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The Phoenix Files #1
Man in the Shadows
The first two books in THE PHOENIX FILES series, ARRIVAL and CONTACT, come together in this dramatic start to the end of the world.
As soon as Luke touches down in Phoenix, he knows that something's not right.
The brand-new town is supposed to be a paradise, but it's not long before the cracks begin to show: malfunctioning phone lines, restrictions on car use, and a private security detail instead of a police force.
Then Luke, Peter and Jordan uncover the true reason for the town's existence - a secret that means Phoenix is suddenly both the safest and most dangerous place on Earth.
Someone in Phoenix is plotting to wipe out the human race.
AND THE CLOCK IS ALREADY TICKING.
As soon as Luke touches down in Phoenix, he knows that something's not right.
The brand-new town is supposed to be a paradise, but it's not long before the cracks begin to show: malfunctioning phone lines, restrictions on car use, and a private security detail instead of a police force.
Then Luke, Peter and Jordan uncover the true reason for the town's existence - a secret that means Phoenix is suddenly both the safest and most dangerous place on Earth.
Someone in Phoenix is plotting to wipe out the human race.
AND THE CLOCK IS ALREADY TICKING.
484 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2009
100 people are currently reading
1983 people want to read
About the author
Chris Morphew
36 books152 followersChris Morphew is an author, teacher, and school chaplain living in Sydney, Australia.
He has written twelve books for the best-selling Zac Power series, as well as his own six-book young adult series, The Phoenix Files. He’s also co-written The Gateway, an eight-book series for primary school kids about a hotel for aliens, alongside Rowan McAuley and David Harding.
His latest books are Best News Ever, a 100-day guide to the Gospel of Mark, and The Big Questions, a series of short books answer tough questions about life and faith.
Chris enjoys Mario Kart, obscure board games, and superhero movies, and has been told he looks like Chris Hemsworth from the back.
He has written twelve books for the best-selling Zac Power series, as well as his own six-book young adult series, The Phoenix Files. He’s also co-written The Gateway, an eight-book series for primary school kids about a hotel for aliens, alongside Rowan McAuley and David Harding.
His latest books are Best News Ever, a 100-day guide to the Gospel of Mark, and The Big Questions, a series of short books answer tough questions about life and faith.
Chris enjoys Mario Kart, obscure board games, and superhero movies, and has been told he looks like Chris Hemsworth from the back.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 223 reviews
December 3, 2015
I randomly picked up this book, wanting a change from the usual genre I read. I don't read a lot of young adult books, but I really got into this. I enjoyed Chris Morphew's writing and loved that it was set in Australia. I love finding a good Australian author.
The book combines the first two stories in the 6 book series, and revolves around three main characters, Luke, Peter and Jordan. The first book, Arrival, is told from the perspective of Luke and the second book, Contact, is told from the perspective of his friend/acquaintance Peter. I really liked all three of the characters, and enjoyed the rivalry between Luke and Peter for Jordan's attention. The novel begins with a countdown of 100 days till the end of the world. There is a lot of mystery and suspense created as the reader finds out what is going on in the strange town, and there really are a lot of strange things happening! I really can't wait to read the next set of books in the series as it was left on quite a cliff hanger!
I highly recommend this book for older teenagers and young adults and even older adults who are young at heart!
The book combines the first two stories in the 6 book series, and revolves around three main characters, Luke, Peter and Jordan. The first book, Arrival, is told from the perspective of Luke and the second book, Contact, is told from the perspective of his friend/acquaintance Peter. I really liked all three of the characters, and enjoyed the rivalry between Luke and Peter for Jordan's attention. The novel begins with a countdown of 100 days till the end of the world. There is a lot of mystery and suspense created as the reader finds out what is going on in the strange town, and there really are a lot of strange things happening! I really can't wait to read the next set of books in the series as it was left on quite a cliff hanger!
I highly recommend this book for older teenagers and young adults and even older adults who are young at heart!
November 17, 2015
'It's not the end of the world,' Luke's mum says when he grumbles at being swooped off to the outback town of Phoenix.
She's wrong.
Some spoilers follow:
It takes Luke only a few days to discover that their arrival is the signal for the final countdown: in 100 days, 'Tabitha' will be released and everyone outside the Phoenix enclave - all of the seven billion people in the rest of the world - will be eliminated. Luke's dad is out there - and there's no way to contact him. Internet and phones have been down for a month.
It all sounds too incredible, unbelievable and impossible for words: the end of the world really is nigh. 'Crazy Bill', the one homeless man in an otherwise 'perfect' town, leaves a USB stick with a seeming nonsense file on it. Jordan, a girl at Phoenix High, receives a similar USB stick - and the two files together provide the first evidence about 'Tabitha'.
Together with Peter they follow a set of bizarre clues left by 'Crazy Bill' who develops superhuman 'hulk-like' powers whenever security guards try to stop him contacting them.
Eventually the evidence is overwhelming. Something is rotten in the town of Phoenix. It is sealed off from the outside world by a three-storey high concrete ring wall.
Luke, Jordan and Peter realise they are trapped. They don't know who to trust and there's no way they can make contact with the outside world.
Then they hear a phone ringing...
She's wrong.
Some spoilers follow:
It takes Luke only a few days to discover that their arrival is the signal for the final countdown: in 100 days, 'Tabitha' will be released and everyone outside the Phoenix enclave - all of the seven billion people in the rest of the world - will be eliminated. Luke's dad is out there - and there's no way to contact him. Internet and phones have been down for a month.
