“Tomorrow When the War Began” is about seven teenagers who plan a camping trip by themselves and with their parents permission go camping in a bushy area known to them as Hell. After the fun & games are over and they return home to find that Australia has been invaded. All the townsfolk have been rounded into the showgrounds, an area where there annual fair is held. On excursions around their neighbourhood a member of the seven is hurt and must be carried back to hell in the middle of the night.

In Hell they find proof of a rumoured Hermits existence, a soldier that after the war settled down in the forest, but they uncovered the tragic truth he had shot his wife and child after they were severely burnt. The seven teenagers decide to help the war effort and become active guerrillas. After a lengthy debate they blow up the bridge into Wirawee, the main entrance to the town. Unfortunately during this challenge a member of the group is severely wounded and one of the seven, Kevin, gave himself in to save another. In this book surprisingly there are decisions that can be related into real life.

John Marsden is the author of over 30 books both fiction and non-fictional. His Tomorrow series is to date the highest selling Australian series ever. John Marsden writes to tell a good story and to explore ideas some are: trust, bravery, anger and reconciliation. John Marsden wants to portray a motto Take care & take risks, Be adventurous but not restless. John Marsden was a teacher in earlier days; he was head of English at Geelong Grammar’s Timbertop outdoor campus in alpine Victoria. He’s currently running his own school but that does not mean he has stopped writing. He is one of the most influential writers of modern periods.

Teenagers these days can learn messages from these books it may teach readers through: inferential meanings or literal meanings. Examples may be If a character in the book had to many people trying to sneak through a hole, some meanings that can be interpreted is too many chooks spoil the crop or a large amount of people should not all go together through a hole.

In Tomorrow When the War Began when the group first returns to town they decide to split into three groups Why? They split because they come to the conclusion that in smaller groups they will be harder to see, smell or hear. This situation resolves as nobody is seen or heard. The message that can be learnt from this is too many chooks spoil the broth or too many people can ruin a job. This is just one of the lessons that can be learned from Tomorrow When The War Began.

In this book not all lessons are based on war some are based on ordinary problems facing everyday teenagers. Ellie, the main character, is faced with the decision of who to go out with Homer or Lee. Homers is a farm boy who lives next door and they’ve been best of friends for years. Lee is the boy at school who keeps to himself and watches horror movies late at night. In the book Ellie ends up going out with Lee. This was chosen because Homer has been Ellis friend since she was little and she didn’t want to spoil her friendship. This can be related as if you have a friend you should always keep them close.

Decisions in the book get harder and harder with the hardest being that of who should take Corey after she was wounded in the gunfire on Wirawee bridge. Kevin decides that he should take Corey because he thinks that he could give more to the group that way. This can be related to real life is a friends life is worth more important than freedom. An example this lesson would come in handy would be if your friend had been bitten by a snake and you had committed an offence in the nearest town than it would be better to give yourself in and save your friend.

Some lessons like whether to kill or not are based in the situation you are in to save yourself it might be messier to kill. Ellie and her gang decide to blow up the bridge into Wirawee this is the hardest challenge they do it challenges them both physically and mentally. Ellie kills that day it haunts her for the rest of her life. The lesson that can be learned is you must challenge yourself to go beyond your limits.

Some decisions in life you will always remember through objects or smells for example in tomorrow when the war began the group has a decision to hide in the town or in Hell. The opts for the latter options because they have the necessity of life in Hell. Now every time they go to Hell they always remember the war they fought in this an example this could come in handy would be if you had a antique table and you had many attachments that you wanted to stay you would treasure it and keep of for life.

In all Tomorrow when the War Began it teaches readers how to deal with difficult situations as stated above. Many of these lessons they may keep for the rest of their lives. If this book interests the rehears it may spur them on a quest for information.