Darkness Be My Friend (The Tomorrow Series #4) - Softcover

Marsden, John

Softcover

ISBN 10: 043985802X ISBN 13: 9780439858021

Publisher: Scholastic Paperbacks, 2006

Synopsis

The battle continues as five ordinary kids must journey back into the heart of an epic conflict.

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.

About this title

Review

There are only five of them left now. Ellie and her four friends, Lee, Homer, Kevin, and Fi, have reluctantly returned to New Zealand from Australia to lead more guerrilla attacks on the enemy (who invaded their country in the previous book, Tomorrow, When the War Began). The group has staged raids on their captive hometown Wirrawee from the wilderness sanctuary they call Hell, blowing up and burning enemy headquarters and bridges and supply depots, and killing with their bare hands when they must. By the end of the two sequels, The Dead of Night and A Killing Frost, they are strong and resourceful, but tired and soul-sick with the pervasive violence. Two of them have been killed, and one has killed himself in despair. When they were rescued and airlifted to New Zealand, they thought the nightmare was over. But now they have been sent back to Wirrawee to guide a party of adult raiders on a planned sabotage of a strategic airfield. Something goes wrong; the adults never come back from the raid, and Ellie and her friends are again left on their own to do what they can--and must--to survive.

Like John Marsden's other books, this story is immersed in darkness and dread. It's packed with almost unbearable suspense and breathtaking action, as the personalities and relationships of these decent country kids are eroded by the imperative for violence. Marsden fans will elbow each other aside for a copy of this one, and will look forward to the three new installments on the way. (Ages 12 and older) --Patty Campbell

About the Author

John Marsden accidentally put himself through the perfect training to become a novelist.

He read vast numbers of books, acquired a love of language, and became insatiably curious about other people. He also had a variety of jobs, 32 at the last count, including working in abattoirs, hospitals, morgues and a haunted house.

In 1985, rather to his own surprise, he found himself teaching English in the Australian bush, at Timbertop School. Noticing a complete lack of interest in reading among his Year 9 students he tried his hand at writing a short novel that he thought they might enjoy.

The rest is history. John Marsden, author of the Tomorrow series and Ellie Chronicles, is now the world's most successful author of teenage fiction. He has sold a million and a half books worldwide, and has won awards in Europe, America and Australia. His first love however is still teaching, and he spends most of his time running writing camps at his property, near Hanging Rock, Victoria.

Edition details

• Publisher: Scholastic Paperbacks
• Publication date: 2006
• ISBN 10: 043985802X
• ISBN 13: 9780439858021
• Binding: Paperback
• Language: English
• Number of pages: 272