Book Title: Darkness, Be My Friend
Author: John Marsden
Series: The Tomorrow Series #4
Series: The Tomorrow Series #4
Date Started: June 23rd 2013
Date Completed: June 29th 2013
Genres: Action, Thriller, Romance
Rating: Four stars
Review:
I started reading the Tomorrow series a few years ago, after a family friend bought me the first book (original australian edition muhahahhahaha) after discovering my love of books. I fell in love with the characters, story and writing straight away - despite the leap that I'd just made into more sophisticated writing. I have to say, the last book, The Third Day The Frost, left me wondering how a sequel could better it - so I'm not surprised the Darkness Be My Friend didn't quite live up to my expectations for the books.
Darkness Be My Friend starts in New Zealand, where Ellie and her friends are being looked after following the events in Wirrawee that led to their escape of their invaded home. All of them - most of all Ellie herself - are greatly shellshocked from their experiences, but, as time passes, and the progress in Australia stalls, they aren't entirely surprised when they're asked to go back into the country. Living as guerrillas in war time was hard enough when there were eight of them, mostly just trying to survive. Now, with only five left and on a mission to make a difference to the retaking of their home, can they possibly continue to survive when danger is hunting them down whenever they go?
John Marsden writes in a very complex way for Young Adult fiction. Whilst his writing isn't difficult to read, as such, it's definitely more sophisticated and detailed than the majority of teenage fiction out there. A lot of thought and deliberation goes into his passages, so the reader picks up all kinds of emotions from the characters, which definitely adds to the effect.
The Tomorrow series is, firstly, a action/thriller. Yet, for the most part, the plot is actually based around these kids and how they manage to deal with war time and their situation. This book especially, a lot of the writing is about how Ellie and her friends feel and react to their parents being held hostage by the invaders. This is shown very well through Ellie's point of view.
I usually don't like books written from the first person, because I feel like the reader is influenced to think a certain way about people and events - whereas I prefer to draw my own conclusions from adding different sides of an argument that sometimes don't come through when a book is written this way. But Ellie's a very aware girl, and she always understands that there's another side of the story. But, at the same time, she is very selfish - and very real. This combination creates a quite confusing feeling for the reader - but it works in the situations the characters are in because it's a lot easier to empathise with someone when you have an idea about how they feel, not just what they're going through.
It's one of the most intense books I've ever read - there's either action and danger going on, or deep meaningful soliloquies from Ellie.
Like I said, a great deal of the plot is focused on the characters, particularly in this book. Not a whole lot actually happened, event-wise. This is probably why I didn't enjoy it as much as the previous books, just because I really enjoy reading action and adventure.
Having said that, the events that did happen were very well orchestrated. The action scenes were detailed, but brief. Marsden is an incredibly realistic writer; he never goes for the predictable, because the predictable very rarely happens in these situations. Although it may nail-bitingly annoying that the group failed their goal in the book, I have to admire Marsden for actually choosing this route. It's what would likely have happened, and that's why I'm still giving the book a very high rating.
I love the little down-time parts of his novels. I don't usually like quiet-bits in books because I think a lot of authors use them too much because they want a break from writing challenging chapters, but you can tell Marsden always uses them for a reason: sometimes it's to get a certain reaction from the reader; sometimes to prepare or foreshadow a future event; sometimes even just to emphasise how one of the characters is feeling.
The characters are the basis of this book, and it would all crumble down without them and the relationship they have with the reader. After reading the previous three books, I've grown to love these characters so much that I feel for them and I get sad when they do etc etc. And that's exactly what Marsden wants and planned when he started writing the series.
I often feel very sorry for Ellie. The thing that makes her such a great protagonist is that she is nothing special: just an ordinary, normal girl with no amazing abilities or anything. Yet she manages to live through so much. And that's what makes her special. In most books we're greeted by a person who already has something unusual and wonderful about them. What makes Ellie so brilliantly made is that she becomes special throughout the books, so we get to see her change slowly and gradually - and we hardly notice it. In a way she's one of the weaker characters, since it's made quite clear that she's affected by what happens to them quite a lot more than her friends, and she often jeopardises the group through her fear. But because of that the reader can relate to her and her narration makes it clear why she does such things and how she comes to doing them. We're presented with a character who, from the outside, could be considered very selfish and a bad person. But when we get to look inside her, we can tell that actually she's been forced into this situations and dangers and she's just dealing with it the best she can - which may not be very well, but she's only human. It's one of the best representations of human nature I've ever, ever experienced.
Fi becomes a bigger character in this book. Previously, she's still had a vital relationship with Ellie, but now that some of the other characters have left, we're definitely seeing more of her. I've never really been sure of Fi. I'm not quite sure why: she's a perfectly nice person - on the contrary she's an amazingly kind and courageous person. I think what's always put me off about her is the fact she came from a very rich and posh family right at the beginning of the series. I'm actually quite ashamed of myself for letting a stereotypical role form in my mind, and then stick with me throughout the books, but I can't help it. There may be another reason why I'm not certain of Fi, but if there is I can't think of it.
