Product Description
Since their home was invaded by enemy soldiers and transformed into a war zone, Ellie and her friends have been fighting for their lives. Now a resolution may finally be in sight. But as enemy forces close in on her hideout, Ellie discovers that the final conflict just may be the most dangerous yet. And not everyone will survive.Nobody is safe in this exhilarating conclusion to Ellie's courageous struggle for freedom.Amazon.com Review
At last, the final episode of the gripping Tomorrow series by wildly popular Aussie author John Marsden has crossed the Pacific, and this concluding chapter in the lives of Ellie, Fi, Homer, Kevin, and Lee may be the most exciting one yet. Informed by Colonel Finley that the military is making a move that could be compared to the D-day attack of WWII, the outback teen guerillas know that the end of the bewildering war that changed their lives is drawing near. Armed with plastic explosives and grenades, courtesy of the New Zealand Army, they have been instructed to "spread chaos and confusion behind their (enemy) lines in every way, shape and form." For Ellie and company, this means targeting a hostile refueling station and train tracks. Of course, nothing is ever easy. There are still the feral kids to worry about and the dismal discovery that soldiers have infiltrated Hell, their only secured hiding place in the bush. As The Other Side of Dawn rockets at breakneck speed towards its stunning climax, only one thing is certain: there is no guarantee that any of them will make it through this last conflict alive.

Not a book for new recruits, The Other Side of Dawn will be most enjoyed by those hard-core fans who have been with Ellie and the gang from the beginning. Wirrawee buffs will be rewarded with classic Marsden: teeth-jarring action sequences interspersed with meaningful moments between friends who may not see the sunrise again together. This is a satisfying ending to a smashing good series. (Ages 13 and older) --Jennifer Hubert ... Read more

Customer Reviews (18)

And so it goes. . . .
The end of the war has finally come for Ellie and her friends.This book is part heart pounding excitement and part heart rending postscript.It leaves you wondering if these five guerilla fighters can ever be comfortable in their own skin again.The Other Side of Dawn was a great ending for a great series.

This book, like the rest of the series, shows just how much young adults are capable of.John Marsden is a master of the YA novel.

tomorrow series
the finale. this is the 7th and last book in the tomorrow series. it will take you through, emotions, action, struggle. the best book in the series. i couldnt put it down. but i didnt want it to end. good theres 3 books after it. it takes you on a new ride. and they might find a sense of peace, or not.

The perfect ending.
Of course, after six books following these teenagers from Australia, I was hoping for the picture-perfect ending. You know, the one where everything goes back to the way it was before the war and there's romance and happiness when they reunite and everything is amazing.

You won't get that. But it's a real ending. If Marsden wanted any shred of credibility at the end of this series, he had to end it the way he did. And because of this, it was the perfect ending. I have absolutely no complaints, except for maybe his choice of words in the last sentence.

I dunno. But if you're even a casual reader of this series, and ESPECIALLY if you're very much into it, you won't be disappointed by a long shot by the finale.

I really didn't want it to end
This is the finale of the Tomorrow series.I read "The Other Side of Dawn" slowly, savoring each word.I guess I didn't really want the story to end.I thoroughly enjoyed the entire series reading it in order, a page turner throughout.The Other Side of Dawn is packed with the action we've come to expect in each book, but there is also a lot of reflection by Ellie about everything that's happened.I'll look forward to someday coming back to reread the series from the beginning.

A well rounded book to finish an excellent series
A must for an teenager who is stuck for something to do during those long hot summer days where hard work seems an immpossiblity!
Note you really must start with the first book in the series to get a grasp of the plot and a feel for the writers style etc for all obvious reasons (to see if you like it).
Hope this helps with your desicion for the book ;) ... Read more

Product Description
Australia has been invaded. Seven teenagers are living in the sanctuary of a hidden valley where nothing is safe, where all that is certain is today. But someday, somehow, things have got to change. Ellie and her friends are the only people who can change it. They are the only ones who are free. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Best So Far
THE DEAD OF NIGHT is the 2nd book in John Marsden's TOMORROW WHEN THE WAR BEGAN series. THE DEAD OF NIGHT continues the sorty of a group of teenagers who have to learn how to survive after their country has been invaded. This book is really good if you like suspense.

Greatest war story/coming of age tail ever told
I was first introduced to this serioes at school, we were assigned to read it for English, before this book all books assigned to us in school were all garbage and I expected the same, as did most the other students in my class, most wouldnt bother to read it, so the teacher read it aloud in class, for most of it upuntil the half way mark I ignored most of it, until it dawned on me that this book was actualy sounding o.k. When I got home i got my copy from the bookshelf and actualy started to read it, and I read at any chance I had, and when I finished I read the second and third and then had to wait while the rest were written and released
The amazing story starts off with a group of teenagers going camping, and when they return the find the Australia has been taken over by another country, they go to the bush again to hide, but can't just sit back and do nothing and decide to fight back in what ever way they can, although unconventional, when all is said and done and the series is over they made a huge impact on the war, sometimes planned, sometimes fluked, of coarse not all survive and with every loss you can not help but feel the emotional pain of the others, it is the best comming of age story I have read, and although it is listed as a young adult series, it will be unforgetable to all ages and you will develop a bond with Ellie, Homer, Kevin and the rest of the gang, I have never fell in love with any fictional charactors the way I did with these guys, not even in T.V series
A story like this comes along once in a life time, do not, and I mean do not missss this book

awesome
All the books in this series are brilliant

Marsden knows how to attract the teen reader...
The Dead of Night is a fascinating follow-up to Tomorrow, When the War Began.I teach a class of 7th and 8th graders and we have read both books aloud throughout the current year.The kids simply love this series.Marsden is no dummy!He knows how to cleverly pull in the teen readers.In this series, the adults have managed to screw things up and it is up to the kids to correct things.He offers a sense of adventure along with a sense of power to his teen readers.Furthermore, he deals directly, yet responsibly, with a number of issues that are especially important to teens. Somehow, he manages to capture the true feelings and concerns that are universal for most teens. ... Read more

Product Description
Tonight before I started writing this, it was me confronting Jack. It was so real I could smell it.

Suddenly, according to my imagination, I'd be on my feet, screaming, "Why didn't you leave us alone? Why did you have to drag us in? You're scum, filth. I hate you. Go away. You deserve everything, everything, you understand? Everything that you get. It's not my fault. IT'S NOT MY FAULT."

She had everything going for her--good looks, a nice school, and friends. But suddenly and without sufficient warning, life spins out of control. It's hard not to let life get to you when nothing seems to make sense anymore. Sometimes it takes confinement in the hospital--and a lot of time to think--to once again get a handle on life.Amazon.com Review
Australian author JohnMarsden's gripping suspense stories--with his signature shockingclimaxes--have made him the John Grisham of theyoung adult set around the globe. Checkers, following thistradition, is the riveting story of a teenage girl who loses not only herfamily but her sanity when her father is suspected of participating in afinancial scam--one that the media has traced to the highest levels of theAustralian government. Telling the story in first-person flashbacks as thegirl recuperates in a mental institution, Marsden symbolizes hisprotagonist's powerlessness by never revealing her name. The result is aneerie sense that she could be any teenager trying to understand herparent's cryptic behavior and motives. The only completely honestrelationship the girl has is with her beloved dog Checkers, a gift from herfather upon closing his most important deal. Checkers "wasn't the kind ofdog you hug really tight, like a Labrador.... He had too much independence,too much pride," but he becomes the only source of comfort for the girlonce the story breaks about her father's shady business practices. Shenever dreamed that the connection the reporters are searching for could berunning around in her own backyard. Fraught with tension and politicalintrigue, Checkers is an intelligent page-turner for teens. (Ages 12and older) --Jennifer Hubert ... Read more

Customer Reviews (19)

Checkers
There are lot of complaints I can give about this book.The plot is too narrow.There are not enough sub-plots to make it interesting, and it just seemed like it was the one story; reading about even the other patients would have been interesting.Everything in this book was sickeningly predictable.You knew exactly what was coming at the end, which didn't make it any less horrible, but did make it quite a dull read.I was glad to see a tone that was real and honest, with very powerful writing, but overall, it's just a dull book.Nothing happens.It's a flat read, and in the end, an unnecessary one.It would have served its purpose in a short story just as well.

