreciate in this thought-provoking tale.

Highly recommended.

I received a free copy of this book through the LibraryThing Early Readers program and am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Karen (BaronessBookTrove)]

I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy from the Author. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

The Arrival by Kieran Fanning follows Sarah and Declan as they figure out what the electricity-filled gateway means and why dump a boy there.

Can Sarah and Declan solve the puzzle of the gateway?

Sarah
Sarah arrives in Declan's hometown with her father. Her father is an archeologist and was called in to determine what they found. Sarah is skeptical of the town but is intrigued by what drew her father there. She is a good character and has two sides that should differ but work well together. Sarah is much like her father in wanting to learn about the past, but she is also like her mom in believing in astrology and other things that shouldn't work with archaeology.

I have to say that I liked Sarah and how she handled herself in some tough situations. Sarah and I would be good friends.

Declan
Declan is the other main character. He is connected to the artifact in a way that Sarah doesn't know how to believe. Declan ends up getting the artifact to become the electricity-filled gateway, and he becomes the voice for the unusual boy they found underneath it. Before Declan met Sarah, he wasn't doing all that great emotionally or mentally, and meeting Sarah helped until the boy showed up.

I feel bad for Declan since he seems like he's the weird kid in his small hometown. He just wanted to feel like he belonged somewhere, then he did, and then that ended. Declan's part of the story is very spoiler-filled, so I can't reveal much.

Three Stars
My rating for The Arrival by Kieran Fanning is three stars. I do recommend giving it a try. Mr. Fanning did a good job of keeping me entertained, but I wasn't feeling the story as much as I thought I would.

Thank you for dropping by! I hope you enjoyed this review of The Arrival by Kieran Fanning.

Until the next time,



Happy Reading!This review was originally posted on Baroness' Book Trove

[Varsh · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not quite sure what to make of the story. I mean, sure, there are Indiana Jones elements and The Da Vinci Code elements scattered throughout the story, but I didn't feel they came together well enough for the story to shine.

The unearthing of seemingly alien artifacts, and the religion undertones of the same were a little too much for my taste.

Regardless, the writing was good and the pace of the story was great. Since the book is not a part of a series(at least according to Booksirens), the open-ended ending was a bit of a letdown.

[Jen · Rating 3 out of 5]

A unique, well written middle grade science fiction adventure story which makes the reader think about what is real and what is fiction in relation to the discovery of a young naked boy in an underground tunnel archway.

The characters of Sarah and Declan were both varied and interesting and the setting was dark yet intriguing as a whole.

An enjoyable read with twists and turns throughout the story.

[Deborah Humphrey · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. There was a feel of a Dan Brown novel set in Ireland. However, it is better than Dan Brown. I finished the book in one setting and will be buying it for my niece. The book has a mystery at its heart, which is solved through themes of friendship, isolation, bullying and refugees. It asks the question of how we deal with difference. It is written in an engaging style and I would definitely recommend.

[Linsey Toney · Rating 4 out of 5]

I would absolutely recommend The Arrival for pre-teens and adults. This is a action filled, sci-fi book was so hard to put down I read it a few hours lol... It's about a girl who goes on an archeology dig with her father and she runs into a boy named Declan that entered the cite without permission they end up accidently swapping phones and later they work together to piece together a mysterious puzzle.

[Jeanette Shaver · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book gripped me from the start! The story follows two teenagers who find themselves entangled in a mystery that could be mystical in nature - or could it be biblical? Although written for a younger audience, as an adult I found myself unable to put it down. The storyline is unlike anything I've read before! This really is a book for ALL ages.

I received a complimentary copy of the book from the author via Voracious Readers Only.

[KyoAi ♡ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Note: Late review in exchange for an ARC copy.

I think this was my first sci-fi read, and I've got to admit that it's really good. Apart from a few spelling and grammatical errors, it was pretty enjoyable.

This book does cover some religious aspects, so I think that's the only real drawback, but otherwise I recommend it.

[Ash · Rating 4 out of 5]

I will state that this book did get better as I read it. The start was a bit slow and the pacing felt a little off at times but I overall enjoyed it and can see other fans of science fiction enjoying this book. I read this as an ARC reader and did not purchase it.

[Chris Callaghan · Rating 5 out of 5]

A thumping thriller mystery that keeps you guessing and wondering right to the end. It's blend of gritty realism and fantastical elements are a great mix, keeping it contemporary while also delving into ancient ideas. A fabulous read!

[Joan · Rating 3 out of 5]

The beginning of this story caught my attention, and I became invested in the characters. I was hoping that the author would help Declan build his confidence and strength against his friends but that didn't come around. I enjoyed Sarahs character and how she took charge and interest as the story progressed. These characters adventure to work together and help Declan answer his questions was going well. The story started slowing down for me as the reader when Declan gave in to the gang on several levels. Granite no one wants to be beat up but to just out and out give up what he knows was a disappointment. There are twists and turns that the author did well but would like to have known a little more about the discs and in the end, it is left to the readers imagination. I do believe young readers will enjoy this story as it does encourage them to use their imagination on many levels.