It all sounds too incredible, unbelievable and impossible for words: the end of the world really is nigh. 'Crazy Bill', the one homeless man in an otherwise 'perfect' town, leaves a USB stick with a seeming nonsense file on it. Jordan, a girl at Phoenix High, receives a similar USB stick - and the two files together provide the first evidence about 'Tabitha'.
Together with Peter they follow a set of bizarre clues left by 'Crazy Bill' who develops superhuman 'hulk-like' powers whenever security guards try to stop him contacting them.
Eventually the evidence is overwhelming. Something is rotten in the town of Phoenix. It is sealed off from the outside world by a three-storey high concrete ring wall.
Luke, Jordan and Peter realise they are trapped. They don't know who to trust and there's no way they can make contact with the outside world.
Then they hear a phone ringing...
February 16, 2012
The Phoenix Files Arrival By Chris Morphew
Pheonix is a town run just for workers of the Shackleton business and a boy called Luke moves there as his parents have just divorced. He meets two friends called Peter and Jordan and they soon find out the world could change forever. I think this book is very good because it is full of suspense and action, something is going on all the time it is hard to put the book down. The way they are racing against time makes it enjoyable to read.
Pheonix is a town run just for workers of the Shackleton business and a boy called Luke moves there as his parents have just divorced. He meets two friends called Peter and Jordan and they soon find out the world could change forever. I think this book is very good because it is full of suspense and action, something is going on all the time it is hard to put the book down. The way they are racing against time makes it enjoyable to read.
June 26, 2015
This book was first suggested to me by a family member, though I refused to read it for a few days. Then, needing something to do, I picked up the book and started reading. I proceeded to finish the book that day.
When Emily Hunter loses her job in Sydney, she and her son Luke are offered a home and job with the Shackleton Co-operative in a small town called Phoenix, so new it’s not on a map, where the main mode of transportation is a bicycle, and one of the only places in the country where the phones or internet don’t work. This is not the first time Luke has had to move. He has moved several times before, and each time, he has had to adjust to a new house, new school, and find new friends. At his first day of school, Luke meets Jordan and Peter and is introduced to Pete’s old friends Mike, Cathryn “Cat”, and Tank. The rest of the school day passes uneventfully. When he gets home, he finds, mysteriously, that his bed is made and an envelope is sitting on his pillow. When he searches the rest of the house, he finds nothing. He opens the envelope and finds a USB thumb drive with a set of initials on it: “J.B.” On the thumb drive is a single file composed of what first looks to be gibberish. He brings it to school the next day, where Jordan comes up to him with an identical thumb drive with the initials “L.H.” When Jordan’s anger subsides, they ask Peter to take the things and try to figure out what sense he can make of them. He comes back a couple days later with a result: an audio file. When they listen to it, they find out that the end of the world is closer than they would have thought. When Jordan comes to school looking upset some days later, she reveals that her mother is pregnant. Peter also discovers a map of Phoenix with bike trails marked out and a couple of X’s in specific places. When they go to those places, they find a warehouse full of stuff to last Phoenix until the end of the world and an enormous wall surrounding the town. When they climb down the other side, they are found by security officer Matthew Reeve. When brought back to the security station, they are questioned by chief Bruce Calvin, but Reeve covers for them. The next day, when they are walking through the park, they hear someone’s phone ringing.
Luke Hunter is a 15-year-old kid who, like most kids with divorced parents, wants to see his dad at some point. Before he moved to Phoenix, he would go for weekend flights to visit his father. Now that Luke is in Phoenix, there is no way for him to get out to see his father. Peter Weir is one of Phoenix’s first citizens. He has been crushing on Jordan since she arrived. Jordan Burke and her family are the second to last people to arrive in Phoenix. She is described as a type of glue that can hold the group together when disagreements arise. Mike, Cat, and Tank are Peter’s ex-friends. They started excluding him from their group events and have been hating each other since.
It is easy to see how Tank got his name. He was built like a small Hulk.
Phoenix is located somewhere in the middle of the desert outback of Australia. As for when, we are not sure what year this is in, but the full 100 days of the series takes place from May 5 to August 13.
I would recommend this book to people of all ages and genders, especially teens. Chris Morphew does a great job of not revealing everything and making you want to read on, but when everything is known, he does a great job of explaining it. Even reluctant readers would like this book.
When Emily Hunter loses her job in Sydney, she and her son Luke are offered a home and job with the Shackleton Co-operative in a small town called Phoenix, so new it’s not on a map, where the main mode of transportation is a bicycle, and one of the only places in the country where the phones or internet don’t work. This is not the first time Luke has had to move. He has moved several times before, and each time, he has had to adjust to a new house, new school, and find new friends. At his first day of school, Luke meets Jordan and Peter and is introduced to Pete’s old friends Mike, Cathryn “Cat”, and Tank. The rest of the school day passes uneventfully. When he gets home, he finds, mysteriously, that his bed is made and an envelope is sitting on his pillow. When he searches the rest of the house, he finds nothing. He opens the envelope and finds a USB thumb drive with a set of initials on it: “J.B.” On the thumb drive is a single file composed of what first looks to be gibberish. He brings it to school the next day, where Jordan comes up to him with an identical thumb drive with the initials “L.H.” When Jordan’s anger subsides, they ask Peter to take the things and try to figure out what sense he can make of them. He comes back a couple days later with a result: an audio file. When they listen to it, they find out that the end of the world is closer than they would have thought. When Jordan comes to school looking upset some days later, she reveals that her mother is pregnant. Peter also discovers a map of Phoenix with bike trails marked out and a couple of X’s in specific places. When they go to those places, they find a warehouse full of stuff to last Phoenix until the end of the world and an enormous wall surrounding the town. When they climb down the other side, they are found by security officer Matthew Reeve. When brought back to the security station, they are questioned by chief Bruce Calvin, but Reeve covers for them. The next day, when they are walking through the park, they hear someone’s phone ringing.
