Ellie can’t believe they are going back. After 5 months recovering from both physical and mental wounds, they are going back to Wirrawee Australia and lost sleep, food rations, and danger. Back to Hell.

This time, as part of a NZ military unit, they return to the mountains outside of Wirrawee. It’s not long before the recent past, and Ellie’s memories of bullets, battles and blood, overwhelm her. She has to retreat back to base, leaving Lee and the NZ soldiers to scope out the town.

They don’t return. Ellie, Homer, Kevin and Fi know something is wrong, and they set out to look for them. Security has been tightened however and only a mad bareback gallop on horses, and a purposely lit scrub fire save them from patrolling soldiers. Still they worry about Lee and the New Zealanders.

When they do reunite, Lee has information about their families and friends. Information that is almost too horrible to bear.

They realise they are on their own again, and have to decide whether to attack or retreat. Lee makes the decision for them, and they’re back into danger again.

Plans don’t go to plan, and they flee Wirrawee alone, with no clues at what happened to their NZ unit.

Ellie isn’t the only one dealing with the mental fallout of all they have been through. She even regrets choices made when she was safe in NZ for a few months. Going back to Wirrawee with a NZ military unit brings it all back and she’s suddenly frozen in fear, mid mission.

Regrouping, she finds her grit and is back in charge of an attack they have put together, for maximum damage. No explosions this time, but plenty of teeth clenching action. The introspection by Ellie as she tries to understand her own actions and feelings while dealing with constant fear and adrenaline, is authentic and understandable.

She can be bossy, difficult and has had all-encompassing anger issues. Working with a “shrink” has helped, but Ellie has definitely been changed forever by all she has seen and done, and lost. This might be No.4 in the series, but there are no slow bits.

Author – John Marsden

Age – 15+

Read the rest of the series

(1996, Pan Macmillan, Danger, Enemy, Prison, Escape, Armed guards, Series, Action, Classic, Friendships, Explosions, War, Australia, Gunfire, Bomb, Port, Jets, Australia)