While I Live: Library Edition

Rating:
Summary: Powerful and Captivating
Review: Powerful and captivating best describes John Marsden's latest novel, While I Live. Following on from Marsden's award winning Tomorrow series; While I Live is the first in a new series entitled The Ellie Chronicles. Set in the set in the small rural Australian town of Wirrawee, it begins four months after a war has ended in Australia.

While I Live is narrated by Ellie Linton, an independent, mature seventeen year old. She lives on a farm with her parents and Gavin, a profoundly deaf boy who was abandoned during the war. The action begins in a gripping first chapter, when a tragedy occurs and Ellie's parents are killed by a group of enemy soldiers. Ellie's world is once again turned upside down and Ellie has to cope raising herself, Gavin and running family farm, with very little support. However, many challenges confront Ellie along the way and this makes a very interesting plot.

While I Live strongly resembles the style of the Tomorrow series and many old characters from the Tomorrow series make appearances in the book, including Homer, Fee and Lee. New characters are also introduced but unlike the old characters, the reader does not gain a deep understanding of them. Hopefully these new characters will appear more in the books to follow and this way, readers will get to know them better.

During the action scenes, Marsden does not disappoint his readers as he provides nail biting action scenes, making it impossible for the book to be put down. Humour is included into the storyline, possibly added to relieve the tension of the action scenes! It deals with some powerful issues that are best suited for the young adults' age group but it targets the intended age group well, providing the message "never give up hope". John Marsden leaves his readers waiting for more and there are signs to show that there is certainly more in store for Ellie Linton.