Luke Hunter is a 15-year-old kid who, like most kids with divorced parents, wants to see his dad at some point. Before he moved to Phoenix, he would go for weekend flights to visit his father. Now that Luke is in Phoenix, there is no way for him to get out to see his father. Peter Weir is one of Phoenix’s first citizens. He has been crushing on Jordan since she arrived. Jordan Burke and her family are the second to last people to arrive in Phoenix. She is described as a type of glue that can hold the group together when disagreements arise. Mike, Cat, and Tank are Peter’s ex-friends. They started excluding him from their group events and have been hating each other since.
It is easy to see how Tank got his name. He was built like a small Hulk.
Phoenix is located somewhere in the middle of the desert outback of Australia. As for when, we are not sure what year this is in, but the full 100 days of the series takes place from May 5 to August 13.
I would recommend this book to people of all ages and genders, especially teens. Chris Morphew does a great job of not revealing everything and making you want to read on, but when everything is known, he does a great job of explaining it. Even reluctant readers would like this book.
October 17, 2011
Firstly, I just want to get off my chest the fact that I am so pleased to find a book written by an Australian and set Down Under. There are tragically few Aussie books on the market in the UK and far too many US books (not that most of them are not brilliant reads, there’s just a huge imbalance) which makes it so refreshing to find a book in a genre I love set in a country I barely get to read about. For once I haven’t got my terrible attempts at American accents going through my head! Not that my Australian ones are any better...
I don’t know why I haven’t heard more about Chris Morphew, I found Arrival and the subsequent Contact through specific searches for new releases. I’m scratching my head because this book is just brilliant and people should be raving about it! I don’t know if there is such a genre as pre-post-apocalyptic but that’s what The Phoenix Files are and I just love exploring this situation: humanity is on the verge of extinction through an evil plot and their only hope is three teenagers. Epic!
Chris Morphew is a master of writing mystery, he expertly laces in a layer of threat that constantly flutters under the surface and has you checking over your shoulder despite the fact that you're just in a comfy armchair. He has a similar talent to Michael Grant in the Gone series whereby he raises hundreds of questions but by the end of the book he’s only scratched the surface of answers. It’s infuriating but unbelievably compelling at the same time and exactly how a thriller should be: mystery masochism. What’s even better is that the author has created a fantastic voice to take you through the mystery. Luke is witty, sharp, attentive, wonderfully ironic in places and above all highly inquisitive which is my number one quality in a hero – I can’t stand passive heroes! Jordan and Peter are also fantastic characters, Jordan is a great heroine, feisty and courageous, while Peter is loyal, funny and clever when he wants to be. They make a great team and I would definitely trust them with safeguarding the future of humanity.
I think the best thing you can do in a thriller is to create an unknowable enemy, I guess you could call me a thriller agnostic. The organisation that brought Luke to Phoenix is right in his back garden, running the town, but they are faceless. You only see the minions of the organisation in the security force and the possible effects that the organisation is having on other characters. They are like a virus, infecting everyone but invisible to the naked eye. It adds a great sense of immeasurable threat that keeps you sat bolt upright in the chair you are usually found slouching in.
I’m so glad I happened upon these books as I’m always hungry for a great mystery thriller and a good world-ending scenario always goes down well! I’m definitely reaching for the next book, Contact, and the third one better not be far behind it or my head may explode and you don’t want that on your conscience do you Chris?
If you are in any doubt as to whether you should read this book, maybe I should just read you the first sentence: “The end of the world is one of those things that you never really expect to end up being your problem.” Get it, read it, love it!
Lyrical Reviews
@LyricalReviews
Goodreads Group: No Dark Romance Allowed
I don’t know why I haven’t heard more about Chris Morphew, I found Arrival and the subsequent Contact through specific searches for new releases. I’m scratching my head because this book is just brilliant and people should be raving about it! I don’t know if there is such a genre as pre-post-apocalyptic but that’s what The Phoenix Files are and I just love exploring this situation: humanity is on the verge of extinction through an evil plot and their only hope is three teenagers. Epic!
Chris Morphew is a master of writing mystery, he expertly laces in a layer of threat that constantly flutters under the surface and has you checking over your shoulder despite the fact that you're just in a comfy armchair. He has a similar talent to Michael Grant in the Gone series whereby he raises hundreds of questions but by the end of the book he’s only scratched the surface of answers. It’s infuriating but unbelievably compelling at the same time and exactly how a thriller should be: mystery masochism. What’s even better is that the author has created a fantastic voice to take you through the mystery. Luke is witty, sharp, attentive, wonderfully ironic in places and above all highly inquisitive which is my number one quality in a hero – I can’t stand passive heroes! Jordan and Peter are also fantastic characters, Jordan is a great heroine, feisty and courageous, while Peter is loyal, funny and clever when he wants to be. They make a great team and I would definitely trust them with safeguarding the future of humanity.
I think the best thing you can do in a thriller is to create an unknowable enemy, I guess you could call me a thriller agnostic. The organisation that brought Luke to Phoenix is right in his back garden, running the town, but they are faceless. You only see the minions of the organisation in the security force and the possible effects that the organisation is having on other characters. They are like a virus, infecting everyone but invisible to the naked eye. It adds a great sense of immeasurable threat that keeps you sat bolt upright in the chair you are usually found slouching in.
