Fallout, by Chris Morphew

Luke turned his attention to the truck. I watched him cycle through the keys, dirty fingers fumbling in the cold, and the low-grade dread I carried everywhere with me swirled up to the surface again, clawing holes in my stomach.

He was going to die.

If that old surveillance video of Kara’s was to be believed, he’d already died.

There are only 14 days until the end of the world, and Luke and Jordan are desperate to find the answers which will save the human race. They are among the last free people in Phoenix, with the rest of the town trapped in the concentration camp which used to be the town centre. In the Vattel Complex where they are hiding, tension is high. The one person who could help them is unconscious, and lack of food and the constant stress is testing relationships. Of course having the man who they know will murder Luke in the rapidly approaching past captive in the complex doesn’t ease the tension.

Fallout is the fifth title in the popular Phoenix Files series. There is plenty of action, and plot twists that keep the reader guessing, as the story builds towards the final installment on the series. Of course the book will work best for those who have read the earlier offerings, but there is lots happening here which will draw a new reader in and have them looking for numbers one to four. Author Morhphew’s ability to pace the story whilst building character and mystery is a winning blend for young teens.

Good stuff.

Fallout (Phoenix Files)

Fallout (Phoenix Files), by Chris Morphew
Hardie Grant Egmont, 2012
ISBN 9781921502439

This book is available in good bookstores or online from Fishpond. Buying through this link supports Aussiereviews.