John Marsden (1) (1950–2024)

A gorgeously-illustrated picture-book exploration of the cultural and ecological colonization of Australia. When the strange Rabbits arrive, the indigenous residents aren't sure just what to make of them, but by the time they realize that their elders were correct, that these newcomers don't "understand the right ways," they are already overrun. As the land is transformed, the indigenous residents find themselves marginalized and oppressed - even their children are taken from them. The book show more closes with the heartfelt question: "Who Will Save Us From the Rabbits?"

The equation of European settlers with rabbits in this book is no accident, as another reviewer noted in her mention of the brilliant film Rabbit-Proof Fence. Rabbits were a species unknown in Australia until the arrival of Europeans, and they quickly overran the native flora and fauna. They proved so destructive that a continent-wide fence was built to contain them.

John Marsden's text, which takes the Aboriginal perspective for its narrative, is full of bewilderment and quiet grief. Taken together with Shaun Tan's evocative illustrations, this story is profoundly moving, all the more so because it is told in such a "simple" metaphoric style. Simply beautiful, that is... show less

Darkness, Be My Friend by John Marsden is the fourth book in the series about a group of teens who return from a wilderness camping trip to find their country has been invaded and their families taken prisoner. With very few options they become guerrilla fighters, but after a particularly dangerous mission they found themselves being hunted down.

After a perilous rescue at the end of the last book, Ellie and her friends have been living safely for the past five months in New Zealand. Even show more though they have suffered terrible losses and are sick with fear at the thought of returning, when they are asked to go back, they know there is only one answer.

This is an excellent YA series that really takes a hard look at war and what it can do to the individuals who are swept up in it’s tumult. As there is a lot of hiding and waiting in this particular volume, the book delves into Ellie’s feelings about being responsible for the death of others, even though they are enemies and how she and the others are coping with the overwhelming grief they feel over the loss of loved ones. I have been rooting for this group since the first book and these books are ones that I look forward to reading. show less

It all begins with a camping trip, to a place called Hell. Ellie and her friends have a fantastic lazy time, but when they come back, everything has changed. Their pets are dead, their homes deserted. Their tiny town has been invaded by hostile forces, and most of its inhabitants are being held prisoner. This is the story of how seven teenagers react to the unthinkable, and how they survive, and learn to fight back, as the war takes hold.

Perhaps the greatest feature of this amazing adventure show more is how plausible it is- everything that happens could, quite realistically, happen. The young people do not react to their situation with immediate ruthless efficiency; they cry, they yell at each other, they go into denial, they make mistakes. They deliberate a great deal about what is the right thing to do, and the reader becomes caught up in the decision-making process. The whole story is pervaded with a sense of “what would you have done, if the choice were up to you?”

Throughout the story, Ellie’s narration maintains a sense of both the seriousness of their situation, and also of the need for optimism. She relates many examples of humour and affection amongst the terror and disbelief. In part this is what helps to maintain the characters’ realism for the reader… as long as there are sarcastic teenagers, we can’t be too far removed from real life!

When they first assemble for the camping trip, the main characters don’t all know each other very well. There are three guys and four girls, including Corrie and Kevin, who are already dating. Over the course of the story, relationships within the group develop and change, as people begin to feel attracted to one or other of their companions, and these feelings may or may not be returned. Also, with their family members in custody, the young people begin to respond to one another with the same mix of loyalty and frustration that might more typically be applied to siblings or parents.

An interesting sub-plot to the war story is the legend of the Hermit from Hell: a murderer who was supposed to have escaped authorities and made his home in this seemingly inaccessible piece of bush. Gradually Ellie and her friends uncover evidence to support this theory, and begin to piece together a somewhat different version of events. The Hermit’s story ties in with their main adventure, by raising again the question ‘is it ever OK to kill another person?’

This is an excellent and compelling read for anyone from age 12 through to adulthood. It is equally appealing either as an independent read, or a serial to read aloud. show less

Fieldnotes:
1 Secret Camp in the Outback
1 Week of Lazy Teenaged Squabbling
1 Mysterious Invasion by Soldiers of Unknown Origin
1 Cunning Plan for Deliberate Sabotage
2 Gunshot Wounds
2 Kick-ass Explosions
1 Hidden Cache of Historical Documents
1 Very Confused Love Triangle

The Short Version:
This proceeded quite slowly through the layer of teenaged squabbling until the invasion and adventure finally came to light. At that point, things became much more interesting, what with the pilfering of heavy show more machinery and the shooting and the exploding of things. While I'm not terribly enamored of any of the characters (or Ellie's tendency to ponder in print the hotness of buddies Homer and Lee), I'm sticking with it for the fireballs - because who hasn't wanted to blow up a riding lawnmower?

The Long Version:
I love a good survival story - and survival stories with added sabotage and guerilla warfare? Sign me up, please! Which is why I'm a bit mad at myself for having taken this long to cotton on to the fact that John Marsden's Tomorrow, When the War Began offers me all those things. Shooting, pilfering of heavy machinery, explosions - plus Australia and a hidden cache of historical documents of questionable relevance that lead to some soul-searching and serious smooching? WHY did I not read this before now? WHY?

Suffice it to say that once we got through the first fifty pages of the group camping, this book takes off with a vengeance. There are some serious action scenes, but perhaps the best part about it is that Ellie and her friends are conflicted.

They're not sure whether to fight back, whether to surrender, whether to hide. They're scared and angry and they just want to know whether their families are ok, but they have no real way of finding out. They're quick-thinking and resourceful in ways they never thought possible when everything is on the line, and I love their transitions from thinking like school kids to thinking about tactics, strategies, supply lines, cover (and back again). It's a world of tough choices and makeshift family and little room for sentimentality. And I'm really interested in seeing what happens next.

The one thing I found a bit off-putting was Ellie's descriptions of her love triangle. While the triangle itself didn't actually bother me because it was a messy tangled whirl and therefore realistic rather than the typical two-hot-dudes-both-want-me-woe-is-me-nice-guy-or-bad-boy dilemma, the fact that Ellie was acting as a scribe for the group irritated me. I mean, you KNOW your friends are going to read it, this isn't your personal diary, OMG WHY ARE YOU WRITING ABOUT THIS?! show less