This was quite the middle school space adventure! Alice and Elias' mother goes missing and when they go off to find her they discover she has been kidnapped by aliens! They team up with the crew of the Phoenix to try to save her.

So many elements of this story were so well thought out and the character building was very well done. I loved that the two kids were equal parts scared, brave, and determined. The crew members of the Phoenix were fierce looking, but kind enough that the children were able to trust them. The illustrations were very nicely done and really helped bring the book to life. Overall I enjoyed this book and feel like the target audience would as well.

Elias and Alice's parents are fighting quite often lately, and the kids aren't alright. One night, their mother doesn't return home from her stargazing job - instead, it's the police who arrives, only to take their father in custody. Angry and scared, the kids run away, find their mother's traces, and get attacked by an alien before another bunch of aliens arrive to save them and whisk them away to a galactic adventure that uncovers a LOT of family secrets...
The plot isn't original at all (that lullaby "secret", ugh), the pacing is uneven and some chapters are way too wordy, but there are good things in here, too - for example, I really liked the idea of shifting points of view, with each chapter being narrated by another protagonist. The book is tense, and thrilling, and sometimes funny, and it could be a good starting point into science fiction for kids aged 7-8, I guess. The "let's resume each chapter into a one-page comic" idea was puzzling, but well executed (although abandoned after a while; I expected way more illustrations). Overall, an OK book (remember, 2 stars = OK)

Disclaimer: I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for a fair review. This didn't influence my opinion in any way.

Leaving dad in lock-up, two children take to the stars to adventure, err, find their mom to save their dad. Introduces a cast including angsty space elf, big lizard, and bird. The villains are evil because they are looking for a home, but no one wants to help them with that. I truly disliked it being in present tense. A fun adventure that sets itself firmly on well-worn ground.