Rating: 1.5/5

Very good, short, sweet read.
She is in a mental hospital, that's all you know till fairly well into the book, you don't know why or how, just that it had something to do with insider trading, and her father, and her dog.That's what it all seems to come back to, her dog Checkers. She tells the story through flashbacks.And at first its very confusing, because she seems to be mostly just telling about her dog, like that's her main priority, sometimes she'll go off into something about her family, or why she's in the hospital, and then she'll break off and say "anyway, I was telling you about Checkers" but in the end you'll get why Checkers is so important."Checkers" has a fairly surprising, sort of freaky ending but I thought it was very well done, and it has a lot of suspense.Very good, short, sweet read.

My Dog, Checkers
A Review by Robin

An Australian teenage girl lived with her mom, dad and brother in a beautiful home in the suburbs; and she had a dog named Checkers. She suffers from depression and she now lives in a mental hospital. She never had many friends, at school or at the hospital. She and several other teenagers attend a daily meeting called group. She has never said anything in group because she is afraid of what people will think of her. One day, she just couldn't handle it anymore. She had to tell somebody. This is her story of how she got there.

I like how this book tells a story about a teenager's life experiences. I can relate to them, such as depression and social issues. This story is suspenseful. Once I picked it up, I didn't want to put it down. Every chapter ends with a cliffhanger. You just want to keep reading. The author doesn't give away the story of how she got in the hospital until the very end. You can easily follow the book with big font and easy to read words. And if you have any troubles with some "aussie" words, there's a glossary in the front of the book to tell you what they are and what they mean. But the characters were realistic, and seemed alive. They're just like people you would meet in an everyday encounter acquaintance. They were believable.

I would recommend this book to people who like stories about real life conflicts and experiences. It would satisfy your needs if you are the type of person who likes to read other people's diaries or journals. I would especially recommend it to any teenagers who think they have it rough or bad. You think you know, but you have no idea.

The mental hospital thing was clichéd, but the book was good
Told in first-person flashbacks and set in the mental hospital where the nameless protagonist recovers from a nervous breakdown, this story's message is: "The higher you climb, the harder you fall." Wealth and privilege cannot save your family from scandal, our protagonist learns, especially when your father is involved in dishonest business practices a la Enron.

The only honest relationship the girl has is with her mongrel dog, Checkers. She seeks comfort in his company as the media circles like vultures around her house, looking for a way to connect the girl's father to the stock market scandal that's brewing. She would never have thought that the connection they were looking for was sleeping on the rug in front of her fire.

I really liked this novel, and would have loved it if it wasn't about the fortieth book I've read that's set in a mental hospital. Mental hospitals have become way too clichéd in young adult literature. Other than that, though, it was a terrific story.

...Enchanting
Though the book seems to have many flaws at first, once you read in to it all, it makes sense.
The story is of a girl whose family is being corrupted by the media, especially her father. Stories in the paper start to bother the girl, and her interest shoots up.
But among this all, is her "darling dog Checkers", a most important figure in the plot development.
While telling the story, the girl is in a Psychiatric Ward. She tells of the others there, and describes the events as if she were writing in a journal.
I high suggest this book to EVERYONE.
John Marsden did an excellent job with this book, an EXCELLENT read. ... Read more

Product Description

Customer Reviews (8)

Insultingly Bad
This is just terrible.

I am not interesting in cattle farming. John Marsden is. Very, VERY interested. His war stories have been replaced by details on how to birth cattle, and what kind of timetable farmers follow.

Then he gets bored with that and starts making discriminatory blonde jokes.

And that's not to mention the endless tales of the world's most stupid and annoying child: Gavin.

Do yourself a favour and avoid the follow-ups to the Tomorrow series.

Nice to see Ellie again
While I Live starts with a bomb being dropped on Ellie's life, and follows how she fights to keep her home and still uses the skills she learned as a guerilla fighter.While the story is a testament to how life goes on, even after horrible things happen, it also shows that people can't become complacent and go with the flow.

This book is not as exciting as the main Tomorrow series, but it's still well written, and Ellie is still an amazing person who knows how to make things happen.

An Upsetting Disappointment
I grew up reading John Marsden's books. I was well and truly within the target age range when the Tomorrow series first started in the early Nineties. And recently I reread that series and found I enjoyed it even more as an adult. However, then I came to The Ellie Chronicles.

My advice? Avoid it at all costs.

Now, I know John Marsden lives on a farm, and so no doubt much of what he writes is based on personal experience. To that end, I am sure there is a very small portion of society who enjoys reading hundreds of pages of minute detail about how to be a successful cattle farmer. I am just not one of them.
Where was the amazing story I was expecting to dive back into? Why has it been replaced with a book full of information about birthing cattle and renting paddocks?

And then the book well and truly `jumped the shark' for me on page one hundred and fourteen, where Marsden hit rock bottom with his nasty and just plain stupid comments about blonde women.

I was always a little annoyed that the Tomorrow series was drawn out. And out. And out. When an author insists on writing so many books for one story it is bound to lose it, but then I was pleasantly surprised that for the most part the seven books maintained their high standard.

However, towards the end of the series Marsden forced a group of children on us, and our heroes and heroines became little more than babysitters. There was never a more annoying plot point than the introduction of a little boy named Gavin. Yeah, Mr Marsden, I get it. Gavin signifies Ellie's transformation into and adult and a mother figure.
The problem is that I don't enjoy it.
There's that rule in television - don't make your main characters parents because being tied down with children does not make good entertainment.

Unfortunately Marsden seems to have forgotten his target audience in The Ellie Chronicles, and Gavin becomes just about the only person in Ellie's life. For my part, I couldn't care less whether Ellie does a good job of raising a child. I just want the old gang back (and yes, that even means poor Kevin, who Marsden has had a serious bias against since day one).

This book just went on and on, and for the first time in my life I realised reading John Marsden's writing was hard work. He went off on tangents in the middle of dramatic scenes. He started quoting poetry. And yes, there was far too much detail about building fences and rescuing cows.

I'm sorry Mr Marsden, but this book was a disaster.

I LOVED it
This has been one of the best books I've ever read. If your a person that likes guerilla warfare, like myself. I garentee you will fall in love with this series. Just like I did. John Marsden takes a girl living a normal life on a farm in Australia and makes her house in the front line. Along with her friends and nieghbors. Mardson describes her new world of fighting and danger so well it makes you feel like your sneaking through the Australien countryside with her fellow companions. I truly loved this book.