Homer is my favourite character, which was why I was sad he wasn't such a big part in this book. Homer is the most interesting to me because she's got such a big character and a lot of attitude, and still messes up all the time and is a complete jerk - that I can't help but find Marsden' flawless presentation intriguing. I honestly love him so much. I really wish his and Ellie's friendship was shown more, since we hear about it a lot, but rarely actually experience it. I just think he's such fun to read, even when he's in one of his signature stormy moods.
Kevin used to annoy me, but actually I've grown to like him. I think we're supposed to see him as a jerk in the first book, because he really messes up big time. And that feeling does linger in the other books. But Kevin keeps proving himself in small ways, as Ellie herself points out, and that, in the end, made me like him. Again, it's just another way of dealing with their circumstances. Acting like an idiot must be hard to avoid when everything you know it's there anymore - but sometimes he manages to break through it and be a hero.
Lee confuses me. I like him. I think. Like I said, he confuses me.
The other problem I had with Darkness Be My Friend was that when the climaxes came, they didn't seem particularly important. It's hard, in a book such as this, to have things constantly going on, and yet still push some events out as bigger than others. You can clearly tell what the main parts of the plot are, but when I was reading them, I was more thrilled or excited than I was on the other parts of the story.
The romance is brilliant. It's there a little bit, but it's very dysfunctional - as you would expect in the situation. I really like how that affects Ellie and the way she thinks about everything going on around her. It also doesn't consume the story. I was wary, when reading the first book, about how much it was going to affect the story. Btu actually, it definitely dies down when they realise the seriousness of their situation.
Again, Marsden, the best believable writer in the history of ever.
I would recommend this book to anyone who likes meaningful stories or anything about war time. There's loads of action, and I couldn't say it isn't a thriller. There is romance, but don't expect your typical Young Adult love story. It's anything but. I have a friend who's really into politics and loves these books, so maybe that might also interest you.
It's quite hard reading, do don't be surprised if you're a bit slow at first, it does pick up, especially towards the end. Also, it's quite a subduing, sad book. Don't read it when you're in a sensitive mood - it won't help.
Read the first books first! You won't truly love and understand and feel for the characters until you know their full story. Also, it's quite confusing if you don't know what's previously happened to them.
Image Source: http://bokglantan.files.wordpress.com/2012/08/9781780873145.jpg
I started reading the Tomorrow series a few years ago, after a family friend bought me the first book (original australian edition muhahahhahaha) after discovering my love of books. I fell in love with the characters, story and writing straight away - despite the leap that I'd just made into more sophisticated writing. I have to say, the last book, The Third Day The Frost, left me wondering how a sequel could better it - so I'm not surprised the Darkness Be My Friend didn't quite live up to my expectations for the books.
Darkness Be My Friend starts in New Zealand, where Ellie and her friends are being looked after following the events in Wirrawee that led to their escape of their invaded home. All of them - most of all Ellie herself - are greatly shellshocked from their experiences, but, as time passes, and the progress in Australia stalls, they aren't entirely surprised when they're asked to go back into the country. Living as guerrillas in war time was hard enough when there were eight of them, mostly just trying to survive. Now, with only five left and on a mission to make a difference to the retaking of their home, can they possibly continue to survive when danger is hunting them down whenever they go?
John Marsden writes in a very complex way for Young Adult fiction. Whilst his writing isn't difficult to read, as such, it's definitely more sophisticated and detailed than the majority of teenage fiction out there. A lot of thought and deliberation goes into his passages, so the reader picks up all kinds of emotions from the characters, which definitely adds to the effect.
The Tomorrow series is, firstly, a action/thriller. Yet, for the most part, the plot is actually based around these kids and how they manage to deal with war time and their situation. This book especially, a lot of the writing is about how Ellie and her friends feel and react to their parents being held hostage by the invaders. This is shown very well through Ellie's point of view.
I usually don't like books written from the first person, because I feel like the reader is influenced to think a certain way about people and events - whereas I prefer to draw my own conclusions from adding different sides of an argument that sometimes don't come through when a book is written this way. But Ellie's a very aware girl, and she always understands that there's another side of the story. But, at the same time, she is very selfish - and very real. This combination creates a quite confusing feeling for the reader - but it works in the situations the characters are in because it's a lot easier to empathise with someone when you have an idea about how they feel, not just what they're going through.
It's one of the most intense books I've ever read - there's either action and danger going on, or deep meaningful soliloquies from Ellie.
Like I said, a great deal of the plot is focused on the characters, particularly in this book. Not a whole lot actually happened, event-wise. This is probably why I didn't enjoy it as much as the previous books, just because I really enjoy reading action and adventure.