I’m so glad I happened upon these books as I’m always hungry for a great mystery thriller and a good world-ending scenario always goes down well! I’m definitely reaching for the next book, Contact, and the third one better not be far behind it or my head may explode and you don’t want that on your conscience do you Chris?
If you are in any doubt as to whether you should read this book, maybe I should just read you the first sentence: “The end of the world is one of those things that you never really expect to end up being your problem.” Get it, read it, love it!
Lyrical Reviews
@LyricalReviews
Goodreads Group: No Dark Romance Allowed
October 5, 2014
The Phoenix Files.
Chris Morphew wrote the book “Phoenix Files.” I think the purpose of his book was to show people what it would be like to be Luke Hunter, a 15 year old boy who had to stop his new home town from destructing. In this book it shows how Luke and his mom Emily try to fit into this new town called Phoenix. Chris Morphew did a great job writing this book for many different reasons. He talks about how Luke had to live without modern day technology, I don’t know that many of us Luke’s age could do this. He kept people waiting for the next big thing to happen in the book.
I would consider this book a suspense story. Each chapter you read you would learn more and more about what the author is trying to tell us. I found myself thinking “okay things are going to get better and then there would be another challenge for Luke.” I think that the author did a great job explaining this story and keeping us interested.
The theme of this book is to never give up because if you do you will most likely not succeed to the next part of your life. In this book Luke never gives up trying to find answers to his questions. The author made it seem like Luke was going to give up at some points in the book. No one has as much weight on their shoulders as Luke does. It makes you questions if you could have continued on like Luke, without giving up.
The author is trying to say that in life if you give up you will not succeed in what you are trying to conquer. The author did a great job making you feel like you were Luke and I don’t know anyone else that can do that the way that he did. At the beginning of the book (on page 2) when they got the helicopter to go to Phoenix it made me wish that was me getting on a plane going to see my family in Phoenix. After reading further into the book I was glad I was not in Phoenix at that time. This author did great work making you feel like you were Luke. The author made it fell like real life situations when he and his mom argue over stuff like me and my mom.
In general I think this book was pretty good. I am looking forward to reading other books in this series. I am pretty picky about books I read and this suspense book actually kept me interested.
Jacob Alexander
Chris Morphew wrote the book “Phoenix Files.” I think the purpose of his book was to show people what it would be like to be Luke Hunter, a 15 year old boy who had to stop his new home town from destructing. In this book it shows how Luke and his mom Emily try to fit into this new town called Phoenix. Chris Morphew did a great job writing this book for many different reasons. He talks about how Luke had to live without modern day technology, I don’t know that many of us Luke’s age could do this. He kept people waiting for the next big thing to happen in the book.
I would consider this book a suspense story. Each chapter you read you would learn more and more about what the author is trying to tell us. I found myself thinking “okay things are going to get better and then there would be another challenge for Luke.” I think that the author did a great job explaining this story and keeping us interested.
The theme of this book is to never give up because if you do you will most likely not succeed to the next part of your life. In this book Luke never gives up trying to find answers to his questions. The author made it seem like Luke was going to give up at some points in the book. No one has as much weight on their shoulders as Luke does. It makes you questions if you could have continued on like Luke, without giving up.
The author is trying to say that in life if you give up you will not succeed in what you are trying to conquer. The author did a great job making you feel like you were Luke and I don’t know anyone else that can do that the way that he did. At the beginning of the book (on page 2) when they got the helicopter to go to Phoenix it made me wish that was me getting on a plane going to see my family in Phoenix. After reading further into the book I was glad I was not in Phoenix at that time. This author did great work making you feel like you were Luke. The author made it fell like real life situations when he and his mom argue over stuff like me and my mom.
In general I think this book was pretty good. I am looking forward to reading other books in this series. I am pretty picky about books I read and this suspense book actually kept me interested.
Jacob Alexander
August 27, 2016
The Phoenix Files is another very good spec-fic novel series from Australia, which initially threw me, as I'd had one of those "this sort of cover equals this particular country" moments. And if I'd really thought about it properly, which, obviously, I didn't, I would have said "Chris Morphew is Australian, ipso facto...". But I didn't. So I was pleasantly surprised to find that Arrival is set in Australia, not Phoenix, Arizona, and is a roaring good read, with just enough mystery and 'reveals' to keep your attention, some realistic teen friendships (and feuds), some frankly unobservant but supposedly highly sought-after adults, and some excellently scary and ruthless 'baddies'.
The 'end of the human race' scenario is a pretty scary one, and this first episode just keeps raising the bar on how far the baddies will go to convince everyone in Phoenix that the outside world is still functioning as normal. With the apocalyptic finale only one hundred days away there is plenty of tension, great bike chases, nail-biting close shaves, and the obligatory adult sceptic disguised as the town's eccentric madman, Crazy Bill.
A good fun read for fans of Alex Rider, H.I.V.E., Gone and the like.
The 'end of the human race' scenario is a pretty scary one, and this first episode just keeps raising the bar on how far the baddies will go to convince everyone in Phoenix that the outside world is still functioning as normal. With the apocalyptic finale only one hundred days away there is plenty of tension, great bike chases, nail-biting close shaves, and the obligatory adult sceptic disguised as the town's eccentric madman, Crazy Bill.
A good fun read for fans of Alex Rider, H.I.V.E., Gone and the like.
April 9, 2018
This is pretty good, for a middle grade book. The plot is pretty awesome; Luke moves to a new town after his parents have split up, to find out that the world is going to end in 100 days. Along with his new friends Jordan and Peter, they try to solve the mystery of Phoenix and the deadline.
