Burn the Water

Screenwriter Ray debuts with this overwrought postapocalyptic take on Romeo and Juliet. In 2425, centuries after rising sea levels flooded the world, London is mostly underwater. Two factions—the Crowns and the Rogues—fight over the remaining 10% of dry land, seeking control of the beech trees that produce a treatment for the Yellowing, a disease that reduces lung capacity and inhibits motor function. Eighteen-year-old Jules is one of the Crown’s most renowned, ruthless warriors; Rafe, also 18, is a notorious Rogue strategist. Though their loyalties would dictate they be mortal enemies, when they meet for the first time, their instant connection prompts the teens to seek an end to the centuries-long feud. But neither the Crowns nor Rogues are willing to consider compromise for the sake of peace, and when a cure is found for the Yellowing, the groups’ clamoring for ownership of the discovery sparks a disastrous battle. In the process, Rafe and Jules’s illicit romance is revealed, spelling fatal consequences for them both. Characters are hollowly rendered, and florid narration somewhat diminishes the impact of the grisly happenings. Still, Ray deftly examines the brutality of war across an evocatively depicted vision of a future drowned metropolis. Main characters read as white. Ages 12–up. Agent: Anthony Mattero, CAA. (Mar.)