Satisfying new series.
John Marsden's WHILE I LIVE creates 'The Ellie Chronicles', continuing the story of a girl who has spent years fighting invaders in her home country, and who is back on her family's farm trying to rebuild her life after years of war. The only problem is - the war isn't really over yet, and when tragedy hits she again finds herself struggling to survive. The same fierce independent spirit displayed in Marsden's 'Tomorrow' series revolving around Ellie and her courageous band of friends continues in this satisfying new series. ... Read more

Product Description
It's nearly six months since our country was invaded. We've lived in a war zone since January, and now it's July. So short a time, so long a time . . . I'm an expert on fear now. I think I've felt every strong feeling there is: love, hate, jealousy, rage. But fear's the greatest of them all. Nothing reaches inside and grabs you by the guts the way fear does. Nothing else possesses you like that. It's a kind of illness, a fever, that takes you over. Ellie and her friends return from a camping trip to find their country at war. Learning together, they fight back - battling fear, rage, and the invading army that has stolen their land, seized their homes, taken their families, and destroyed their future. Continuing the story begun in Tomorrow When the War Began and The Dead of Night, John Marsden paints a shockingly realistic portrait of teenagers who take great risks to defend what is theirs. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (45)

The Tomorrow Series #3
This is the third book in the Tomorrow Series by John Marsden. It's a great series. However, you'd want to begin by reading number one so that you can enjoy all of the adventure and character development.

Still have not receive the BOOK!
My daughter still has not receive this book.Do not order ANYTHING from gohastings.They have not responded to my email for a refund or the book.My daughter received book #4 BEFORE this book actually within 2-4 days (it was thru a different company)!

the tomorrow series
This book follows the dead of night. it is also full of action, but less romance. a lot more action. is this book the charecters go through more death and a lot of destruction. they suffer a new kind of pain.

Another great installment
This entry in the Tomorrow series starts a little shaky, but tightens up into another high octane adventure.Ellie and her friends continue to defy the odds and fight for their country, proving yet again that young adults are capable of anything they put their minds to.They test themselves as they take out their next target, a tactical stronghold, Cobbler's Bay.

A Killer book for "A Killing Frost"
This was a great story for teens that would inspire them to read it. The story is called "A Killing Frost" which is the third part of the Tomorrow series. It is the sequel to "Tomorrow When the War Began" and "The Dead of Night." The story is by John Marsden who is one of Australia's best known writers for young adults and has received a lot of criticism around the world. This bookshould teach teens how great it is to overcome huge amounts of odds.
Now how John Marsden includes foreshadowing, he makes you wait to the end for the main point so he keeps you reading till the end. Basically it starts out with a teenage girl named Ellie and her friends coming back from a camping trip. By now after 6 months an invading army has came attacking Australia. Ellie and her friends are shocked and disgusted. The bands of teenagers decide to make their own little guerilla style army to fight back against the invading armies. The young Guerilla fighter's main goal is to destroy the port at Cobler's bay, which is one of the main harbors supplying the invading army. Ellie and her violent friends continue to outsmart the enemy, which causes them to defeat the army little by little. Everything is going good for the young violent fighters as they continue to steal supplies but then it happens.
The story takes a bad turn when the teenagers are captured and are taken to a Maximum security prison. After being certain that they would be sentenced to death, many of the teens start to get down on themselves and hoped this would have never have happened. Then good prevails or I should say sort of because war is not a good thing so something bad happens to Ellie and the young Guerilla fighters. Now it's your job to read the book and see what happens to them.
This book was great to read in my opinion except for the Australian slang. Yes if your Australian you might understand this but if you are American then you wouldn't understand it. Even with the slang dictionary it is still tough to understand what it says because you could mess up with what the text means. Otherwise this was a good book for young adults to read.
... Read more

Product Description
A few months after the first fighter jets landed in their own backyard, Ellie and her five terrified but defiant friends struggle to survive amid a baffling conflict. Their families are unreachable; the mountains are now their home. When two of them fall behind enemy lines, Ellie knows what must happen next: a rescue mission. Homer, the strongest and most unpredictable among them, is the one to take charge. While others have their doubts about his abilities, Homer has no choice but to prove them wrong - or risk losing everything to the enemy. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (48)

good read...book 2 of the series of 7 - tomorrow when the war began!
book two of seven- read it in a like a day. good book, good story line...the movie based on book one is out in Australia ---hopefully to come out on DVD here in the USA soon.

No more Marsden on Kindle for me.
This is an excellent book for young adults, certainly the equal of the first volume in Marsden's series.

Do not, however, think that the Kindle edition is the same as either the hardback or paperback edition. The quality control on the Kindle edition is appalling, there are so many spelling errors it is hard to believe it had even the most cursory of edits. If this is the quality that Amazon is prepared to sell on the Kindle then ebooks will never become popular.

Buy the paperback, but not the Kindle edition.

Book 2 of an Amazing series
John Marsden continues his "Tomorrow Series" with another fantastic adventure.Another can't put it down til I'm done story.These books should be read in order as this book takes up just after Book 1 ends. These books do contain a fair amount of violence and in this story, Ellie, the main character, spends a lot of time debating with herself whether she should have sex with her boyfriend.

Brilliant. Highly recommended.
The Dead Of Night (The Tomorrow Series #2) is the second book in John Marsden's Tomorrowseries. As the teenagers continue to fight, they meet up with a group of adult resisters, experience romance and lose one of their number. This is just as good as Tomorrow, When the War Began (The Tomorrow Series #1), if not better. The characters and situations are realistic and the story full of drama. Highly recommended.

very good
It is an awesome book and i gave it to my younger brother to read. thank you for getting it to me by christmas ... Read more

Product Description

It is this poignant human dimension that lifts Marsden's series above the run-of-the-mill spy action novel--that and the fact that nobody is better at writing about things blowing up. And his scenes leading up to the explosion create tension so powerful it is almost unbearable to keep on reading--but impossible not to. In Burning for Revenge, the five have been abandoned in enemy territory when the New Zealand general decides that they are not valuable enough to send a rescue helicopter. Without any definite plans, they sneak into the back of a truck, only to find themselves at the end of the ride deep within the enemy's airfield. How they battle out of the situation and leave the enemy's air power in ruins makes a breathlessly exciting story that will not disappoint the many teen fans of this excellent series. (Ages 12 and older) --Patty Campbell ... Read more

Customer Reviews (20)

Book Review
This is a great series. I read them when they first came out and now I'm reading them again.

the tomorrow series
this book follows the lives of teenagers in the middle of a war, there is a lot less emotions in this novel, but a lot more action, and violence. more action then violence i think. it follows their new lives and nver lets you down.

Explosions as far as the eye can see
Part five of the Tomorrow series keeps the action going.Ellie and company pull off their most daring attack and escape yet.Marsden keeps doing a masterful job of writing from Ellie's point of view, letting the reader experience the weariness and drive she's going through at this point in her life.Now, it's time to seek out the next volume.

Another excellent addition to an addictive series.
The Tomorrow series of books by John Marsden got me through High School (as a lucky New Zealander, I have had the books since the 1990's). I awaited every new instalment with excitement and trepidation. `Burning for Revenge' was no exception and it delivered everything I was hoping for and more. `Burning for Revenge' is a nice return to the action, gunfire and explosive situations after a more sober `Darkness Be My Friend'. One book from the Tomorrow series features a warning quote: "do not start at night". This is completely true in `Burning for Revenge' - the reader is urged on to continue reading until the last page is turned, and is left gasping for breath and reaching urgently for the next instalment.

If you have enjoyed the Tomorrow Series, be sure to catch the Ellie Chronicles ( While I Live (The Ellie Chronicles) )that continue the story of Elle after the peace settlement.

