Review of Phoenix Rising

[Darlings O]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Phoenix Rising" by V.S. Griffin.]

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2 out of 4 stars

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Phoenix Rising by VS Griffin is a book that tells the story of Victoria, Vee for short, who is thrust into motherhood at a young age. She gives birth to her son, Colin, together with the love of her life, Eric. However, tragedy strikes when Colin dies accidentally during a drive-by at the tender age of 5. This loss demoralizes Vee, who is only a young girl of 21. Will Vee survive the loss of her first-ever child to whom she has grown so attached? Will Eric be able to steady the guilt and rage he felt after his son's death?

This book is told from the perspectives of different people. This is one of the positive aspects of the book. Events that have been told are retold from a different perspective, giving the reader a glance at the full picture to fully grasp the story as it progresses. Another positive aspect of this book is the use of descriptive words. The author describes the actions of the characters in such a way that one can picture their actions while reading the book.

One negative aspect of this book is its treatment of sexual abuse. Even though Vee was raped, nothing was ever done about that, and I feel this book treads loosely on such a sensitive issue. Also, the rapist got away with his action, and this sends a wrong message, especially to women who have been victims of rape themselves.

Another negative aspect of this book is the rate at which drug use is normalized. The usage of drugs like drank, codeine and even tobacco are all normalized. Although the latter occurs in a prison setting, the consistent abuse of drugs by the characters does not send out a good message to impressionable audiences, especially as they use these drugs to escape the emotions they feel.

This book contains a large number of errors. This leads me to believe that this book was not professionally edited. Also, it contains a very high number of profanities, which suggests that this book is not suitable for younger audiences. The profanities that appear do so on numerous occasions.

I will rate this book two out of four stars. I rated this book so low, not just because of the aforementioned negative aspects but also due to the number of errors I came across while reading this book. I would, however, recommend this book to all who are going through pain or grief.

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Phoenix Rising
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[Amy Luman]

This sounds like a novel that really speaks to what is happening in our society today. Vee’s pregnancy at a young age is common. I am glad that she and Eric can make some sort of relationship work. Unfortunately, drive-by shootings are also common.

[Bri Denzel]

I really hope Vee survives the loss of her first child who she has really grown fond of.

[Shillah Andeso]

Young couples do not handle the death of their child easily especially a young mother like Vee who despite being raped decided to keep the child. I would love to read the book if matters like sexual harassment and bringing the rapist to justice are well addressed.