Tomorrow, When the War Began

Marsden, John

ISBN 10: 061300132X ISBN 13: 9780613001328

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.

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Review

"... a riveting adventure through which Marsden explores the capacity for evil and the necessity of working together to oppose it." (The Horn Book Magazine)

"I really love this book. It's great." (Amazon)

"John Marsden's Australian setting for a seven book series becomes a vivid backdrop for the first title available in audio format. Read by Suzi Dougherty with teen-friendly voicing, the story moves from tense and gripping to philosophical by turns. Ellie, the narrator and resident of the rural ranching district surrounding Wirrawee, tells the story. She and her seven friends return from a camping trip to find their families captive, their homes destroyed or deserted, and their country invaded. Warned in a faxed message to 'go bush', they set up a base camp in Hell, a nearly inaccessible valley they have penetrated. Slightly reminiscent of Z for Zachariah by Robert C. O'Brien, which is mentioned in the story, Ellie is presented here as an inventive and admirable heroine. Conducting covert raids for information, supplies, and rescue missions, the friends ultimately progress to an actual guerrilla attack on a key bridge along the enemy supply line. All the while, the friends muse on larger questions – the good and evil in people, their own loyalties, and potential romance as they draw together in the face of their experiences. The discussion of sexual feelings, while not at all graphic, makes this more suitable for high school age listeners. Dougherty's narration is light-hearted, pensive, or fast-paced depending on the mood. Her Australian accent offers a convincing touch that adds to the flavor of the story. Everything does not come out happily ever after in this compelling and thought-provoking novel, and listeners will be eager to read or listen to the other titles in the saga." (Customer Review)

Review

'Tomorrow is a seven-book long series and I've already started reading the second ... an exciting action-adventure that ends with a bang' Pretty Books. (Pretty Books)

'a very enjoyable read ... It's like an electric current running through your veins, that's how eager and how much I loved this book' Read, Write and Read. (Read, Write and Read)

'[John Marsden] knows how to create a palpable page-turner for all ages' SFCrowsnet. (SFCrowsnet)

'The best series for Australian teens of all time.' The Age. (Age)

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