Non Stop Action
Burning For Revenge will keep you up all night, that's for sure.There is a lot of non-stop action packed in this book, more than any of the previous books.Marsden makes you visualize the fear felt by the characters while escaping constant pursuit.Can't wait to read the next book in the series. ... Read more

Product Description
Hell"s a big place, but it gets crowded when Ellie and her friends take an uncooperative crew of orphans under their wing and into their hidden refuge. It"s not easy to keep four young children busy and happy in the bush, and things only get worse when Ellie and Homer find evidence that mysterious visitors have discovered their sanctuary. Could it be a patrol of enemy soldiers sent on a search and destroy mission? They find out all too soon.
In a time and place where war robs your identity, makes you forget your past and fear your future, it seems impossible for Ellie to make sense of a world that is quickly falling apart. And after a peaceful food raid turns into a nightmarish fight for survival, escape back to Hell seems hopeless.
Ellie, Fi, Homer, Lee, and Kevin brave the worst in this electrifying continuation of their battle to stay alive and sane in a war zone that was once their home.
The Night Is for Hunting is the sixth book in the Tomorrow When the War Began series. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (10)

Not the best entry in the series
Had the first half of this book not been bogged down by chasing idiot kids through the bush and kept focus on the war and the main characters, it would have been much more enjoyable.The children seemed to have been thrown in the mix to make our teen guerilla fighters a little less rough around the edges, but what the author seems to have done is tossed in five useless characters that needlessly get in the way.

It's not until the second half that the story picks up and returns to the character interaction and heart pounding excitement this series is known for.

Less action than the other books, but a good solid story
I have just read this series of books in a very short space of time, and think it is a great story. There are a lot of Australian colloquialisms though, which may be confusing to North Americans.

Out of all the books, this was the one with the least action, but still a good car chase and a 'breather' in the action of the war...

I recommend the whole series.

the Tomorrow Series (night is for hunting)
This book is definatly one of the best. It is an adventure thriller, it captures you, and never lets go.The descriptions vivid. The night is for Hunting is about a group of kids, who in the first book of the series, learn after camping, their country has been invaded. there are 7 books in the series, along with a series after the war. I recommend you buy all of them. you wont be able to stop. Not only is it a Thriller but throughtout the series the main charecter has to struggle with emotions, and the growing violence inside themselves. These people stay with you, and you start to feel they are real, and you know so much about them. They become a part of you, youll hate to leave them. I know I did.

The Night Is For Hunting
The book The Night is for Hunting is a sequel and an excellent, well-written book

by John Marshen.It is about a group of teenagers who are caught up in a war.The group

comes upon a Circle of friends that are starving, dirty kids who mug them.When enemy

soldiers envied the bombed city, they head for there hideout, hell.The kids that journey

to hell only to find it have been overrun with enemy soldiers.After the solders are

supposedly gone, the kids disappear.With one of them dead and the rest with gashes and

broken bones, there is no hope for them.Whale the teenagers are gun fighting with

Themselves and the remaining, growing treat of the enemy soldiers.With another kid

dead, they decide to find there back to hell.When they get back, they find bodies

in addition, one teenager dead.Together the teenagers and the kids team up and fight off

the enemy.Only ending in disaster for them.With little ammunition and even less hope,

they attempt to rob a food truck for food, but only getting them arrested.Now they

decided they have to break out.Will they survive?After all life is like a car chase, fast

and unpredictable.


I strongly recommend this book to those who thirsts for adventure. The Night is

For hunting is a truly awesome book.

Book 6 of 7 in Tomorrow Series
This may be the weakest volume in the Tomorrow series.It is still a non-stop page turner, but it didn't have the action you'd expect after reading the first 5 volumes.The story is mostly about dealing with a band of feral orphans of the war.They cause constant trouble and frustration for Ellie, and the others.This is the only book in the series that leaves a cliffhanger at the end to get you crying for the finale...which I will start to read as soon as I finish this review. ... Read more

Product Description
Winner of Australia's Book of the Year Award. Set in Australia and written in the form of a diary, this is the tragic story of the effects of divorce and her parents' anger on a young woman's life. "Remarkable...few readers will come away from the portrait of Marina's ordeal unshaken. "--Publishers Weekly
Amazon.com Review
After what happened to her face, Marina stoppedtalking. Completely. Even the people at the hospital couldn't help herfind her voice again. In an almost hopeless, last-ditch effort, Marinais shuffled to a boarding school--where she's required to keep ajournal. Ugh! Slowly, though, the secrets begin to pour from herspirit onto the paper. The more shape she can give to the nightmare,the more she is released from it. This is one of the most intelligent,realistic novels about post-traumatic stress ever written for youngpeople. Marina's transformation will inspire any teen who has everstruggled to find his or her voice. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (81)

So much to not tell you...
Ugh. This book could have been so much better. I was gripped from the beginning, couldn't wait to get to the end to see whether the conclusions I'd drawn from all the hints were correct. BUT the end is so disappointing I couldn't believe it. I hate books that leave the reader hanging and forced to draw their own conclusions, I prefer things spelt out. In places the story was so moving I was almost in tears, but unfortunately the ending spoiled what could have been a true hard-hitting masterpiece.

Glimpse into the teenage mind
John Marsden has a knack for getting into his teen character's heads, making them authentic and endearing.Marina, the writer of a journal for English class, takes her readers through an interesting and very revealing trek through her life, showing what it actively takes to overcome the loss of her family and an incident which left her terribly disfigured.

Great, Solid Book
**SPOILERS**

Very solid book with a captivating storyline.I think the thing that struck me most was that unless you read the blurb on the back, you didn't learn the girl's name until the very end.I hadn't realized this but reading it was just weird.Very awesomely developed characters, although I wish we'd gotten to see more of her teachers.The writing style was also very honest, very realistic.The end was definitely a surprise.I was just kind of sad that no progress was made on her overall health (and really, was seeing her father the healthiest decision?), but the ambiguity does seem to fit her/the story.It's just a great, well-developed, relatable book.

Amazing
This was such an amazing book. I loved how the story unfolded. The ending was perfect and I hope that this author has more books soon!!

Young Fiction that Connects
John Marsden is an award winning international writer of young adult fiction.

This is an important piece of writing as the tale connects to young adults, particularly young girls, because the central theme of this work is "fitting in", having experienced a horrific trauma, (which the author never specifies) learns to speak again as her only form of communication is through a diary which she is forced to write in the boarding school she is cruelly placed.

The reader does not discover the narrator's name until the end of the tale.

We are only permitted to see her past through her pain, the trauma, and it is vague at best.

The story wanders, spinning off on many tangents that are irrelevant to the plot. Teenagers, though, do the same thing: talking about their parents, their close calls with the opposite sex and the obligatory rebelliousness which most Middle School girls' experience. So Much to Tell You is about the thoughts, feelings, fears and hopes of a little girl whose face has been terribly disfigured; we do not know how her face has been damaged and through the entire diary, only catch glimpses of the past.

The text rambles as a young person does. The text is an effort to connect to young people and, from the classes that I've run on the text with these young people, captures their naive and evolving minds.

My only criticism is the major issues in the novel, that is to say, her relationship with her father and mother, as she hates her mother but loves her father though he is in jail; the reason being something connected to her "accident", and her mother disconnecting, opens the door to a task of creative writing for the class.

Interestingly, the young women whose task it was to "fill in the blanks" as it were; in other terms answer the questions the novel fails to do, the young women in my class actually seemed to at least, write `better' than Marsden.

Why?

Because a middle-aged man, no-matter how taletent he is will never write like a 13 year old girl. He did a marvellous job, exceptional in fact, but when I read the actual, he came close but did not hit the mark.

So Much to Tell You is a good piece of young adult fiction that captures a 13 or 14 mind of a teenager on the brink of adulthood.

Marsden upon request wrote a play based on the novel and high schools across Australia have preformed to a successful outcome.

One of the better young adult novels.




