Monday, March 20, 2023

Leaving Phoenix by Jafe Danbury Book Review


 

I received this book as a gift.

This book has been on my radar for awhile and has been on my shelf for a longer while. I finally got around to reading it. The first chapter got my attention and I thought what am I going to be reading, it’s pretty gruesome. As it turns out, this is the story of Phoebe, who was originally born Phoenix. The first part of this tale is about how Phoenix’s mom, Rose, was finally brave enough to escape a really bad relationship.

Fast forward a few years and Rose is raising Phoenix to the best of her ability. They didn’t have much and Rose didn’t know what she was doing as a first-time mom, but she was making it work. Fast forward a few more years and Phoenix is five years old. Tragedy strikes.

Fast forward and Phoenix, now Phoebe, is with her Pop Pop, her adoptive father. Her adoptive mom took a hike. It is now around 1998 to 2000 … remember Y2K? The author has absolutely nailed the era. The songs he mentions, the “old” items he mentions, just everything I remember as a kid (well, maybe not some of the music) are absolutely spot on! Even Tab, the soft drink. There’s a character who loves his Tab.

Enter a letter that shows up one day that Pop Pop was expecting, he just didn’t know when. It was time to tell Phoebe some more truths about what happened to her mom. Off Phoebe, now Phoenix again, to California to find the answers she didn’t know she wanted. California provided a great many adventures and answers for Phoenix. Be sure to check out the picture of the tattoo that is in the book!

The tone of this book is spot on as well … never once did the “voice” change and that is something I truly appreciate about a writer. Another thing I enjoyed about this book is the imagery, the metaphors, some even making me chuckle just a bit.

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