Among the Impostors [Hardcover]

Margaret Peterson Haddix (Author)

Book Description

Series: Shadow Children Books

It was awful. All those eyes, all looking at him. It was straight out of Luke's worst nightmares. Panic rooted him to the spot, but every muscle in his body was screaming for him to run, to hide anywhere he could. For twelve years‹his entire life‹he'd had to hide. To be seen was death. "Don't!" he wanted to scream. "Don't look at me! Don't report me! Please!" But the muscles that controlled his mouth were as frozen as the rest of him. The tiny part of his mind that wasn't flooded with panic knew that that was good -- now that he had a fake I.D., the last thing he should do was act like a boy who's had to hide. But to act normal, he needed to move, to obey the man at the front and sit down. And he couldn't make his body do that, either. -- from Among the Impostors

Luke Garner is terrified.

Out of hiding for the first time in his life, he knows that any minute one of his new classmates at Hendricks School for Boys could discover his secret: that he's a third child passing as the recently deceased Lee Grant. And in a society where it's illegal for families to have more than two children, being a third child means certain death at the hands of the dreaded Population Police.

His first experience outside the safety of his home is bewildering. There's not a single window anywhere in the school; Luke can't tell his classmates apart (even as they subject him to brutal hazing); and the teachers seem oblivious to it all.

Desperate to fit in, Luke endures the confusion and teasing until he discovers an unlocked door to the outside, and a chance to understand what is really going on. But to take this chance -- to find out the secrets of Hendricks -- Luke will need to put aside his fears and discover a courage that a lifetime in hiding couldn't thwart.

Once again, best-selling author Margaret Peterson Haddix delights her fans with this spine-tingling account of an all-too-possible future. Among the Impostors is a worthy companion to Among the Hidden and a heart-stopping thriller in its own right.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Continuing the story of Luke Garner, a third child born under a futuristic government that only allows two children per family, this sequel to Among the Hidden picks up with Luke finally out of hiding and going to boarding school under an assumed identity. While Haddix is often able to capture the suspense of her earlier work, this installment gets mired in too many confusing details, and the conclusion is flimsy. As Luke's initial bewilderment at Hendricks School for Boys subsides, he begins to notice that some students behave strangely some appear to respond to several different names, and others are constantly holding themselves, rocking. When he discovers a bunch of other "exnays," or third children, meeting in the woods, he hopes that he's finally found a community where he belongs. But Luke is still frightened of being turned over to the Population Police should he trust these kids with his true identity? The descriptions of the school, windowless and built like a labyrinth, combined with accounts of obtuse school staff, give Haddix's story the appropriate nightmarish quality, and readers will understand Luke's constant feelings of anxiety. Other plot points are harder to follow, such as the confusing test the exnays put new kids through to see if they are third children. In the end, Mr. Hendricks, the school's founder, shows up to shed light on all the mysteries, but his explanations are less than believable, and questions left unanswered point too obviously to another sequel. Ages 9-14.

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal

Grade 5-7-Luke, a third child, hides quietly in his house, eluding the Population Police because he lives in a society in which families are only allowed two children. Now he has a chance to come out of the shadows by taking on an assumed identity and leaving home. This sequel to Among the Hidden (S & S, 1998) has Luke, now Lee, entering the Hendricks School for boys and a completely new existence where he feels lost and confused by his surroundings. He has gone from a furtive solitary existence to one in which he is never alone, from being desperate for company to being hazed by his classmates, particularly his roommate, "the Jackal." Lee learns to cope with the changes before him by escaping through the door to the outside. The story is artfully told with suspense and interesting twists. As Lee's confusion dissipates, readers begin to see what is going on. Lee is a fully realized character, developing courage and a true sense of self. Peripheral characters are not as fully developed, serving solely to further the story. Repeated references to Jen, another third child from the first book and martyr to all third children, may cause readers to wonder what they have missed. By the end of the story, the main character evolves into "L" and the author has created the possibility for another sequel. This compelling read can be enjoyed alone but it's sure to leave readers wanting to know the whole story.
Susan M. Moore, Louisville Free Public Library, KY
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 176 pages
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books For Young Readers; 1st edition (June 1, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0689839049
• ISBN-13: 978-0689839047
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.7 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (109 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #473,802 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

