Tomorrow When the War Began by John Marsden

“Tomorrow When the war began” is a science fiction book based in a rural town in Australia. The book starts with two Teenage friends Corrie and Ellie who want to go on a 5-day remote wilderness camping trip where the rest of society cannot reach them and convince their parents to let them go and to bring others along with them. Corrie and Ellie are accompanied by 5 of their friends, Homer, Lee, Kevin, Robyn, and Fiona. During their isolation, Australia is invaded by a foreign nation. When they return home they find their friends and families captured they band together to learn how to survive on their own and learn guerrilla warfare tactics to strike back against the enemy. I found this book had a lot of adventure and action, I liked it mainly because of the adventure and action and because it was about war which made it more interesting. But at the start, it was quite boring as nothing really happened in the book, it was so boring in fact that I started thinking about reading a different book. The vocabulary used really helps tell the story as the author used lots of Australian slang words. But the vocabulary is very difficult, so hard in fact that there is a glossary stating what each slang term means. I’d recommend this book to people who are interested in war or people who want a book with a good story with lots of action and adventure.   (James W. Grade 8)

Rating: 4/5

Vocabulary Difficulty: 4/5

The book “Tomorrow, When The War Began” is a realistic fiction book about a group of friends who find themselves in an unexpected invasion and have to learn how to survive on their own as guerillas. There’s an interesting story with relatively good pacing, it can also be slightly relatable as the main characters are all teens. The vocabulary can be a bit challenging but it isn't too hard, there is also some inappropriate language sometimes. I enjoyed reading this book and it was sometimes hard to put down due to the book being suspenseful at times. I’d recommend this book to people who are interested in things with war or people who just want a book with a good story.  (Ashton. Grade 8)

Rating: 4/5

Vocabulary Difficulty: 3/5

This book is written by John Marsden. Marsden is an Australian writer and an unlicensed alternative school principal. While working with kids he began writing for children. Tomorrow When The War Began is a fiction book that involves a lot of Adventure too. I found the book interesting because it had an Australian theme. What I mean by this is that it had a lot of Australian slang involved in the book. The story was interesting as well because it had interesting themes in it like war and other stuff. I would recommend this book to almost everyone since it is a fun book that most people would like to read it.  (Tomek. Grade 8)

Rating: 4/5

Vocabulary Difficulty: 3/5

“Tomorrow, When The War Began” by John Marsden was an exciting book that was filled with adventure and thrill. In this story, Ellie and her friends come back from a camping trip to find out their town has been invaded by unfamiliar soldiers. They soon learn that they have to move fast in order to survive. With all the townspeople, including their parents captured, they are left to make some life-or-death decisions. This book keeps you on edge from the very beginning to the very end. This novel fits in the genres of adventure, thriller, realistic fiction, historical fiction, and a touch of romance. I would recommend it for ages 11 and up because its theme, which includes several deaths, might be a bit hard for younger ages.  (Nina. Grade 8)

Rating: 4/5

Vocabulary Difficulty: 2/5

The novel Tomorrow When the War Began by John Marsden is a combination of the historical fiction and action genres. The plot begins in Australia when a group of teenagers go camping, and return to find their houses empty, their pets starving, and their parents nowhere to be found. They soon put together the clues to realize they have been invaded. With their friends and families captured, they decide to work together to fight for their survival. I really enjoyed this book as the storyline was fun with many suspenseful moments making me wonder what would happen next. There were multiple plot twists throughout the story which made it suspenseful. Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this book and would highly recommend it to people who like an action-packed adventure.  (Seoyeon. Grade 8)

Rating: 5/5

Vocabulary Difficulty: 2/5

“Tomorrow, When The War Began” by John Marsden is an adventurous and historical book. Ellie and her friends decide to go camping, but little did they know that they were leaving their old lives behind. As they got back from camp, they came across many empty houses and starving pets. Ellie and her friends go on an adventure to face many different obstacles. In addition to this book, there are many more in the series. I enjoyed reading this book as it had many plot twists and the author kept you interested throughout the book. I would recommend this book to the ages of 12 and over because it had some inappropriate language and content.  (Ellery. Grade 8)

Rating: 4/5

Vocabulary Difficulty: 3/5

Tomorrow, When the War Began by John Marsden is a Historical fiction novel, I found this novel to be enjoyable because it had good story writing and the pace of the story was good, the vocabulary in this novel isn't that hard but there might be a bit of inappropriate language in this novel. I recommend this novel to people who like to read suspenseful stories and people who are 13 years or older because the language in the novel is meant for older audiences. The story is about Ellie and her friends going normal camping, but little did they know that they will be leaving their old lives forever. And when they returned home with their empty houses and starving pets, they realized something, the country has been invaded and the whole town was captured. So they have to decide if they should flee to the mountains or surrender or fight.  (Rama. Grade 8)

Rating: 4/5

Vocabulary Difficulty: 3/5