Thank you NetGalley, Lurking Lucy Press and Eric Van Allen for sending me this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This is a coming of age, paranormal story with themes of found family, resilience and responsibility.

This was a fast paced story that explored themes of grief, second chances and the supernatural.

The book was well written, and enjoyed the style of prose. I felt that at times there was inconsistencies in the timeline, and things became muddled, for that reason I would give it 3 stars.

TW for the story: child neglect, abandonment, death, gruesome descriptions

The Phoenix is a gripping tale of redemption, resilience, and rebirth. Eric Van Allen weaves a powerful narrative that rises from the ashes of hardship with hope and fierce determination. A compelling read that inspires and captivates from start to finish.

3 stars

This is one of those books I likely would not have picked up on my own, but I am genuinely glad I gave it a chance. The story had a distinct and memorable atmosphere: a creepy funeral home, mysterious characters, and Death herself walking around in heels. The setting was eerie yet unexpectedly gentle, which gave the book a unique tone that I appreciated.

The plot was intriguing with some compelling twists, especially toward the end. I am still thinking about the final chapters and wishing there was a bit more. I have so many lingering questions. What exactly did Mr. Gerard see in their house? Why can’t Thomas and Jess see Lucy? What happens after Vic returns? I honestly would not mind a sequel to explore these threads further.

That being said, the book did not quite land for me emotionally. Callie, while clearly shaped by her trauma, was hard to connect with at first. Her bitterness created some distance, which made it harder to fully engage with her journey. The writing was strong overall, though there were moments when it seemed to reach too hard for depth, when the story itself could have carried the weight more naturally.

Some sections dragged slightly, and a few twists felt predictable, but the themes of healing, found family, and second chances were handled with care. While it was not a standout for me, it was still an enjoyable and thoughtful read. I would be interested in seeing where this story could go next.

Genre: Young Adult Fantasy / Supernatural Fiction
Rating: ★★★★☆ (4/5)

The Phoenix by Eric Van Allen is a compelling debut that intertwines gritty realism with supernatural elements, delivering a poignant tale of resilience, trust, and transformation. Drawing from his extensive experience as a psychologist working with children and teens in the foster care system, Van Allen crafts a narrative that resonates with authenticity and emotional depth.


The story centres on sixteen-year-old Callie Valentine, who, after the death of her military father and abandonment by her mother, becomes the sole caregiver for her younger siblings. Their lives take an unexpected turn when they are taken in by Victor Delamorte, a mysterious mortician who offers them shelter in his funeral home. As Callie navigates this new environment, she encounters enigmatic characters like Lucy, the mortuary's beautician, and uncovers secrets that blur the lines between life and death.

Van Allen's writing shines in its portrayal of Callie's internal struggles and her journey toward healing. The narrative delves into themes of found family, the impact of trauma, and the possibility of rebirth, both literal and metaphorical. While some readers have noted pacing issues in the early chapters, the story builds momentum as it progresses, culminating in a satisfying blend of emotional catharsis and supernatural intrigue.


The novel's strength lies in its character development and the atmospheric setting of the funeral home, which serves as both a place of mourning and a sanctuary for the protagonists. The subtle integration of mythological elements adds depth to the narrative without overshadowing the central themes.

In conclusion, The Phoenix is a heartfelt exploration of loss and the enduring human spirit. It's a recommended read for those who appreciate character-driven stories with a touch of the supernatural, offering a fresh perspective on the journey from despair to hope.

Thank you for the ARC read! I absolutely loved this book. Kids coming from poverty and loss to a new found family wrapped with mystery.

“I swear, if Jesus ever looked that pathetic in real life no one would have followed him. God, what an emo.” - as an atheist and elder emo, this had me rolling in my seat. I do wish there were a bit more 16-year old snarky attitude throughout the book.

Aside from some confusing formatting and wording/phrasing placements, it was a wonderful read with a decent pace. Either way, I couldn’t put it down.
I hope there will be a second book because I am obsessed! I will definitely be buying a physical copy to add to my collection and read again.

