In their underground bunker, Luke and Jordan continue to work furiously to find Tobias, the only thing that has any hope of saving the world from the effects of the Tabitha virus when it is released. As if that wasn't challenge enough, they have to deal with their friend Peter's violent fits of rage, Jordan's very pregnant mother and factions within their little group of freedom fighters. Can they find the answers they need before time runs out?
Chris Morphew once again keeps readers on a knife edge of suspense as he counts down to the end of the world. The pace in this fifth book of The Phoenix Files series returns to the tempo of the first books with the many story lines converging as the conclusion draws ever closer. The weird symptoms affecting the members of the group - Jordan's visions, her mother's accelerated pregnancy, Peter's violent outbursts - are becoming stronger and the group of rebels must deal with their own fear and confusion as well as the threat of discovery by the Shackleton guards as they try to rescue the town.
The book ends with only 17 hours remaining before the end of the world. Fallout fills in background details for many of the major characters, but there are still lots of questions unanswered and the final book in the series will no doubt keep readers on the edge of their seats.
The Phoenix Files is an enthralling combination of thriller and conspiracy theory with a dash of science fiction. I've been hooked since the first book, and my 12-year-old son could hardly wait for me to finish reading Fallout so that he could grab it. Now we are both impatiently waiting for the release of the final book in the series, Doomsday, in 2013.
Title: Fallout (The Phoenix Files #5)
Author: Chris Morphew
Publisher: Hardie Grant Books, $16.95 RRP
Publication Date: 1 May 2012
Format: Paperback
ISBN: 9781921502439
For ages: 12+ years
Type: Young Adult Fiction