The Other Side of Dawn

August 26, 2002
A crop of sequels and series additions greet fans this fall. Australian author John Marsden's The Other Side of Dawn brings his Tomorrow series to its dramatic conclusion. Bestsellers in Australia, the seven-book series revolves around a dwindling group of teenagers fighting for their lives and Australia's survival against a brutal invading army. Here, as the war enters a final phase, the dangers for narrator Ellie and her friends seem greater than ever. Who among them will find a lasting peace?

October 1, 2002
Gr 9 Up-This final installment in the series takes place approximately one year after Ellie and a group of friends became reluctant guerilla fighters in the war that broke out while they were on a camping trip in the Australian bush. The teen and her surviving friends are asked to conduct raids and sneak attacks on the enemy, creating confusion among their troops at a critical point in the fighting. In spite of the great danger, they agree and the action intensifies. Ellie, the narrator, is a strong female character and the weight of her leadership responsibilities and the urgency of the situations the group faces are vividly conveyed. The action sequences are gripping and there is an expected amount of violence. The confusion, depression, and tensions that follow the end of the fighting are also realistically depicted. The book can stand alone, but the many references to the action and characters from the earlier titles make it a better choice for those already familiar with the series. Purchase where the previous books have been popular.-Michele Capozzella, Chappaqua Public Library, NY

Copyright 2002 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

October 15, 2002
Gr. 8-12. Yes, this really is the final book in Marsden's Tomorrow series, and it may be a disappointment to Ellie's fans across the English-speaking world. The war finally grinds to an end as the five teens fight one last battle with the enemy, this time with the help of a New Zealand soldier and with supplies from the ubiquitous Colonel Finley. Marsden is at his exciting, if somewhat improbable, best when writing about Ellie's single-handed train sabotage and the teens' attempts to blow up a huge truck stop on the road to Cavendish. However, the prison-camp scenes become uncomfortably derivative of Holocaust fiction. And while a satisfying reunion with family and friends is the ultimate payoff for Ellie and readers alike, too much retelling rather than action will be the verdict about this last book in an otherwise very satisfying series.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2002, American Library Association.)

January 1, 2003
This seventh title wraps up Marsden's saga of a group of Aussie teenagers retaliating against an enemy invasion of their country. This time, Ellie gets separated from her friends, blows up a train, and lands in a prison camp. Readers who have come to know Ellie and her comrades will be kept riveted throughout, eager to know the final outcome for each member of the group.

(Copyright 2003 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)