So this is a good book, filled with heartbreak and all the confusion that the FMC, Callie, who is also the narrator and 16 feels. Looking after her two younger siblings she doesn’t know who to trust and what is real. Is she an unreliable narrator or just a young girl forced to grow up too fast?

Callie has spent most of her life seeing shadows that are too dark, hearing things that she is sure she is hallucinating and on rare occasions seeing her Dad, who didn’t make it home from his deployment.

Her Mom is either an alcoholic or user or both and seems to forget that she has children to take care of. Callie washes their clothes in the bathtub and scrounges or steals food to feed them. It was because she had stolen hand pies to feed herself and her siblings that she meets the guy she had nicknamed “The Grim Reaper”.

He pays for the pies, convinces the store owner not to press charges and invites them to have a meal. Callie, always on her guard isn’t so sure. Her younger sister however seems to be able to read people and so off they go.

Following a course of events, the three siblings come to live with “the Grim Reaper”, Vic, at the funeral home and become a family.
Not much happens in terms of large events in this story and because it told from Callie’s point of view, she isn’t so much as an unreliable narrator, just more of a teenager, filled with hormones and forced to take on too many responsibilities, for many years. This story follows the personal growth and trust of the characters and I found that while the circumstances were horrible, it was also a snapshot of how some children grow up and that saddened me more.

There are also elements of mysticism and a little bit of witchcraft but not in a typical paranormal way.

This is the first book in “The Callie Valentine” to thank the author, Eric Van Allen, the publisher, Lurking Lucy Press and NetGalley for a copy of this book. All opinions are my own and my review is voluntarily given. As always, I wish you happy reading!

The Phoenix offers a haunting and atmospheric setup, blending grief, mystery, and a touch of the supernatural in a unique way. Callie’s fierce protectiveness over her siblings and her slow-burning curiosity about Victor Delamorte and the eerie mortuary make for an engaging, if occasionally sluggish, narrative. While the story introduces compelling elements, like a cursed device, Death personified, and themes of trust and resurrection, the pacing sometimes falters, and the plot twists feel more confusing than revelatory. There’s emotional depth here, but it’s buried beneath underdeveloped side characters and a few tonal inconsistencies. A creative concept with heart, but it doesn’t fully rise from the ashes.

Thank you to the author for the opportunity to read The Phoenix by Eric Van Allen. I had to softly DNF this book, as it didn't quite align with my reading preferences. The writing style wasn't what I'm used to, and I struggled to connect with the main female character, Callie. Additionally, for a YA title, I found the frequent use of strong language a bit excessive.
From a design perspective, the formatting was also a challenge for me. The font felt overly large, and the chapter headings were bold and placed high at the top of the page; it came across as rushed and didn't feel visually polished. That being said, the cover design is fitting and definitely caught my attention, hence one of the reasons I chose this book as an ARC read.
This is an honest review based on a free advance copy provided through NetGalley. I appreciate the opportunity to read it and wish the author all the best.

Thank you to NetGalley and Lurking Lucy Press for the ARC!
The Phoenix is a gritty, emotional YA with supernatural flair. Callie, a fiercely angry teen forced to raise her siblings, finds unexpected shelter in a mysterious funeral home. Themes of found family, grief, and rebirth blend with magic and myth, though early pacing and repetitive angst slow it down. By the end, though, I was hooked. A raw, strange, and heartfelt story of survival and second chances.
4/5

I really enjoyed this book. Being a new author for me I was unsure what to expect in terms of writing. I thought that the book was well written from beginning to end.

3.5 ⭐️ The Phoenix was a fun ride with lots of action and cool world-building. Eric Van Allen definitely knows how to keep the story moving — there was always something happening, which made it super easy to fly through. Some of the character development felt a little rushed, and I wished a few moments had a bit more emotional punch. But overall, it was an exciting read with a strong concept. If you’re looking for a quick sci-fi adventure, this one’s worth checking out

“The Phoenix” is the ground-breaking debut novel of Eric Van Allen. It narrates the story of a tough girl named Callie Valentine as she and her siblings edged their way through survival. She experiences a massive heartbreak as they were abandoned by their mother but showed incredible resilience to not give up. They come across a local mortician named Victor Delamorte who took them in and supported them as they change their lives for the better. But as the story goes on, Callie slowly unravels the mystical mysteries of Victor and his funeral home.

