THE OTHER SIDE OF DAWN

The Australian teenage resistance fighters are back and as dauntless as ever in this seventh and last installment of the gripping series that started with Tomorrow, When the War Began (1995). Three of the original eight have died since a foreign power invaded their country in the opener, and now the remaining five have word from New Zealand that an all-out effort is imminent. Their assignment is to cause as much trouble as possible in the final days, using the explosives they’ve received. Ellie’s compelling narration continues to have an authentic teenage tone, mixing suspenseful fighting scenes with occasional musings about love and forays into sex. A smart, brave risk-taker, Ellie is one of the group’s leaders, who draws on useful knowledge from her farm upbringing. For about a third of the way, she’s on her own, in serious danger, worried sick about the fate of her friends. As always, the plot keeps readers on the edge of their seats, never knowing if the whole group will survive. Australian writer Marsden provides a realistically imperfect yet hopeful conclusion. Readers new to the series would do well to begin at the beginning, while the series’ many fans will be sorry to reach their final chapter in such an outstanding story of friendship, courage, and survival. (Fiction. 13+)