... Read more

Product Description
When Ellie and her friends go camping, they have no idea they're leaving their old lives behind forever. Despite a less-than-tragic food shortage and a secret crush or two, everything goes as planned. But a week later, they return home to find their houses empty and their pets starving. Something has gone wrong--horribly wrong. Before long, they realize the country has been invaded, and the entire town has been captured--including their families and all their friends. Ellie and the other survivors face an impossible decision: They can flee for the mountains or surrender. Or they can fight. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (171)

Tomorrow when the war began- movie is out in Aussie land!!!
yeah I heard about the new aussie movie and decided to get all seven books to see what the fuss is about...good books - end of book seven about brings you to tears. very emotional books all of them about what wars do to people to tear them up. Now I just want to get the DVD version of the new movie when it comes out to see how good or bad it is- the book was action- I read it in a day and half...most of the books were about that quick a read- I slowed down on the last one because I didn't want to end the story soooooo soon! There are four more books based on Ellie the main hero of the book- and I'll probably buy the four books just to see what happens...no spoilers sorry.

good read, can't beat that I only paid like $4 usd for each book used on amazon- reading is expensive, but this is a great way to get used books cheap. Thanks. enjoy this one -it's worth getting- btw book six for some reason is harder to find- don't pay $100 bucks for it- it's used in paperback for like $6 too on here- look for it harder- it's worth it too...

good luck all.

5 stars for the book, no stars for the Kindle version.
I have to admit that I'd never heard of the 'Tomorrow' books prior to the film being released. However, I thought I'd read the first book before seeing the film, so I purchased the Kindle version of it.

I was very impressed with these resourceful teens and the book was full of action, suspense and adventure. Marsden has beautifully captured the essence of being an Aussie teen in the country and has drawn the characters extremely well. I would happily recommend this book to any teenager or young adult, but also to any adult who likes a cracking read.

Unfortunately, the Kindle version of the book contained no fewer than 45 typos, which greatly detracted from my reading experience. I daresay that this book may have been converted to an e-book in Germany; on a number of occasions "the" was replaced with "die". How disappointing for Mr Marsden to have his book marred in this way.

Fantastic YA Novel with a Great Female Narrator
The Tomorrow series is one of my favorite young adult series, hands down. Ellie, the main character, is a breath of fresh air. She's frank, introspective, smart and tough, but she's not perfect either, which makes her very real. I wish I'd had this series when I was a teenager--I would have devoured it many times over. I appreciate that the focus of the story is the teens' survival and their reactions to the invasion of Australia rather than the small romance aspect to the book--it doesn't feel like it's central to the story, it feels natural and appropriate given the intense experiences of these kids. The secondary characters are well-developed, and it's interesting following Ellie's changing understanding of her friends when they're stuck together in what's literally called "Hell."

My only issue with this book (and this bothered me more later in the series), is that sometimes Ellie's narration becomes dry, and doesn't seem like a teenager girl--particularly when talking about the details of farm life and her sometimes love interest. There's a distinct change in tone that doesn't fit. But that's awfully nit-picky. I highly recommend this (and the rest of the series, especially through book three) as an excellent teen read or for adults who appreciate good YA literature.

A great Aussie Read
Ellie and her friends want to get away from the weekend. It's the weekend of the Show and to get away Ellie organises a group of her friends and her to head up the mountain and down to a place in the absolute middle of nowhere called Hell. One night they hear a series of jets fly overhead but pay no attention because they think they are just coming back from the celebrations at the showgrounds. When they return to their little country town they discover that it has been invaded and the town has been rounded up and is being kept at the showground. Ellie and her friends soon discovers that they have to make one of the hardest decisions anyone ever has to make; to run or fight.

I had never thought about reading Marssden's book before I had to teach it as part of my practical experience, because to me it had always been a school assigned book (and aren't the books we read in English always boring). I'm so glad I picked it up. Marsden has created a unique outlook on the world, especially in Australia. He has taken the big 'What if' and placed it into a small town, into an ordinary life. What if you returned home and found that someone had invaded and taken your parents, friends and community prisoner? This was all too believable (maybe because I'm from Australia and I also come from a country town) and that's what made this book a fantastic read.

The characters that Marsden creates are believable and realistic. They are normal teenagers who are thrust into this extrodinary and horrific situation. Ellie, as the main character, grows through her experiences and it's fantastic to see that all the actions and motivations that are being done by both the invading forces and the group of teens have dire consequences. Ellie had never had to think about fighting for survival and she tries to figure out the answer to one big question, 'is it okay to take someone else's life to remain living?'

Another good thing with this series (and possibly the biggest mystery) is the identity of the invaders are kept anonymous. In an interview Marsden even stated that he didn't want the novel to revolve around the invaders so he chose not to point the finger and no one culture is blamed.

The novel kept me reading from start to end (which wasn't an easy feat since I had to answer questions about each chapter so I could teach it to my year 10s). I would definately reccommed this book, but don't feel threatened or confused by the use of Australian slang and culture (hey, I even had to look up some meanings because it comes from dialogue we don't use anymore), because this book is a great read.

Book 1 of an AMAZING series
I discovered this book while on vacation in Australia. After finishing it I promptly bought books 2 and 3, all I could find at the time.This book is fabulously written, highly entertaining....you get the idea. Both my mother and I loved this series about a group of teens who come home from a camping trip to find that Australia has been invaded and their world and life has changed.The book does a great job not only of describing their many adventures, but also showing their growth emotionally from typical young teens, to mature, responsible young adults.Their is some mild romance and sex in the series so probably not appropriate for young teens. ... Read more

Product Description
Five months into World War III, Ellie and her four remaining friends have barely escaped the Australian town of Wirrawee with their lives and their sanity intact.

But as the next step becomes clear, they realize they must once again sacrifice their hard-won comfort and safety. A group of soldiers has recruited the kids to guide the way to the Wirrawee air base.

What could possibly motivate Ellie and her friends to return? This risky sabotage mission may be their only hope of rescuing their families, too.Amazon.com Review
There are only five of them left now. Ellie and her fourfriends, Lee, Homer, Kevin, and Fi, have reluctantly returned to NewZealand from Australia to lead more guerrilla attacks on the enemy(who invaded their country in the previous book, Tomorrow, When the WarBegan). The group has staged raids on their captive hometownWirrawee from the wilderness sanctuary they call Hell, blowing up andburning enemy headquarters and bridges and supply depots, and killingwith their bare hands when they must. By the end of the two sequels,The Dead ofNight and AKilling Frost, they are strong and resourceful, but tired andsoul-sick with the pervasive violence. Two of them have been killed,and one has killed himself in despair. When they were rescued andairlifted to New Zealand, they thought the nightmare was over. But nowthey have been sent back to Wirrawee to guide a party of adult raiderson a planned sabotage of a strategic airfield. Something goes wrong;the adults never come back from the raid, and Ellie and her friendsare again left on their own to do what they can--and must--tosurvive.

Like John Marsden's other books, this story is immersed in darkness anddread. It's packed with almost unbearable suspense and breathtakingaction, as the personalities and relationships of these decent country kidsare eroded by the imperative for violence. Marsden fans will elbow eachother aside for a copy of this one, and will look forward to the three newinstallments on the way. (Ages 12 and older)--Patty Campbell ... Read more

Customer Reviews (27)

the tomorrow series
John Marsden once again, writes one of the best. this book shows even more struggles for the teens. they are sent right into the battlezone, by the people who were supposed to protect them. they suffer even more emotions, and losses.

A interesting change of pace
It was nice to see that Ellie and her friends were able to get some down-time and for them to take a step back and see how the war had changed them all on profound levels.War is always difficult, and it comes across as that much more detrimental when your heart just isn't in it.While there weren't the massive explosions in this book as seen in the first three, this was still a heart pounding account of survival.