The characters are alright; Luke is pretty interesting, though a lot of his character revolves around the “Parent is absent and I want the other parent” argument after a divorce. Peter is a bit of a wimp and I hope he gets better. I really liked Jordan, who felt like she had more characterisation that Luke did.
I don’t know why, but I really like that this is set in Australia. I keep imagining that all the characters are speaking with the same accents as the characters from H2O Just Add Water and Mako Mermaids.
The characters are alright; Luke is pretty interesting, though a lot of his character revolves around the “Parent is absent and I want the other parent” argument after a divorce. Peter is a bit of a wimp and I hope he gets better. I really liked Jordan, who felt like she had more characterisation that Luke did.
I don’t know why, but I really like that this is set in Australia. I keep imagining that all the characters are speaking with the same accents as the characters from H2O Just Add Water and Mako Mermaids.
March 26, 2022
I gave the book The Phoenix Files: Arrival by Chris Morphew 3 stars. There were aspects that I didn’t love about the book. However, there were aspects that I loved about the book. I loved all of the suspense. There was tons of suspense throughout the book. Suspense was felt from the moment the main character Luke Hunter stepped foot into this new too-perfect town called Phoenix. There was always an uneasy feeling from the main character and his group. The mystery aspect was also there. Along with the suspense, there were lots of mysterious happenings. There was everything from a psycho homeless man, to a tall, dark, sketchy building looming over the town, to a mysterious audio recording that set the plot of the series in motion. The mystery aspect was well thought out and well executed. The book also ended on a bit of a cliffhanger that has left me hooked. The final thing that I like is that the book is part of a series. That allows me to keep reading the series if I end up liking the book a lot, or if I anticipate the next book to be more action filled.
While I found many parts that I loved about the book, there were parts that I didn’t love so much. I didn’t love the lack of action in the book. While there was lots of mystery and suspense, there wasn’t a whole lot of action to go along with it. I kept finding myself expecting more action in places, and then there wasn’t any. To go along with the lack of action, I’m not sure if I could pick out the climax of the story if asked. There were a few parts that seemed to be climactic. However, none of them seemed to be the climax. After reading the first book in The Phoenix Files series, I felt that the author wrote up the whole series, and then he decided on points to cut it up into separate books. This book felt more like an informative book to set up the series. However, I would have liked to see more action to get the reader hooked on the series right away. There were also some parts that felt like something big happened, but I couldn’t tell what happened. I only saw the aftermath of the event. In general, I thought The Phoenix Files: Arrival by Chris Morphew was good in the sense that it had lots of suspense and mystery. However, it lacked the action that, in my opinion, a good book should have.
While I found many parts that I loved about the book, there were parts that I didn’t love so much. I didn’t love the lack of action in the book. While there was lots of mystery and suspense, there wasn’t a whole lot of action to go along with it. I kept finding myself expecting more action in places, and then there wasn’t any. To go along with the lack of action, I’m not sure if I could pick out the climax of the story if asked. There were a few parts that seemed to be climactic. However, none of them seemed to be the climax. After reading the first book in The Phoenix Files series, I felt that the author wrote up the whole series, and then he decided on points to cut it up into separate books. This book felt more like an informative book to set up the series. However, I would have liked to see more action to get the reader hooked on the series right away. There were also some parts that felt like something big happened, but I couldn’t tell what happened. I only saw the aftermath of the event. In general, I thought The Phoenix Files: Arrival by Chris Morphew was good in the sense that it had lots of suspense and mystery. However, it lacked the action that, in my opinion, a good book should have.
January 16, 2020
I thought the book had a very good story line for this kind of book, the fact that they use the subject of the end of world in the way they did really evolved the characters in the scenarios they were faced with. It is a book about a boy and his mom who move away from their dad to a new developing town called pheonix. Three of the children there realise something is very wrong and soon discover the true fate of the world. Will they be victorious and defeat Mr Shaklton to save the? Or will they fail? All is revealed in the next book.
Must read in chronolgical order or it will make no sense.
Must read in chronolgical order or it will make no sense.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 17, 2025
3.5 stars
I have vague memories of this series from when I was a kid, but every couple years I remember the premise, which captured my imagination then and continues to plague me now, and I don't think I ever finished the series, so this is me trying to rectify that.
Pretty decent start, interesting premise, but the characters all feel a little flat, so I'm hoping it picks up in the next book.
Also, if what I remember about Crazy Bill is correct...damn that shit wild.
I have vague memories of this series from when I was a kid, but every couple years I remember the premise, which captured my imagination then and continues to plague me now, and I don't think I ever finished the series, so this is me trying to rectify that.
Pretty decent start, interesting premise, but the characters all feel a little flat, so I'm hoping it picks up in the next book.
Also, if what I remember about Crazy Bill is correct...damn that shit wild.
December 7, 2018
The book has an action/adventure genre.I feel, with it being a first book in a long series it is quite unimpressive.The book took me long time because it wasn't as action packed as I was hoping. The idea of Phoenix is quite interesting with it being isolated from the rest of the world but personally I would have preferred it being a story about an adult in the high ranks of phoenix.
I wouldn't recommend this book as if you're looking for an action packed series read the cherub series. This should be aimed at 10-15 year olds and both genders.
I wouldn't recommend this book as if you're looking for an action packed series read the cherub series. This should be aimed at 10-15 year olds and both genders.
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November 4, 2024Really interesting set up! I liked the mystery. Only downsides were it didn't take place in Phoenix, AZ like I thought and it's part of a longish series...
