The Other Side of Dawn (The Tomorrow Series #7)

At last, the final episode of the gripping Tomorrow series by wildly popular Aussie author John Marsden has crossed the Pacific, and this concluding chapter in the lives of Ellie, Fi, Homer, Kevin, and Lee may be the most exciting one yet. Informed by Colonel Finley that the military is making a move that could be compared to the D-day attack of WWII, the outback teen guerillas know that the end of the bewildering war that changed their lives is drawing near. Armed with plastic explosives and grenades, courtesy of the New Zealand Army, they have been instructed to "spread chaos and confusion behind their (enemy) lines in every way, shape and form." For Ellie and company, this means targeting a hostile refueling station and train tracks. Of course, nothing is ever easy. There are still the feral kids to worry about and the dismal discovery that soldiers have infiltrated Hell, their only secured hiding place in the bush. As The Other Side of Dawn rockets at breakneck speed towards its stunning climax, only one thing is certain: there is no guarantee that any of them will make it through this last conflict alive.

Not a book for new recruits, The Other Side of Dawn will be most enjoyed by those hard-core fans who have been with Ellie and the gang from the beginning. Wirrawee buffs will be rewarded with classic Marsden: teeth-jarring action sequences interspersed with meaningful moments between friends who may not see the sunrise again together. This is a satisfying ending to a smashing good series. (Ages 13 and older) --Jennifer Hubert