Devoured It!
Huh? I don't understand some of the negative reviews.I've been reading this series in order and I think this book is as good as the rest.I would have read it in one sitting if I didn't have to get up to go to work the next day.I'm not a fast reader either, but I finished it in record time.There's plenty of action and lots of tension, so you won't be bored.I can't wait to get my hands on the next book in this series.

If you DON'T like Sad Endings--DON'T READ THIS!!!
This book is OKAY, I mean, Book I and Book II are the BEST books in the Tomorrow Series.
Anyway, I thought this book was rather boring and it didn't have as near as much good stuff in it that the first three had. When, I finished this book, I was greatly dissapointed because I HATE books with sad endings. It just tears my heart away.
This is the last book I read in the series because it got SO boringwhen I got half way through the 5th book. And, I hate the way the series ends (I took a sneak peak in the last book and found out what happened--lol). So therefore, I advise you, if you DO NOT like books with sad endings, don't read this!!!

John Marsden be my friend
Although not as action-packed and satisfying as the previous books in the series, Darkness Be My Friend stands out as one of the best.It would be a mistake to say the book is slow, however-there are still several suspensful scenes of action.This book may let readers down by lacking a huge, explosive victory from our protagonists, but this serves to make the series even more realistic.Darkness Be My Friend also contains what is surely the saddest scene in the entire series.This is a must-read, of course, for anyone who enjoyed the previous books. ... Read more

Product Description
Ellie Linton is a survivor.Because she's honest.Because she's loyal.Because she's incurably brave.And because sometimes she's lucky.

But what happens to survivors when their luck runs out?

Packed full of action and human drama, John Marsden's Incurable delivers another fast-paced adventure that will thrill old fans and new readers like.

... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Extension of Tomorrow Series
While different than the Tomorrow Series I'm happy to see that its been extended. It shows the scars that don't go away after tragedy is experienced by children.

Where did the story go?!
What was a series about teenagers surviving the invasion of their country on their own has turned into a story about farming and an insufferable child.

There is nothing to like here. If I had never read the Tomorrow series I would not have finished this book. I only kept reading because I hoped for #1 a plot (like the others had) and #2 the return of all the characters I knew and loved.

Do not buy this if you are new to the stories. Definitely do not buy it if you've read the Tomorrow books.

I am so disappointed.

Numbing filler
Gavin has been unlikable and in the way since he showed up in The Night is for Hunting.Unfortunately, Incurable was all about this nasty little sociopath. I miss Ellie.I miss her friends.I wish she'd turn Gavin over to family services so he could get the intensive help he needs and quit being such a complete drain on Ellie.

Very Disappointing
John Marsden's misguided follow-up series to the brilliant Tomorrow books takes another disappointing turn in Incurable.

The friendships, suspense, drama and passion of Marsden's original series of war stories has all but gone in the Ellie Chronicles, as the author has abandoned his characters and replaced them with what could essentially be summed up as a story about cattle farming and the world's most unlikeable child.

Once again I struggled to make it through the first part of the book, which consisted of endless pages about running a cattle farm. It was mundane, it was too detailed, and it was not what I signed up for when I began reading the Tomorrow books back in the early Nineties. John Marsden lives on a farm, and it seems he is so fascinated with his own life he feels the need to share it all with us through his characters. Unfortunately, it just isn't that interesting. Once again I found myself wishing Marsden had been able to let go of his story and leave it where it should have been left - at the conclusion of the war.

Worst of all, Ellie - brave, heroic Ellie - has become boring. And stupid. She spends the entire book running around and fussing over Gavin - the violent, stubborn, selfish and hopeless child Marsden introduced towards the end of the Tomorrow series, and now essentially the only other character in the story.

I wish John Marsden would explain why he felt the need to ever introduce the younger children at all, but especially why he decided to do away with the brilliant characters of the past and replace them with this utterly unlikeable child. Where in the past the action came from the war and from the struggle of Ellie and her friends to save their country, now it stems completely from Gavin's incompetence.

Gavin sneaks over the border, which forces Ellie to risk her life to find him, and then he nearly kills Ellie and her friends by firing a gun at them by accident. Gavin is sent home from his friend's place for mutilating an animal, and Ellie decides it would be easier just to overlook the situation - you know, because she loves him anyway. In the most pointless moment of the entire series (which is simply Marsden padding out an empty story), Gavin falls off a cliff, leading to Ellie risking her life to climb down and save him. Then Gavin goes to see his family, which leads to Ellie being chased by a murderer. The murderer is almost successful in killing both Ellie and Gavin because of Gavin's incompetence in that situation too.

Gavin, Gavin, Gavin, Gavin.

The child has no redeeming qualities, no likeable qualities. None. We are being force fed gigantic ladles of Gavin, and we are expected to enjoy it - because once or twice Ellie mentions that she really does like him, despite all of the bad stuff.

I'm sorry Mr Marsden, but that simply is not enough.

Perhaps most upsetting is Ellie's newfound blasé attitude towards her friends, and her sometimes boyfriend(s). It is out of character and it feels like Mr Marsden is betraying his strong group of friends by turning them into a bunch of dithering - and very distant - idiots. It really seems Marsden does not realise we read the Tomorrow books for the friendships, not the child rearing. He would do well to remember his target audience. The writing is getting sloppy, and Mr Marsden seems bored with his own story. The repetition is annoying - the same words (some of them offensive to me) pop up every few sentences. It just doesn't feel like the same person wrote this new series.

Worst of all, the action is completely unconnected to the war and the continuing struggle for independence. It is all erroneous rubbish because Marsden - for some unknown reason - feels the need to go on drawing out a story that is long past its use by date.

If you enjoyed the Tomorrow series, please leave it at that. Nothing about the Ellie books is similar. These days when Ellie is in a life or death situation she goes off on speculative tangents that last for pages and pages. By the time we get back to finding out if she is going to survive her latest brush with death we have forgotten why she was there in the first place. And more time is devoted to describing the dull details of life on the farm than is to the Liberation movement.

I made the colossal mistake of purchasing all of the Ellie books, and so have read through to the end of the series, but in all honesty I wish I had stopped back when the war ended.
... Read more

Product Description
The Dane as never seen before — in a daring, dazzling, sexy prose retelling of Shakespeare’s tragedy by best-selling author John Marsden.

Something is rotten in the state of Denmark, but Hamlet can’t be sure what’s causing the stench. His rage at his mother’s infidelities — together with his greed for the sensual Ophelia and his dead father’s call to revenge a "murder most foul" — have his mind in chaos, and he wants to scatter his traitorous uncle’s insides across the fields. But was it really his father’s ghost that night on the ramparts, or a hell-fiend sent to trick him? "Action is hot," he tells Ophelia, who lives shut up in a tower with her longings and lust. "Action is courage, and reflection is cowardly. Picking up the knife has the colors of truth. As soon as I hesitate. . . ." In this dark, erotically charged, beautifully crafted novel, John Marsden brings one of Shakespeare’s most riveting characters to full-blooded life in a narrative of intense psychological complexity. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Not a great re-telling
I wish I would have re-read Hamlet before tackling thiscontemporary remake.If I had done that, maybe I would have enjoyed this more, but as it was, I felt that this was a truly dull retelling of the classic story.I found the authors writing style very abrupt. I did not find it to be "beautiful prose" as one reviewer stated.This book did not flow well at all and the author did nothing to highlight the drama present in this story.It seems that so much could have been done with the characters, but instead they are lifeless and flat.Hamlet is a mess and Ophelia is nothing but a caricature of a sex starved adolescent.I was very disapointed with this effort and didn't finish the book.Reading this has inspired me to go back and read the play again so in that respect it was a worthwhile effort.In all others though, it seems to be a giant missed opportunity to do something that could have been great.

