John Marsden: While I Live

John Marsden is undoubtedly one of Australia's most popular authors for young adults. He has written more than 30 books, both fiction and non-fiction, and each one has earned accolades from teachers, librarians and parents, as well as from his readers.

His outstanding non-fiction titles include Secret Men's Business, a candid guide to growing up for teenage boys, and The Head Book, an eclectic collection of important (and interesting) facts.

Tomorrow, When the War Began, which was first published in 1993, is the book he is probably best known for in New Zealand. The first in an award-winning series of seven books to feature plucky teenage heroine Ellie Linton, it is the story of what happens when Australia is invaded by a foreign power.

Not only did the book smash sales records in Australia, but it also captured the hearts and imaginations of readers around the world.

While I Live: The Ellie Chronicles is the first book in a new series narrated by Ellie Linton, and it picks up the story of Ellie and her friends after peace has been restored to a much-reduced Australia. The foreign power has signed a peace treaty with Australia but there is now a border running through the centre of the continent, and Australians have had to cede vast tracts of land to their enemy.

The town of Wirrawee, which lies close to the new border, is gradually emerging from the horrors of war. Ellie is delighted to be once again living with her parents on the family farm, although much of their former land has been redistributed.

However Ellie's peace is short-lived. In the first chapter her parents are
brutally killed by a band of marauding enemy soldiers from across the border.

Once again Ellie must put aside her dreams of a "normal" adolescence and take on serious responsibilities. Not only does she miss her parents dreadfully but she now has the family farm to deal with. Furthermore, Gavin, the profoundly deaf boy whom her parents informally adopted, is now totally dependent on her for financial and moral support.

Within weeks of her parents' deaths Ellie finds herself grappling with a bombastic lawyer who appoints himself as her guardian and then tries to sell the farm from under her. Ellie also finds herself on a top secret mission across the border to rescue a friend captured by enemy troops.

Lee, her boyfriend from the Tomorrow series, re-appears, but he too has had to assume responsibilities for his younger siblings.

While I Live is a compelling, action-packed account of ordinary teenagers living in extraordinary times. Instead of being pre-occupied with school, Ellie and her friends have to grapple with armed marauders and unscrupulous lawyers. At the same time they are experiencing moments of teenage angst as they deal with the complexities of relationships without the guidance of parents.

Marsden's accessible writing style means that this book could easily be read by intermediate school-aged readers. However, While I Live deals with some hard-hitting dilemmas that may be better understood by readers aged 14 and over.

A great fan of New Zealand, Marsden will be visiting schools throughout the country next week. He will be at the Glenfield Library in North Shore City on Thursday, July 22 from 7 pm. Free admission.

Publisher: Pan Macmillan

Price: $16.99

Age: 12-plus

Recommended by: Dorothy Vinicombe