Darkness, Be My Friend (1996)

Amazon.com Amazon.com Review (ISBN 043985802X, Paperback)

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