Darkness Be My Friend (The Tomorrow Series #4) [Library Binding]

John Marsden (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 11, 2008

Ellie and her friends had been rescued. Airlifted out of their own country to the safe haven of New Zealand, they'd arrived burnt and injured and shocked, with broken bones, and scars inside and out. They did not want to go back. But five months later the war is not over, the nightmares continue, and there are two compelling reasons for them to return: a planned sabotage of the air base in Wirrawee and, most important, the families they left behind. In this most recent episode of the tale begun in Tomorrow, When the War Began and continued in The Dead of Night and A Killing Frost, John Marsden takes us back to Hell, the outpost for a group of teens in a war-ravaged country. "Fans of this powerful series will not look forward to an early armistice." (The Bulletin)

--This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

There are only five of them left now. Ellie and her four friends, Lee, Homer, Kevin, and Fi, have reluctantly returned to New Zealand from Australia to lead more guerrilla attacks on the enemy (who invaded their country in the previous book, Tomorrow, When the War Began). The group has staged raids on their captive hometown Wirrawee from the wilderness sanctuary they call Hell, blowing up and burning enemy headquarters and bridges and supply depots, and killing with their bare hands when they must. By the end of the two sequels, The Dead of Night and A Killing Frost, they are strong and resourceful, but tired and soul-sick with the pervasive violence. Two of them have been killed, and one has killed himself in despair. When they were rescued and airlifted to New Zealand, they thought the nightmare was over. But now they have been sent back to Wirrawee to guide a party of adult raiders on a planned sabotage of a strategic airfield. Something goes wrong; the adults never come back from the raid, and Ellie and her friends are again left on their own to do what they can--and must--to survive.

Like John Marsden's other books, this story is immersed in darkness and dread. It's packed with almost unbearable suspense and breathtaking action, as the personalities and relationships of these decent country kids are eroded by the imperative for violence. Marsden fans will elbow each other aside for a copy of this one, and will look forward to the three new installments on the way. (Ages 12 and older) --Patty Campbell --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

From School Library Journal

Grade 8 Up-The fourth volume of Marsden's saga of teenage survival and defense of their homeland during war continues the tale at its customary breakneck pace. In the previous books, Ellie and her continually dwindling troop of friends arrived home from a week's camping in the bush to discover that their small town-and, seemingly, all of Australia-has been overtaken by an unnamed enemy army. This latest volume takes up the tale as Ellie and her four remaining buddies leave the safety of New Zealand to return to their old campsite, planning to infiltrate the enemy-held town of Wirrawee under the protection of New Zealand soldiers. The soldiers soon disappear, however, leaving the teens once again on their own. In this middle book of the tale-which runs to seven titles in Australia-the teens learn the fates of their families and manage to survive without further losses. There are hair-raising adventures aplenty, including a break-in at the general store that goes awry, as well as Ellie's unintentional mortal dispatch of an enemy officer. As with previous titles, the ending leaves readers hanging in wait for the succeeding books. The adventures here are finely wrought and enough new background detail is supplied to keep loyal followers of the series engaged in the characters' development. However, this isn't a story to approach midstream. It needs to be read from the beginning, and teens will want to continue once they have done that, for Marsden's style is as surefooted as his independent band of teens.
Francisca Goldsmith, Berkeley Public Library, CA
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Library Binding: 272 pages
• Publisher: Paw Prints (April 11, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1435233921
• ISBN-13: 978-1435233928
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.2 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (28 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #11,170,087 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Darkness be my Friend IS as good as the others, October 6, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Darkness Be My Friend (The Tomorrow Series #4) (Hardcover)

I have just completed the final book in the series, book seven: 'The Other Side of Dawn' and I have to say that it was every bit as good as the other six, although I think some readers might be a little disconcerted by the ending. 'Darkness Be My Friend' may lack the action and romance of the other books, but I think that Marsden was more interested in portraying some of the mental distruction of war and violence. Fighting battles can not be all about winning, not every plan can succeed and people pay for it both physically and psychologically, but if they're strong enough they can overcome it, and go on to fight some even more spectacular battles. I personally really apreciated this book, because I wouldn't have found the series as believial if it was all about death, destruction and win, win, win. Life is simply not like that.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Not as thrilling as the rest but great all the same!, November 1, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Darkness Be My Friend (The Tomorrow Series #4) (Hardcover)

This is the fourth of seven books in the famous Tomorrow series, i am from Australia where the whole series is out, this book lacks action but was needed it is what life's all about, you can't win all the time and this book shows that john marsden can acknowledge this and not make the series into a hollywood movie style fairytale where everything ends up good and everyone does everything right, life's not as good as all that. The next three: Burning for revenge, The night is for hunting and The Other Side of Dawn are heaps better, and i have read them, you'll have to wait a while to read them in the USA and other countries but it's worth the wait!

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Beyond incredible . . . these books are too powerful!, July 5, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Darkness Be My Friend (The Tomorrow Series #4) (Hardcover)

These books are incredible. There are not words to describe exactly how incredible. When you read these books, you get so swept up in them, so caught up in the realness of the emotion and the experiance and the characters, that you can't break loose - you are so completely caught up that you must, must must without a doubt read on till the end, unstopping. And then you've got to run to the bookstore and get the next one or go mad trying. These books affect you emotionally - they are powerful beyond logic. For example. When I finished the third book, I sat, clutching the book so hard my fingers turned white, for almost half an hour. Then I started to cry. I was in shock the entire weekend. This is one of the rare series that affects you mind and soul. Read it, if you want a powerful read, and incredible read beyond words. You will never, ever forget it.