January 17, 2018
The book Arrival, by Chris Morphew is the first book in the Phoenix files series. This was a good book. It is a Sci-Fi adventure book and was published in 2013. Morphew wrote this book giving it a very straight forward style; he does not draw out anything with excruciating detail, getting straight to the point. The story is based in a small fictional town in australia called phoenix. The main character, Luke, and his two friends, Peter and Jordan, are tasked with the unimaginable, saving the world. Not only this but there is a highly dangerous threat looming aside from the end of the world. The plot does not seem spectacular, just the typical kid saving the world book. The main characters are developed enough and there are characters that are supposed to be mysterious. While this was a good book, it was nothing compared the the Gone series by Michael Grant. The Plot of Arrival is much more simplistic and predictable compared to the Gone series. There is nothing that would be considered controversial about this book. Because this is only the first book there may be a bigger theme tied in with the other books, but for this book the theme would be understand both sides of the argument before making assumptions. This book is probably meant for middle school kids because, as a high school student, it was really easy to read.
May 18, 2012
*spoiler alert*
Arrival- The Phoenix Files.
Arrival is the first book of The Phoenix Files series. The story starts with Luke arriving in Phoenix along with his mother. Phoenix is a town built by Shackleton Co-operative, it is a tiny town in the middle of nowhere. This town is no ordinary place, there are no cars, no phone or internet connection and instead of having police, they have their own security guards. Luke tries to fit in and get use to this unusual town, he becomes friends with Peter and Jordan from school. Luke and his friends finds out that someone is trying to erase human race, there is a hundred days until the end of the world for everyone else outside of phoenix, and that he and his mother are the last residents to move into Phoenix. They have a hundred days, they have to find out who is plotting all this and they have to stop it. This first book covers the first twelve days out of the whole a hundred days. The plot builds up gradually, there are more questions formed and more of the truth is revealed. Luke and his friends gets closer to the truth each day, these three teenagers goes on a journey, trying to save the world.
The book is written in the perspective of Luke, we can see Luke’s feeling and thought on suddenly finding out about ‘the end of the world’ and see I could relate what I would think if the event in the book happened to me to what Luke thought. The beginning of the book really grabbed my attention and it made me want to read on, especially the point where Luke and Jordan both recieves the mysterious USB, it made me wonder ‘what was going to happen next?’ One of my favourite scene was when Luke, Jordan and Peter arrives at the airport, as they try to figure out who was the ‘stalker’ that told them to meet him there. The author did a very good job in describing the scenery and the characters’ feelings, it made me feel like I was a part of this story and what was happening could be real. The author did a great job in writing the breath-taking fighting scene.
Overall, this is a fascinating book that will keep you reading until the very end of the book. The fact that the characters are racing against time made it very interesting. The book ends with a cliffhanger and leaves you desperately wanting to know what is going to happen next.
Arrival- The Phoenix Files.
Arrival is the first book of The Phoenix Files series. The story starts with Luke arriving in Phoenix along with his mother. Phoenix is a town built by Shackleton Co-operative, it is a tiny town in the middle of nowhere. This town is no ordinary place, there are no cars, no phone or internet connection and instead of having police, they have their own security guards. Luke tries to fit in and get use to this unusual town, he becomes friends with Peter and Jordan from school. Luke and his friends finds out that someone is trying to erase human race, there is a hundred days until the end of the world for everyone else outside of phoenix, and that he and his mother are the last residents to move into Phoenix. They have a hundred days, they have to find out who is plotting all this and they have to stop it. This first book covers the first twelve days out of the whole a hundred days. The plot builds up gradually, there are more questions formed and more of the truth is revealed. Luke and his friends gets closer to the truth each day, these three teenagers goes on a journey, trying to save the world.
The book is written in the perspective of Luke, we can see Luke’s feeling and thought on suddenly finding out about ‘the end of the world’ and see I could relate what I would think if the event in the book happened to me to what Luke thought. The beginning of the book really grabbed my attention and it made me want to read on, especially the point where Luke and Jordan both recieves the mysterious USB, it made me wonder ‘what was going to happen next?’ One of my favourite scene was when Luke, Jordan and Peter arrives at the airport, as they try to figure out who was the ‘stalker’ that told them to meet him there. The author did a very good job in describing the scenery and the characters’ feelings, it made me feel like I was a part of this story and what was happening could be real. The author did a great job in writing the breath-taking fighting scene.
Overall, this is a fascinating book that will keep you reading until the very end of the book. The fact that the characters are racing against time made it very interesting. The book ends with a cliffhanger and leaves you desperately wanting to know what is going to happen next.
July 9, 2014
I started reading this book because I wanted to read the series because I discovered that Chris Morphew is a really cool, funny guy who is a Christian like me. I bought the first book thinking, "well I'll buy the first one - see if I like it, and if I do, I'll read the rest of the series."
Now I'm scheming for an available, convenient opportunity to get myself to a book shop to buy the next one. (By the way, if you didn't pick up the subtext there, it was "I really liked the book!")
The story moves fairly slowly but at the same time, Morphew really knows how to keep you interested. The review on the cover about it being a page turner certainly rang true for me. It is very easy to read as there is not an overwhelming amount of text on each page, but also because, he keeps leaving these little cliff hangers EVERYWHERE! You want to find out - you want to know - you want to discover - as quickly as possible.
Morphew writes with an effortless and light sense of humour throughout and the three main characters - Luke, Peter and Jordan are nicely written. They all have such different personalities which make for interesting dialogue between them.
So many mysteries and questions left unanswered... Bring on book number 2!
Now I'm scheming for an available, convenient opportunity to get myself to a book shop to buy the next one. (By the way, if you didn't pick up the subtext there, it was "I really liked the book!")