Another mediocre retelling of Hamlet
Most people know the basic premise of //Hamlet://Hamlet's uncle, Claudius, murdered Hamlet's father the king and married his mother.The old king demands that Hamlet seek vengeance, which Hamlet does after using a cleverly worded play to verify his uncle's guilt.And in the end, everyone dies.John Marsden has taken this story, the bane of many high schoolers' existence, and re-written it as an accessible and more understandable novel.In //Hamlet: A Novel// some sections of the play have been expounded upon, and the characters have been more developed.Unfortunately, much of the writing falls flat.Hamlet himself is portrayed as just plain weird, full of unusual ideas and bizarre thoughts, while Ophelia is obsessed with being with Hamlet and Horatio spends much time fixated on his commoner past.This novel definitely does lay the story out clearly to those who might be confused by Shakespeare's writing, but many aspects of it are simply lacking.

Reviewed by Holly Scudero

Courtesy of Teens Read Too
Something's rotten in Denmark, but this time, it's not Shakespeare's normally confusing play. Marsden does a fantastic job of taking the Bard's poetic writing and updating it for modern readers.

Hamlet still faces issues the original author set for him (an unfaithful mother, a murderous uncle, the hauntingly attractive Ophelia), but the reader is able to delve more deeply into the characters as they are brought to life by Marsden's beautiful prose.

Since this is a modern version, it does have a few instances of cursing as well as some sexual innuendo, so I feel it would be better suited to older teens and adults.

Thanks to a fantastic high school English teacher, I never had trouble understanding HAMLET, but I enjoyed reading Marsden's version and seeing a more modern twist on the story.

Reviewed by:Joan Stradling ... Read more

Product Description

Customer Reviews (2)

The Gavin Chronicles
Circle of Flight is the completely underwhelming end to the post-script trilogy that follows after the Tomorrow series.I almost can't put into words what a bitter disappointment this series, and especially this book, is.Completely unlikable and constantly underfoot, Gavin took what was one of my favorite YA characters of all time and turned her into a miserable nothing.Ellie was going to go somewhere, do something, and now it seems like she's doomed to a life in the 'burbs, all for a little sociopathic snot.I almost want to mourn for her.

Marsden would have done better by not have tacking these three inferior books onto the satisfying conclusion of the original series.

The End of a Wonderful Series of Books
Starting with Tomorrow When the War Began and continuing through the war series, John Marsden has written seven books that any teen or adult will find captivating. It is the story of teens in Australia who return from a camping trip to find their country invaded by a foreign country.

Circle of Flight is the last book in the Ellie or post war events. I highly recomend the entire saga. ... Read more

Product Description

Through the mail, Mandy and Tracey become fast friends. They share news
about their boyfriends, their siblings, and their pets. They trade stories
about school and home. They confide their every hope and fear. Or do they?
What are the secrets hidden between the lines of their cheerful letters?

... Read more

Customer Reviews (79)

Letters....from where?
Letters from the Inside
John Marsden
Book Review

Tracey puts an ad in the paper, Mandy answers, and that's the beginning of their friendship. They share friend troubles, boy troubles, family troubles, and more. But Tracey's life seems PERFECT to Mandy. Her family, her friends, her boyfriend, Casey, and even her grades. It all seems a little too perfect. When Mandy starts mentioning an older, creepy, brother, Steve, Tracey is curious. Tracey finally gets it out of Mandy, but she doesn't like what she hears. Then when Mandy wants to confide in Tracey about problems with Steve, Tracey refuses. In fact Tracey ignores the topic completely. Then when Mandy tries to have a friend bring Tracey a letter at the school Tracey said she went to, the people say that they've never even heard of her. That's where Tracey's story falls apart. She lied about the school and everything else. Tracey is truly in a detention school for the underaged, called Garrett. The next couple of months Tracey tells Mandy about her REAL life at Garrett, and as Tracey requested, Mandy writes about her "normal", "average" life with her family. The one thing Tracey won't tell Mandy, though, is why she's there, what she did. Tracey tells Mandy, that when she turns 18, she'll be going across the street to a women's jail for two years, then she'll finally be free. Will Mandy ever REALLY find out what Tracey did??
I really enjoyed this book because of the letter format. I like the way Mandy and Tracey write back and forth. The letters tell a story of a strong friendship that was based on a lie but the truth only made that friendship stronger. The lies Tracey told about her family, things like, the fact that her family is always vacationing together, and her brother and sister are always there for her, made me think while reading it that these lies where just based on what she didn't have. It also made me think that since her father killed her mother and then ran away, she didn't have that much of a family when her grandmother died. What I liked about that was the way John Marsden made you believe all those lies, and then when the truth came out, it left you thinking, "Why did I not see it before??".
I would give this book a 10 out of 10 because I love the story line, Tracey learning that lying is wrong, and that best friends are always there for you and if they leave, they really aren't your best friend. Other books I read like this weren't half as good as this one because they didn't really define the needs that teens have for a friend. All the other books said was just stuff like, "She's my best friend, I didn't see it before, but now I do." and " That's what best friends are for!". So when I read this book it really helped me realize that a friend is someone who, not only cares for you but, realizes when you need help and just helps you, no matter what!! People who would like this book would probably be people who love mystery and suspense because this story is all about that, especially in the end, when it just leaves you hanging. Read Letters from the Inside by John Marsden, you will LOVE it!!!!!

by Haley

Letters from the Inside by John Marsden
I had already read John Marsden's "So Much to Tell You," and found it fascinating, so when I saw "Letters from the Inside," I checked it out and began reading. From the picture on the front of the book, and the title, it was obvious to me that one of the letter writers was in jail. I was surprised that this wasn't evident in the letters that the pen pals were at first exchanging, and quickly realised that Tracey, the girl with the seemingly ideal life must be the one in prison, because, quite frankly, no one's life is that perfect! Mandy, her correspondent, quite intuitively picks up on the fact that Tracey is hiding her true self behind this fairy tale facade, and calls her out on it. Once the truth of Tracey's place of residence has been revealed,the story takes on a new depth. I loved the honesty in the exchanged letters. Marsden pulls no punches. The reader is ushered into Tracey's life of day-by-day survival in the A Block of Garret, and although we never find out what she did to get there, we can only imagine, which is far more powerful. Mandy, whose life on the outside is far from ideal, turns out to be the kind of friend that Tracey never dreamt she'd have. I somehow knew, as I was reading it, that this book would not have a "happily ever after" ending, so I wasn't surprised when it didn't, but even so, It was far from what I had expected. This is a multi-faceted, riveting book that will haunt me for a very long time. I recommend you read it.

Letters from the Inside
This delightful little book shows the evolution of a friendship between two teens.While on the surface, it appears that these two have little in common, they both live in their own prisons.Tracey, is serving a sentence at a juvenile detention facility.Mandy, is the child of two overworked parents who can't see that their abusive son is on the verge of some Columbine-type violence.

Their letters cover a full range of teen experiences, and over the course of a year's worth of letters, the reader gets to know two unique young women.

Lousy Ending
Tracey placed an ad in a magazine for a pen pal.Mandy saw the ad and decided to start writing.The two girls, both in high school, begin writing to each other on a regular basis.Tracey writes about her boyfriend and her rich parents and the exciting places she goes on the weekends.Mandy writes about her family.She likes them except for her brother who is often violent and sometimes scary.She is not as rich as Tracey but has a pretty good life.