The way it was written was so engaging and the characters were very well written. The book is unlike anything I’ve read before and I loved it.

Thank you Net galley for this advanced copy. The opinions in this review are entirely my own.

I really liked this book not the usual book I go for but I’m so glad I did because it was a great read I would most definitely recommend it to my friends

The Phoenix by Eric Van Allen is above all else a commentary on how easily children can fall between the cracks and be forgotten and severely neglected. It is a story about three children, Callie, Thomas and Jess who have lived in poverty most of their lives. Their father has passed, and their mother has slowly become a dysfunctional alcoholic.

Most of the story is told from the viewpoint of Callie, the sixteen-year-old, being the oldest of the three. She has become the primary caretaker of her mother, brother and sister. But like most teenagers, she has become very angry and negative about the cards she has been dealt with in life. Can you blame poor Callie? She is responsible for finding food for her brother and sister, getting them off to school, protecting them from her mother’s “Johns” and taking care of her mother.

Then one day, the kids return home to find an eviction lock on their apartment door. I can only wonder how many times this has happened before. Where is Mom? Nowhere to be found. Is she still in the apartment sleeping off her night of drinking? Or has something worse happened?

In walks Vic, he takes the kids in after realizing that they have been abandoned and have no clue what to do. He takes them to his mortuary, feeds them and provides them with shelter and his wisdom. Along with his companions Lucy and others, the children start to feel safe and loved. They fall into a routine of school, chores and church. What all children deserve.

Only Callie, being sixteen, angry and suspicious cannot follow the rules. She finds Vic’s secret device and must find out all his secrets. Callie also starts to have visions of the spirit world. Has she always had these or is it the new environment of living in a mortuary and taking daily walks in the cemetery? Or is Callie just in need of new glasses.

Sadly, Vic becomes ill, and the disease progresses more quickly than anticipated. The kids sadly must slowly watch him die. But considering their ages and maturity levels, I must say they deal with it better than most adults.

The real question remains, can the siblings honor Vic’s last dying wishes? Are they even real or as Cassie questions, the stories of a mad man with cancer who is out of his mind? You might not always like her, but she does make sense.

I compare Van Allen’s writing style to that of James Patterson. He fills poor Cassie with so much anger and confusion that the reader feels as if they are sixteen again.

While I felt the book was fast paced and action packed, I can see where especially young people may feel the story dragged on in some places.

I loved the spooky supernatural elements of the book, but I realize that may not be everyone’s cup of tea. The swearing may offend some people but I felt it showed the anger that Cassie felt.

I do not feel this book is for anyone who is sensitive to child abuse and neglect, it may stir some bad memories. The book graphically describes the smells of unsanitary living conditions and what it is like to go hungry, have lice, and live without air conditioning. This very much saddened me.

It should be said that not all foster homes are as bad as Cassie imagined. I wish all the kids could have been in much better living conditions.

My other criticism might be the timeline. In some parts of the book, the kids were with Vic for a year, but in other parts were with him for a month, I was never that sure. Or was that only Cassie’s confusion.

I look forward to future books about Vic and the device. Will they eventually all meet again? Can the device be shared? Or as Cassie says, just her imagination. Could this eventually be a sci-fi series?

Thank you to Netgalley and Lurking Lucy Press for the Advanced Readers Copy. All opinions are my own because I have freedom of speech.

Loved this book. The Phoenix tells the story of Callie Valentine as she faces loss and uncertainty after her mom "abandons" her and her two younger siblings. Callie shows resilience in the way she handles everything thrown at her. Callie experiences heartbreak and trauma while learning to trust and care for others. Death and dying are handled realistically enough and you care for the characters in this book. This is a story of rebirth that is rather unique in the telling, I haven't been able to think of another book I've read that would compare. There are parts that I struggled with, including how social services was handled. I understand the viewpoint of Callie in regard to social services, though, and it was interesting seeing it through the eyes of a child.