The story moves fairly slowly but at the same time, Morphew really knows how to keep you interested. The review on the cover about it being a page turner certainly rang true for me. It is very easy to read as there is not an overwhelming amount of text on each page, but also because, he keeps leaving these little cliff hangers EVERYWHERE! You want to find out - you want to know - you want to discover - as quickly as possible.
Morphew writes with an effortless and light sense of humour throughout and the three main characters - Luke, Peter and Jordan are nicely written. They all have such different personalities which make for interesting dialogue between them.
So many mysteries and questions left unanswered... Bring on book number 2!
September 18, 2015
Tyler Nicole Cafarelli
I really enjoyed reading The Phoenix Files by Chris Morphew because it was an attention grabber just by reading the first few sentences. This book is about a too "normal" town of the middle of nowhere that's blocked in from a huge cement wall. A man named Calvin owns the town and is up to no good, he wants to destroy the whole outside world. Everyone has 100 days to live, no phone and no cars. Three kids, Luke, Jordan and Peter try to solve the mystery and save the world. The book ended at 88 days left. The book was really interesting because the way it was set up, by counting down the days to "the end of the world". I also enjoyed reading the adventures the kids went through to be heroes. I recommend this book to people who like to solve the mystery of the book and the tensions of the kids and their surroundings. Over all I really liked the book, I didn't want to stop reading it and the way it ended wants me to read the next book in the series.
I really enjoyed reading The Phoenix Files by Chris Morphew because it was an attention grabber just by reading the first few sentences. This book is about a too "normal" town of the middle of nowhere that's blocked in from a huge cement wall. A man named Calvin owns the town and is up to no good, he wants to destroy the whole outside world. Everyone has 100 days to live, no phone and no cars. Three kids, Luke, Jordan and Peter try to solve the mystery and save the world. The book ended at 88 days left. The book was really interesting because the way it was set up, by counting down the days to "the end of the world". I also enjoyed reading the adventures the kids went through to be heroes. I recommend this book to people who like to solve the mystery of the book and the tensions of the kids and their surroundings. Over all I really liked the book, I didn't want to stop reading it and the way it ended wants me to read the next book in the series.
August 14, 2020
Trigger warnings: violence.
3.5 stars.
This was a solid start to a dystopian/adventure series for the younger end of the YA market, but it really was just that: a start. It's kind of hard to judge the book on its own because it's doing the heavy lifting of setting the scene and introducing the characters, and as a result it's somewhat light on for plot.
And then it ended on a freaking cliffhanger so now I feel like I *have* to read the next book and find out what happens next. Damn you, Morphew.
3.5 stars.
This was a solid start to a dystopian/adventure series for the younger end of the YA market, but it really was just that: a start. It's kind of hard to judge the book on its own because it's doing the heavy lifting of setting the scene and introducing the characters, and as a result it's somewhat light on for plot.
And then it ended on a freaking cliffhanger so now I feel like I *have* to read the next book and find out what happens next. Damn you, Morphew.
November 6, 2013
I just finished the book Phoenix Files Arrival by Chris Morphew the book has 295 pages. I really liked this book it was really good. Luke is having a rough year his parents split up and he moved to a weird new town. There are no cars the phones and Internet are down. Luke thinks this is the weirdest thing ever until he discovers that someone is planning to kill off humanity. I recommend this book if you liked the Hunger Games series also if you like mystery and science fiction.
July 18, 2016
I love this book so much!! The character, Luke Hunter is such a well made character and throughout the book your emotions for him and his friends just start deepening. The adventure that is in it is so thrilling and you just can't stop wanting to know more, it is also very realistic which makes you feel completely like you are in the characters shoes. I've finished the full series and I love it so much!
November 6, 2011
It was a good book and persuaded me to read the next three. HOWEVER, it was not a complete immediate "I MUST READ THE NEXT BOOK NOW!" the only reason I got the next was because I just saw it in the book store and I needed to read something.
However the next two books from this series are more than amazing!
However the next two books from this series are more than amazing!
September 8, 2014
All the books in this series are constant action. Never boring. There's not a lot of character development, so I didn't really get sucked in emotionally, but I never wanted to put the books down because I just had to know what happened next.
May 19, 2017
I really enjoyed this book. A kid at school recommended at and I thought it was going to be quite young and simple. The concept is good and it makes me want to read the second one in the series. It feels a bit like the first Alex Rider novel.
February 5, 2018
I love love love love this series! this book is about Luke and how he moves to a strange new town in the middle of nowhere. When weird things start to happen he finds out that there are 100 days until the end of the world.
December 3, 2010
I really liked it. Love Jordan. After I read the book, can't wait to get the 2nd one. Now I'm waiting for the 3rd.
Currently reading
June 25, 2012This is my flat mate's book, so i thought it was about time.
September 20, 2013
This book was the best! it is full of adventure. Luke is new to Phoenix and finds out that someone is planning to wipe out the human race! It is up to Luke to save everyone.
October 8, 2013
Awesome
December 16, 2023
I would rate my reading of Chris Morphew’s “The Phoenix Files” as 3 out of 5 stars. While it is a well written book with a great build in suspense, an ok story, and somewhat likable characters, the plot is very dry and it never really goes anywhere in the book. I found it hard to want to keep reading on after the third build up to pretty much nothing. While reading the story, you will come across so many points that could have absolutely been taken away with a great writing idea, but instead you get this flat explanation or context that really plugs the pipe of your imagination. Now granted, this is the first book of a longer series, but it still should have been an interesting read on its own, and I think it fails at that. The whole thing feels more like the opening flashback of some movie right before the actual story starts.