I grew up on a farm outside Washington Court House, Ohio. As a kid, I liked to read a lot, and was also involved in 4-H, various bands and choirs (I played flute and piano), church youth group, the school newspaper, and a quiz-bowl type team. I was pretty disastrous as an athlete, although I did run track one year in high school. After graduating from Miami University (of Ohio), I worked as a newspaper copy editor in Fort Wayne, Indiana; a newspaper reporter in Indianapolis; and a part-time community college instructor and freelance writer in Danville, Illinois, before my first book was published. I've moved around a lot as an adult, having also lived in Luxembourg (during a college semester abroad) and in Clarks Summit, Pennsylvania. Several years ago, I moved back to Ohio with my husband and kids; we now live in Columbus, Ohio. My husband trains investigative journalists, and my kids are in high school, so there's always a lot going on around our house.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

18 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars MPH Has Done It Again! This is better than Among The Hidden, June 23, 2001

A Kid's Review

This review is from: Among the Impostors (Hardcover)

When "Lee Grant" goes to school, he is not used to going to school, "although he has been going all his life." The truth is, Lee Grant is dead. Luke Garner is a third or shadow child, a violation of Population Law. All families must have 2 children max because of food shortage. So Luke gets a fake ID, a chance to come out of the shadows, to meet new people. So LEE GRANT (A.K.A Luke Garner) enters Hendricks School for Boys, the equivelent to Harrow School for Girls. Tortured and getting a record breaking 10 demerits is not what Luke calls meeting new people. Luke is also scared. Do you call showers ang toilets with nodoors, eight nosy people to a room and only one table for his grade very private? No! Luke is worried that someone will catch him. Turn him in, which means death. He knows that from previous expirience. Then Luke finds a door, leading to a wood. THat's his ticket from strange boys and weird teachers. THis book is amazing! It's kind of slow a t first but keep reading! I was reading it at a restaraunt and I kept gasping, and everyone kept turning around and looking at me. I wouldn't even eat! Now my dad is reading it and he loves it!

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Among the Imposters, June 10, 2001

By 

W. D. (Noxon, MT) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Among the Impostors (Hardcover)

Margaret Peterson Haddix has done it again! Among the Imposters is an exciting book that refuses to be put down. As a sequel to Among the Hidden it rates very highly. Many sequels often lose some of the power that the original book portrays, however Among the Imposters not only is an excellent story in its own right, it also readies the reader for the next installment in the series. Third children in this future society are not allowed. In fact families are closely monitered by the Population Police. However many third children secretly exist. Luke,our protagonist in this story, is a boy that has lived in secret with his parents for all of his life. The discovery that other third children exist is new to him. He is helped by a neighbor and former father of a third child. Luke is given a new identity and is enrolled in a private school. At first Luke lives in terror that he will be discovered. But as time goes on he realizes that all is not as it should be in this school. The author surprises the reader with many suspense filled twists in the plot that keep you guessing until the end. Students and teachers in my school were so enthralled with Among the Hidden that they are lining up for the opportunity to check out Among the Imposters. As the librarian, it will be my challenge to keep this series current!

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Among the Impostors, October 19, 2003

A Kid's Review

This review is from: Among the Impostors (Shadow Children Books) (Paperback)

The book Among the Impostors is written by Margaret Peterson Haddix. She writes about a boy named Luke who has taken the secret identity of Lee Grant, because he is an illegal third child and is hiding from the population police. When he arrives at Hendricks School for Boys he thinks that this will be a new adventure for him. After he meets Rolly, and a bunch of other boys he knows that he will be in for a lot of trouble because they are mean and secretive. After the weeks he had been there, trying to figure out his schedule and trying to make a friend, he still didn't get it. One day, he was wandering to find his class when he found a door that was cracked open ajar. There was a bright light shining through the door. He decided to sneak out. It was like heaven to him. He hadn't been outside since he lived at home and the woods were behind his house, but then they tore down the woods and he wasn't allowed to go outside anymore. After that day at school since he had been outside and he hadn't gotten in trouble, he decided that he was going to do that every day. You will have to read this amazing book to find out if he gets discovered by the population police or if he will be continuing his little visits outside in enjoyment by himself.
This book catches you in the decisions that Lee has to make. You travel with him and see what being a third illegal child would be like. I recommend this book to any reader who is looking for a book that has a weird twist in the end and is entertained by jam packed action books.