I will be recommending this book to others, including my grandchildren when they are old enough for the material within.

Phoenix offers a compelling blend of contemporary fiction and subtle supernatural elements. While the point of view didn't fully resonate with me, the story's emotional depth and themes of resilience and found family kept me engaged throughout.

The Phoenix is a story about Callie and how she has to find her way in life after being abandoned by her mom, while also caring for her brother and sister.

The first third was a bit of a struggle for me but then I was hooked!! Oh my gosh… hooked!

Emotional strings start pulling hard from the get-go but I didn’t feel as connected to it as much until Cassie started to be kinder to others. Maybe it had something to do with the overuse of the word Jesus as profanity in the first half of the book. Not a fan of that personally.

I kept having to remind myself in the beginning that Callie isn’t your usual female lead. She is full of teenage angst and overly negative about everything, even situations that should be positive. Given her very rough upbringing with her mom, and her subsequent abandonment, I understand why she is the way that she is, it just makes for a more uncomfortable read.

Lucy’s character has a fun twist and I enjoyed her.

"Well, yes. Practicing kindness is the easiest and best life to live. If, as in your case, one has but a single life to live, find a way to be kind." - This quote was such a gentle reminder that it really hurts no one to be kind and it stuck with me while I was reading.

Reading on as Callie’s hardened exterior slowly melt away was sweet, and then to see her changing into someone that doesn’t view the world so darkly while still keeping her guard up felt very real.

When Callie said “Thank you” to Delamorte near the end of the book, I was in tears. I was a mess.

All in all, a good read with a sweet ending!

⭐️⭐️⭐️.5/5

Unfortunately I had to DNF. The story didn’t draw me in and the graphic scene with the mother turned me off.

I was drawn to read The Phoenix based on the summary of 16-year-old Callie Valentine needing to take care of her younger siblings, being taken in by a funeral home director, and finding that there is magic afoot. The imagery was well written, and the details of the graphic images (immediately provided in chapter one) were very real. However, this was a slow story for me. I wanted to cheer for our protagonist, but I just couldn't. It's understandable that she has trust issues, but the defiance that she had from moving in with this complete stranger that she was initially scared of doesn't feel believable or maybe forced.

I felt like the story was written more like a case worker or child psychologist rather than a work of fiction. I'm sure the author used some of his expertise to come up with some of the content, but it didn't pull me in. Even after 50% of the story I wasn't drawn into it. execution didn’t quite live up to the concept. There were moments where the pacing dragged and some of the plot twists were a little predictable.

Overall, the world-building was good, and the self-discovery was much appreciated. I don't think I would agree that it's a YA book, but given the age of the main character, I guess that's where it should go. It's a good book about grief, childhood struggle, and accepting that parents aren't perfect, with a little bit of mythology and magic included.

Rating: 2.75

The Phoenix by Eric Van Allen is a thrilling blend of mystery, supernatural intrigue, and heart. If you love creepy funeral homes, ancient magic, and a tough teenage heroine, this one's for you.

Sixteen-year-old Callie Valentine is no stranger to hardship. With her father gone and mother missing, she's raising her younger siblings alone. When they're evicted, mysterious mortician Victor Delamorte offers them a place to stay—but what does he really want?
The funeral home is packed with secrets: forbidden rooms, odd rules, and Lucy, the eerily elegant mortuary beautician. Callie senses something off, and she's right—especially when Lucy reveals she's the Grim Reaper and there's a cursed device capable of resurrection.
Eric Van Allen masterfully blends tension with heart. Callie is sarcastic, tough, and fiercely loyal, while Delamorte's hidden motives add layers to their bond. As his health fades, Callie faces an impossible task that could change everything.

If you want a YA novel with macabre vibes, dark humor, and a heroine who never quits, The Phoenix is a must-read. It's spooky, heartfelt, and impossible to put down—you'll never see funeral homes the same way again.