After nearly a year looking after themselves, Ellie and her friends are expert night creepers. One night when scoping out the ferals (a group of street Stratton children who mugged them), they encounter an enemy night patrol.

Ellie’s quick thinking and crazy driving skills get them and the ferals out of the city, but not without broken bones.

Ellie thought that was the difficult bit. Trying to coral a group of 5 – 10 year olds together and trek into Hell is just that. Hell. When they finally reach home, convincing the children they are safe is an entirely different matter. This time a rescue isn’t as successful.

Hell is a bit crowded now, but they make the most of it, even having a makeshift Christmas and beginning school lessons for the bored kids. These aims at some kind of normality are short-lived however and again the night is their friend as Ellie and Homer face a shootout against a much larger group of soldiers, between the rocks and trees.

Reeling from the gunfight they receive an intriguing message from the NZ military. What is about to happen?

Packed with more action in trucks and on motorbikes this time. Adding a group of annoying, demanding, whinging, but tough, resourceful children, mixes it up. The teens have to go out of their way, putting their own lives at risk more than once to look out for these kids, but the introspection at what these kids must have been through, sobers the group.

The teens find themselves in strange positions – a mother, father, teacher and more, to enable them to care for this group of kids. I love the way the teens grow and change as they face one dilemma after another. It’s not all healthy growth, but definitely authentic.

Author – John Marsden

Age – 15+

Read the rest of the series

(1998, Pan MacMillan, Growing Up, Classic, Australia, Friendship, Relationships, Self Doubt, Escape, Rescue, Gunfight, Soldiers, Enemy, Action, Adventure, Series, Conflict, War, Murder, Children)