Then Mandy begins to see holes in Tracey's story, especially when she finds out that Tracey doesn't go to school where she said she did.Under pressure from Mandy to tell the truth, Tracey finally reveals that she isn't who she said she was.In fact, she is in a maximum security prison for girls under 18.When she turns 18 she will be transferred to a real prison for a couple more years.She doesn't want to talk about what she did to get into prison; she just wants to hear what things are like in the real world, on the outside.Mandy talks about what it is like to live a normal teenaged life, and she does her best to boost Tracey's spirits about her situation.

Tracey wants Mandy's life to be perfect, but Mandy is growing more and more worried about her brother.Will Tracey's friendship be able to help Mandy the way Mandy has helped Tracey?

I liked reading this story from two points of view, especially when the characters were going through such different things in their lives.I especially liked seeing what Tracey's life was like while in prison and the way she came to lean on Mandy to help her cope.

However, the ending of the book was horrible.There wasn't really any finality, leaving the reader to wonder about what happened.I also didn't like that there was no real difference in writing style between the two girls, so it was confusing at the beginning, trying to keep straight which was which.

Letters fromthe Inside
This really was a great book. It starts out with a girl named Mandy who starts writing to a girl named Tracy (it's in letter format) who seems the ideal life................ or does she?

Letters from the Inside has to be one of my favorite books by John Marsden, the onlt thing about it is, and I don't know if this is a bad thing or not, but it ends with such a cliffhanger it's terrible (not the book, the suspense) in the end you don't really know what happens. ... Read more

Product Description
A rich and haunting allegory of colonization for all ages and cultures, told from the viewpoint of native animals. This stunning picture book examines the consequences of the arrival of a group of rabbits with entirely unfamiliar ways. They bring new food and animals, and they make their own houses to live in, eventually dominating the environment and its other inhabitants. The parallels with our own experience are many: "They chopped down our trees and scared away our friends and stole our children..." ... Read more

Customer Reviews (14)

Wow.
John Marsden, The Rabbits (Simply Read Books, 2003)

I was originally going to give this book a long, meandering write-up about immigration and xenophobia and Australian history and all the digressions, tangents, &c. that would naturally follow from such a thing. And this is a book that richly deserves it because of the number of layers to be found here. Impressive in a book that comes in at around one hundred words. Yes, one hundred words. But Marsden (who would hit it big a couple of years later with Tomorrow, When the War Began) chooses those words so carefully, and Shaun Tan's illustrations complement them so well, that every page gets you thinking harder and harder about all this stuff. It makes other kidlit books I've read recently (e.g., Chef Creole, above) pale in comparison. In fact, I can't think of a book with so few words aimed at such a young audience that has ever struck me as being this effective save Shaun Tan's own The Arrival. (The only other one that comes to mind is the mid-grade book Seedfolks, much much more verbose.) This is an amazing book, and it may even be more effective for the adults than it is the kiddies. Get this. *****

Very good evaluation book
This book needs to be studies very carefully! It is an excellent demonstration of the effects on environmental boundary conditions for the native people in lage areas. The documentation is a great and substantial contribution to political analysis work.

Sadly beautiful, beautifully sad
I discovered this book years ago tucked away (one copy) on a corner shelf in an independent bookstore that had a wonderful children's book section.I read it, absorbed it, and walked away from it.It stayed with me.The next time I was at that store, I looked for it again, but couldn't find it.I couldn't even remember what the title was (I knew it had something to do with rabbits) or who the author was.To my complete lack of surprise, it wasn't something I found at the big chain bookstores, though I searched regularly.Another reviewer refers to this book as "haunting," and that is exactly right.THE RABBITS haunted me from my first reading.

I stumbled upon it again here at Amazon thanks to a review written by a complete stranger for another book by a different author, in which he referenced this book by name and author.I ordered it immediately, and am so grateful to have gotten a second chance to add it to my library.

Rabbits were introduced to Australia from Europe in the 18th century, and their effect on the ecology of that continent was devastating.Wikipedia claims they are "suspected of being the most significant known factor of species loss" in that country.Their use in this beautiful book as a metaphor for colonial destruction, both careless and deliberate -- of the environment, of native species, of indigenous culture -- is both genuis and heartbreaking.

I don't have children myself and don't know how old a child would have to be to appreciate this book rather than be bored or confused or simply put off by the bleakness of the allegory... but I know that I found it wonderful, and I am grateful to both author and illustrator for creating something that haunted me from the first time I read it to the moment I was finally able to buy and revisit it, almost six years later.

For any who are interested in the subject of cultural devastation wreaked on the aboriginal people of Australia, the depressing but wonderful movie "Rabbitproof Fence" is eye-opening.

The Rabbits
An incredibly detailed and rich visual narrative, 'The Rabbits' is Shaun Tan's art at its best. The story tells of an invasion of rabbits into a land populated by nomadic tribes of possums. It clearly parallels Australian history, with invasion by colonisers and the fear and despair of the indigenous peoples. Very poignant.

Shockingly bad book, I literally threw it in the garbage
This book is horrible.It is an absolutely horrible story.Allegory or not, its just terrible.The graphics are somewhat interesting, but just as disturbing as the story. Cynical, ugly and totally inappropriate content and images for ANY children's book.I literally threw the book in the trash.Seriously. My wife suggested we donate it to the library, but I wouldn't do that to my library. ... Read more

Product Description
The 'other royal family' of the sub-title is first noticed in the seventh century as the Cenel Loairn, one of the principal dynastic kindreds of Dalriada, the embryonic kingdom of the Scots in Argyll. By the end of that century they had displaced the Cenel nGabrain, a kindred descended from the traditional founding dynast Fergus Mor, from over-kingship of Dalriada and clung on to power until the Pictish onslaught of the 730s. While the Cenel Gabrain extended eastward into Pictland as the MacAlpin kings of Alba, the Cenel Loairn moved up the Great Glen to reappear as hereditary mormaers of Moray, effectively kings in the north who achieved their pinnacle of ascendancy when Macbeth seized the high-kingship of Scots in 1040. His death, and that of his kinsman and successor Lulach, at the hands of Malcolm Canmore signalled the resurgence of the Cenel nGabrain and launched the Cenel Loairn into terminal decline. Yet the house of Lulach still pursued its claim on kingship through a sequence of rebellions against Canmore kings which continued into the second quarter of the thirteenth century."Kings, Mormaers, Rebels" traces the story of the Cenel Loairn and its descendent kindreds through more than six hundred years to throw an unfamiliar side-light on the emergence of the medieval kingdom of the Scots. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Darn! Another Book Out of Print!
No point reviewing it in detail. Hartley, Dove, and O'Keefe are three of my favorite 20th C painters, and I was reminded of this book by seeing some of their works in the new De Young Museum in San Francisco. Hartley's stock seems to be rising these days. The Walker Museum in Minneapolis is the best place to get to know him. I had a chance to buy a Hartley canvas some twenty years ago, but I thought it was overpriced. Terrible mistake! It would sell for six to eight times more now. With critical assessments shifting from the who-influenced-whom approach to a more open-eyed confrontation with the paintings per se, Hartley is bound to rise even higher.

The new De Young didn't thrill me at first. It looks a lot like Darth Vader's garage from the outside, and it was built to house an essentially provincial collection. HOWEVER... It's getting a comfortable feeling inside, with excellent viewing angles and light, and the collection includes three wonders: 1)great stuff from Indonesia, well displayed and intelligently labeled. 2)great stuff from Mesoamerica, also well displayed. 3)about four good gallery rooms of 20th C American paintings, including the three mentioned above, and Diebenkorn, Jess, de Kooning, Hopper, TH Benton, etc. I like to jog through Golden Gate Park, stop at the De Young to view just one gallery or even one painting, and then jog out to the Pacific. ... Read more