Circle of Flight (Ellie Chronicles #3)

In the final Ellie Linton book, Circle of Flight - the third in the Ellie Chronicles and the tenth featuring Ellie Linton - John Marsden completes the Tomorrow series books.

Ellie is still hoping her life will settle down. The war has been over for a while, but the border raids continue. The new country next to her has a habit of kidnapping people for ransom. The group Liberation - headed by their own version of the Scarlet Pimpernel - has been successfully freeing kidnap victims and stopping raids.

When Gavin, Ellie adopted brother, is kidnapped the ransom demanded is a trade for Ellie and the Scarlet Pimple. While there is no way Ellie trusts the kidnappers enough to believe they would trade (and she doesn't know the identity of the Pimple though she has a few guesses) she must get Gavin back.

This final installment in Ellie's life does offer closure to its readers - but it does end with the hope that life will finally settle down for Ellie. In my opinion, the Tomorrow Series and the Ellie Chronicles together create of the best YA series ever written. If you haven't read them yet - start the first book today!

Marsden, John. (2006). Circle of Flight. Sydney: Pan Macmillan Australia.

Incurable (Ellie Chronicles #2)

Incurable is the second book in the Ellie Chronicles by John Marsden. The Ellie books follow the seven-book Tomorrow series.

Ellie and Gavin are struggling to run the farm, go to school, and find time to sleep. The war has ended but the settlement that gave half of Australia to the invaders has taken its toll on the Aussies. Ellie is trying to save the farm while having to lease her own land from the new owners. Gavin is her only daily helper.

Along with farming and financial problems, the Liberation group is still raiding across the border. Ellie doesn't want to be a part of Liberation, but cannot let her friends walk into situations they may not live through. It is like the war will not let her go.

Ellie's continued narration (now for nine books) is compelling and engaging. She is a character who captures the reader. Marsden is a genius.

*Note to potential readers: This book is not yet available in the US. Though it has been out in Australia for three years, publishing rules and copyright law is holding up the process for Scholastic to release it here. This is one of my greatest annoyances! It is already in English (basically). It is ridiculous that it takes so long to be printed here.... Lucky for me, my friend's mom brought me this and the final book from Melbourne!

Marsden, John. (2005). Incurable. Sydney: Macmillan.

While I Live (Ellie Chronicles #1)

The Ellie Chronicles follow the Tomorrow Series by John Marsden. The first of the Ellie Chronicles is While I Live.

A peace settlement has been reached, but in the process Australia has lost almost half of the country to the invaders. But all Ellie cares about is getting back to normal - living on the farm with her parents (and her new adopted brother), going back to school, and being able to eat regularly.

There are rumors of border raids, which doesn't at first concern Ellie although their land in on the edge of the Australian territory. Then one day while hiking with Homer and Gavin, she hears shots.

And with that sound, her world is turned upside down again. She will have to cope with more loss, learn to run a farm on her own, raise Gavin, somehow finish school, and convince the court to appoint Homer's parents as her guardians. And those skills she learned during the war might be put to use again.

Marsden, John. (2007). While I Live. New York: Scholastic.

Tomorrow Series, Ellie Chronicles - John Marsden

The Tomorrow Series I feel I haven't given John Marsden's Tomorrow series the due it deserves. It is hard to write enough to explain the story without giving any of the key points of the plot away. Marsden does a great job of telling an engaging story and including the pain, fear, and triumph of a band of teenagers fighting a war for their country - Australia. Ellie Linton and her friends - Fi, Homer, Lee, Corrie, and Kevin - convince their parents to let them go camping over school break, skipping the Commemoration Day festivities. They are gone for five days to a camp site deep in the bush. When they return, first to Ellie's place, her parents are missing and all of the animals have died. They check each kid's home on the way into town -Wirrawee. And each looks the same. No sign that anyone returned from the Commen Day fair at the Showgrounds. Once they get into Wirrawee, they begin to see evidence of soldiers - and not Australian soldiers. Ellie and her friends know instinctively to keep hidden. They collect supplies and head back to their camp to decide what to do. After realising that they are on their own, the group decides to do what they can to fight back. And for the seven books of the series, the group of friends sneak, fight, scavenge, hide, run, sabotage, and find out what is important in life - at a time when so much has been stripped away from their normal way of life that they took for granted for so long. This is an intense look at war through the eyes of Ellie as she writes about her experiences through the invasion of her country. It is well written, with many lessons to teach. "It seems like suffering's the only time we can see what's essential. If peace ever comes back I'm making a vow: I'll design myself special glasses. They'll block out whether people are fat or thin or beautiful or weird-looking, whether they have pimples or birthmarks or different coloured skin. They'll do everything suffering's done for us, but without the pain. I'm going to wear those glasses for the rest of my life." The Tomorrow Series by John Marsden: 1 - Tomorrow, When the War Began 2 - The Dead of Night 3 - A Killing Frost 4 - Darkness Be My Friend 5 - Burning for Revenge 6 - The Night is for Hunting 7 - The Other Side of Dawn The Ellie Chronicles This series is followed by The Ellie Chronicles. The war has ended in a peace settlement that has left many people who used to spread across the continent of Australia, crammed into only part of the land. All Ellie wants is for life to get back to normal - living on the farm with her parents, feeding animals, going to school... However, it looks like the story has some other plans for her. She may yet need the skills she acquired in the war to protect her family farm. The Ellie Chronicles: 1 - While I Live 2 - Incurable 3 - Circle of Flight