Having said that, the events that did happen were very well orchestrated. The action scenes were detailed, but brief. Marsden is an incredibly realistic writer; he never goes for the predictable, because the predictable very rarely happens in these situations. Although it may nail-bitingly annoying that the group failed their goal in the book, I have to admire Marsden for actually choosing this route. It's what would likely have happened, and that's why I'm still giving the book a very high rating.
I love the little down-time parts of his novels. I don't usually like quiet-bits in books because I think a lot of authors use them too much because they want a break from writing challenging chapters, but you can tell Marsden always uses them for a reason: sometimes it's to get a certain reaction from the reader; sometimes to prepare or foreshadow a future event; sometimes even just to emphasise how one of the characters is feeling.
The characters are the basis of this book, and it would all crumble down without them and the relationship they have with the reader. After reading the previous three books, I've grown to love these characters so much that I feel for them and I get sad when they do etc etc. And that's exactly what Marsden wants and planned when he started writing the series.
I often feel very sorry for Ellie. The thing that makes her such a great protagonist is that she is nothing special: just an ordinary, normal girl with no amazing abilities or anything. Yet she manages to live through so much. And that's what makes her special. In most books we're greeted by a person who already has something unusual and wonderful about them. What makes Ellie so brilliantly made is that she becomes special throughout the books, so we get to see her change slowly and gradually - and we hardly notice it. In a way she's one of the weaker characters, since it's made quite clear that she's affected by what happens to them quite a lot more than her friends, and she often jeopardises the group through her fear. But because of that the reader can relate to her and her narration makes it clear why she does such things and how she comes to doing them. We're presented with a character who, from the outside, could be considered very selfish and a bad person. But when we get to look inside her, we can tell that actually she's been forced into this situations and dangers and she's just dealing with it the best she can - which may not be very well, but she's only human. It's one of the best representations of human nature I've ever, ever experienced.
Fi becomes a bigger character in this book. Previously, she's still had a vital relationship with Ellie, but now that some of the other characters have left, we're definitely seeing more of her. I've never really been sure of Fi. I'm not quite sure why: she's a perfectly nice person - on the contrary she's an amazingly kind and courageous person. I think what's always put me off about her is the fact she came from a very rich and posh family right at the beginning of the series. I'm actually quite ashamed of myself for letting a stereotypical role form in my mind, and then stick with me throughout the books, but I can't help it. There may be another reason why I'm not certain of Fi, but if there is I can't think of it.
Homer is my favourite character, which was why I was sad he wasn't such a big part in this book. Homer is the most interesting to me because she's got such a big character and a lot of attitude, and still messes up all the time and is a complete jerk - that I can't help but find Marsden' flawless presentation intriguing. I honestly love him so much. I really wish his and Ellie's friendship was shown more, since we hear about it a lot, but rarely actually experience it. I just think he's such fun to read, even when he's in one of his signature stormy moods.
Kevin used to annoy me, but actually I've grown to like him. I think we're supposed to see him as a jerk in the first book, because he really messes up big time. And that feeling does linger in the other books. But Kevin keeps proving himself in small ways, as Ellie herself points out, and that, in the end, made me like him. Again, it's just another way of dealing with their circumstances. Acting like an idiot must be hard to avoid when everything you know it's there anymore - but sometimes he manages to break through it and be a hero.
Lee confuses me. I like him. I think. Like I said, he confuses me.
The other problem I had with Darkness Be My Friend was that when the climaxes came, they didn't seem particularly important. It's hard, in a book such as this, to have things constantly going on, and yet still push some events out as bigger than others. You can clearly tell what the main parts of the plot are, but when I was reading them, I was more thrilled or excited than I was on the other parts of the story.
The romance is brilliant. It's there a little bit, but it's very dysfunctional - as you would expect in the situation. I really like how that affects Ellie and the way she thinks about everything going on around her. It also doesn't consume the story. I was wary, when reading the first book, about how much it was going to affect the story. Btu actually, it definitely dies down when they realise the seriousness of their situation.
Again, Marsden, the best believable writer in the history of ever.
I would recommend this book to anyone who likes meaningful stories or anything about war time. There's loads of action, and I couldn't say it isn't a thriller. There is romance, but don't expect your typical Young Adult love story. It's anything but. I have a friend who's really into politics and loves these books, so maybe that might also interest you.
It's quite hard reading, do don't be surprised if you're a bit slow at first, it does pick up, especially towards the end. Also, it's quite a subduing, sad book. Don't read it when you're in a sensitive mood - it won't help.
Read the first books first! You won't truly love and understand and feel for the characters until you know their full story. Also, it's quite confusing if you don't know what's previously happened to them.
Image Source: http://bokglantan.files.wordpress.com/2012/08/9781780873145.jpg
