Review: Tomorrow, When the War Began

Title: Tomorrow, When the War Began
Author: John Marsden
Pages: 304
Publisher: Scholastics Paperbacks

Goodreads Summary:

When Ellie and her friends return from a camping trip in the Australian bush, they find things hideously wrong--their families are gone. Gradually they begin to comprehend that their country has been invaded and everyone in their town has been taken prisoner. As the reality of the situation hits them, they must make a decision--run and hide, give themselves up and be with
their families, or fight back. An ALA Best Book for Young Adults.
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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.

My review:

So I definitely saw the movie to this book first, without knowing there was a book series that went along with it. And I have to say, there are very few movie that are so close to the book.

Tomorrow, When the War Began is a book that looks at the line between man and animal, and crosses it.

One of the things I really enjoyed about John Marsden's writing was the way he stated what everyone knows. Humans give names to objects and then give them so much more significance. He gives an insight to how people change, drastically, when their lives are at stake. Becuase Darwin's theory of evolution applies here: only the fit can survive.

Everything Marsden's states through his characters (Ellie, Homer, Robyn, etc.) are so true. They act just like how anyone their age would. He didn't make the characters pre-prepared to survive. He didn't make them Eagle scouts or military kids or super geniuses. He gave everyone normal lives, normal jobs that you would find in that part of Australia. It just shows you how even the simplest things you learn everyday can help you survive.

Another thing about this book that I enjoyed was that it was in a way, a diary. It wasn't dated or anything, it was just Ellie's reflection of everything that had happened. She tells the story through her eyes, and then for everything that she hadn't been there for, someone told the story and she wrote it down. It always seemed like you were informed on everything that happened. There was no real dark secret that came back to ruin everything.

All in all, I really enjoyed this book. And even though this may not have been the best review, I suggest everyone read it.

Rating: 5/5 stars

Karina