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.---from the publisher
288 pages 978-0395837351 Ages 13-17
Keywords: science fiction, action/adventure, dealing with fear, feelings, dystopian, risk, war, part of a series, 13 year old, 14 year old, 15 year old, 16 year old, 17 year old
*******
This third in a planned series of seven books finds a gutsy group of Australian teens still resisting the enemy that has overtaken and begun colonizing their country. Holed up in Hell, a "wild basin of rock and bush," the band of five--two boys and three girls--launches guerrilla attacks, blowing up bridges and rescuing Kevin, a friend captured earlier. The focus here is on their most dangerous plan, the sinking of a container ship in Cobbler's Bay thus disabling the wharf's--and the enemy's--capabilities. Marsden crafts one of the most exciting and harrowing sabotage sequences in YA literature as Ellie, the elected scribe for the group, and Homer stow away in an empty container that eventually is loaded on the ship. The readying and detonation of their homemade bomb and Ellie's terrifying escape from harbor waters as helicopters and gun boats dog her will grab even the most reluctant reader.
One cannot help but be struck by the delight and respect that Marsden holds for teenagers. One also cannot help but be aware of the gender equity he subtly espouses. In spite of the fact that Ellie narrates the story, it is obvious that she is the leader because of her courage, stamina, and innate brilliance. In fact, as the tension builds, readers will forget that she is female; she is simply a brave person fighting for her life against incredible odds. Although this particular title stands alone, don't buy it unless you're prepared to stock Tomorrow When the War Began (1995), The Dead of Night (1997), and any other titles in this riveting adventure saga.---from Frances Bradburn, Booklist