To go along with this Popeye's biscuit of a story, it always tends to skip over a lot of details and context that make the story what it is supposed to be. There are parts of the book where characters just do things that have no rational explanation, or people have ideas that don’t make any logical sense. Some characters should not have even made it to the end of the book with what happened to them. Now I am not one to criticize a book on its realism, but it gets to a point where it's hard to follow the plot when the whole thing is full of holes and misunderstandings. In order to read this book sensibly, you have to really open up your mind to a little bit of nonsense. Now, I say all this to just point out my entail feelings after reading it. Though I do want to make it clear that it is not at all a terrible book, hence my review score. There are some redeemable qualities to it such as character interaction, mystery, and suspense. But once again, all of these can be quickly broken down by the downsides of this book. Such as when the suspense builds up, and leads to nothing. Instead of this pop of action and answers, you get this slow deflation of context that makes you settle back into your chair.
My favorite quote of this novel was “He’d finally cracked. He'd finally found something that was just too big for his denial.” (Morphew 263). I like this quote because it is the part of the book where the characters finally find some real proof to what is going on, instead of just their speculation from clues and snippets of evidence. In fact what they find is so shocking that it finally seals the belief of a character that was denying all evidence and obvious cues for the entire book. Seeing him believe was a huge relief for the reader, but also disheartening for the characters, given what that means for them.
The book follows the story of a boy who had just moved to this mysterious town in the middle of nowhere Arizona. The town was set-up by his mother’s company that she works for, and he moves there with her after her divorce with his father. The town has no TV, no cell service, and no cars; everybody rides around on bikes. If that is not weird enough, he soon finds out that there is no connection with the outside world at all, and it would seem that he is the “last resident” to join the town. While adjusting to his new life, he meets some kids at school that also have parents that work for the company, and they are suspicious of this place too. One day, our characters find an audio recording of a seemingly evil plan to spread a plague and “restart” the human race, with that town being the seed for rebirth. Our characters then go on to find more evidence, meet some sinister people, and nearly escape getting killed. The story builds up to one big reveal which quite honestly was really expected and non-original.
I would say that the theme of this book is don’t always believe what you're told. While this is somewhat of a broad theme, the book really exercises it with how many obstacles get in the way of the truth. Especially since one of the main characters doesn’t believe anything, no matter what he sees with his own eyes, until the very end, as stated before. The lies are quite convincing and the cover stories are well woven. But fortunately our heroes do not take these for face value, and decide to dig deeper. Which at the moment gets them in deep trouble, but I would assume that in the later books, this pays off and they end of saving many lives.
In conclusion, a pretty ordinary read with not a lot going for it. If you are really bored and have nothing else on your list, it isn’t the worst book to start, but be prepared for a lot of let-downs and plain plot holes.
To go along with this Popeye's biscuit of a story, it always tends to skip over a lot of details and context that make the story what it is supposed to be. There are parts of the book where characters just do things that have no rational explanation, or people have ideas that don’t make any logical sense. Some characters should not have even made it to the end of the book with what happened to them. Now I am not one to criticize a book on its realism, but it gets to a point where it's hard to follow the plot when the whole thing is full of holes and misunderstandings. In order to read this book sensibly, you have to really open up your mind to a little bit of nonsense. Now, I say all this to just point out my entail feelings after reading it. Though I do want to make it clear that it is not at all a terrible book, hence my review score. There are some redeemable qualities to it such as character interaction, mystery, and suspense. But once again, all of these can be quickly broken down by the downsides of this book. Such as when the suspense builds up, and leads to nothing. Instead of this pop of action and answers, you get this slow deflation of context that makes you settle back into your chair.
My favorite quote of this novel was “He’d finally cracked. He'd finally found something that was just too big for his denial.” (Morphew 263). I like this quote because it is the part of the book where the characters finally find some real proof to what is going on, instead of just their speculation from clues and snippets of evidence. In fact what they find is so shocking that it finally seals the belief of a character that was denying all evidence and obvious cues for the entire book. Seeing him believe was a huge relief for the reader, but also disheartening for the characters, given what that means for them.
The book follows the story of a boy who had just moved to this mysterious town in the middle of nowhere Arizona. The town was set-up by his mother’s company that she works for, and he moves there with her after her divorce with his father. The town has no TV, no cell service, and no cars; everybody rides around on bikes. If that is not weird enough, he soon finds out that there is no connection with the outside world at all, and it would seem that he is the “last resident” to join the town. While adjusting to his new life, he meets some kids at school that also have parents that work for the company, and they are suspicious of this place too. One day, our characters find an audio recording of a seemingly evil plan to spread a plague and “restart” the human race, with that town being the seed for rebirth. Our characters then go on to find more evidence, meet some sinister people, and nearly escape getting killed. The story builds up to one big reveal which quite honestly was really expected and non-original.
I would say that the theme of this book is don’t always believe what you're told. While this is somewhat of a broad theme, the book really exercises it with how many obstacles get in the way of the truth. Especially since one of the main characters doesn’t believe anything, no matter what he sees with his own eyes, until the very end, as stated before. The lies are quite convincing and the cover stories are well woven. But fortunately our heroes do not take these for face value, and decide to dig deeper. Which at the moment gets them in deep trouble, but I would assume that in the later books, this pays off and they end of saving many lives.
In conclusion, a pretty ordinary read with not a lot going for it. If you are really bored and have nothing else on your list, it isn’t the worst book to start, but be prepared for a lot of let-downs and plain plot holes.
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