The Night is for Hunting (1999)

This sixth book in the Tomorrow series is just as exciting, exhausting and gripping as the five before. I love this series! ( )

see http://www.sfsite.com/02b/tom51.htm ( )

John Marsden's Tomorrow series is one of the best Australian young adult series ever written. It follows the experiences of a group of teenagers who go camping in a serene clearing called 'Hell' and return to find their homeland invaded, their beloved pets dead and their families held prisoner at the local showground. After the initial shock and fear, they decide that it wouldn't do just to sit tight and hope for the best - better to fight. With realistic action and the conflicting emotions that come from war (at one point Ellie wonders how many people it is OK to kill just to keep herself alive), this series will have you thinking about what you would do if you were in their shoes. The Tomorrow series is neither pro or anti war. It simply tells what happens and leaves the reader to judge. If you don't read this series you are missing out on something great. ( )

The second of my birthday books gone - only one more to go!

The problem with the Tomorrow series is that the books are like action movies. The car chases, suspense and other action sequences are exciting, but oh, so inevitable. Each new adventure seems to be a case of "what can do this time that will be different enough to shock and amaze? How can we top the last one?"

Fortunately, John Marsden is a fantastic storyteller and there's enough balance that I don't mind the action sequences. And this one, with its emphasis on children, adulthood and responsibility, has its own special pace. Each book contributes a different aspect of living in a war. This one was a bit of a surprise - but then they all are.

And this time, the book ended on a cliffhanger that quite clearly signalled the finale - the final climax. It is clear that there were never intended to be more than seven books. But now I have to wait for another year to find out "what happened?" How does the war end? Does Australia win? Or do they have to accept that Australia belongs to someone else now? Only a year to go before I find out... ( )

It seems the general opinion of this is that it's the worst of the series, since it's more about Ellie and the gang looking after the feral kids instead of attacking the enemy. I really enjoyed it, though, still had the 'oh man I just can't put this down' feeling. Just as good as the rest of the series. An excellent build up to the last book, which I'm fighting myself from opening right now: The Other Side of Dawn. I think I'm going to find myself disappointed there aren't more books when I finish the Tomorrow series! Although, I also have the Ellie Chronicles to read. ( )