VULTURE’S WAKE

Across a barren post-apocalyptic landscape, Callum is running for his life. Kidnapped by outlaws and forced to perform in a traveling circus, he escapes in an effort to get back home. But there’s virtually nowhere to hide when he can’t run far or fast enough. He’s rescued by Bo, another young survivor, who joins Callum on the run. But the danger is now even more extreme, because Bo is a female…a gender thought wiped out by bird flu ages ago. Now they are running for more than their lives—they’re running to find not just safety but freedom in an entirely new world. Murray populates Callum’s world with futuristic terminology and gadgets (Callum has a toy iPenguin in which his fathers have left him a message, Bo has a clutch of roboraptors that do her hunting and they ride a peyote-fueled motorbike called a Daisy-May). This is an interesting premise, but it needs more pages and development to fully rise to its promise. With a strong start, this story will probably carry readers through to the end, even though the last half falters in pace and credibility. (Science fiction. 12-15)