FALLOUT

It's the early 1960s, and war with Russia is on everyone's mind. Some people are wary; some are skeptical. A vivid and haunting portrayal of nuclear attack explodes into action as Scott's family is woken in the dead of night. Narrator Jeff Cummings does a superb job re-creating the panic of adults' shouted instructions, kids' frightened cries and protests, the frenzied race to the family's shelter--the only one in the neighborhood--and the frantic pleas of neighbors desperate to join them. The story is told from the perspective of 11-year-old Scott in chapters that alternate between time frames before the attack and after. Cummings dramatizes each individual's response to the pressure of being trapped underground with limited supplies and facing possible starvation. This is a truly splendid job of answering the question "what if?" M.F.T. © AudioFile 2013, Portland, Maine [Published: SEPTEMBER 2013]