It is time for me to reiterate that this novel holds a special place in my heart. I received it as a Christmas present when I was either 11 or 12, the young formative years pretty much and because it was a novel about my own country and contained a teenage female protagonist who is humanistically flawed and embodied so many elements I looked up to, this novel became everything I needed at that time.

Re-reading the series now, I can see its flaws and you will too if you decide to read it. But the flaws do not outweigh the good and this novel has stood the test of time making it a novel I recommend you read and one happy I loved so dearly growing up.

The reason why Tomorrow, When the War Began is worth an hour is because it creates a sense of empowerment, especially for young teens. As a reader, this novel provides you will the belief that the actions of one can create monumental change. This novel works in a wonderful message that your actions matter and yes, they could even be enough to change a war.

An adventure and action packed novel filled with bombs, explosions, secrets, and lots of fear. Tomorrow, When the War Began is the first installment in the Tomorrow Series and it is absolutely worth your time.

I feel that the purpose of the plot is to set up the situation, characters, and their drive in-depth to ensure a series could be created and that readers will be interested in reading more. This novel creates the precedent for the rest of the series and incorporates a fast-paced plot whilst leaving just enough out that you will desire more.

The climax is evident and will leave you internally screaming. Do not start reading this thinking it is a standalone novel because by the ending you will want more. Good thing these novels were published over 20 years ago and you don't have to wait for the sequels.

Tomorrow, When the War Began is dictated by Ellie, one of the eight teenagers featured in the novel. Encouraged by the others, she starts to journal everything that happens to them the day the war started.

What you will like about the characters is that Marsden writes flawed and realistic characters. What I valued most about this novel is that despite Ellie being the storyteller, she has evident and clear flaws that she herself sees. You gain appreciation for these characters because nobody is perfect, especially during wartime and I think their actions and personalities reflect that really well.

This group of eight are determined individuals and are powerful and again, realistic individuals, that make you feel emotions! There is a bit of stereotyping in Tomorrow, When the War Began and Marsden in an interview said that in today's climate he would have never written this series because it shines poor light on invaders when Australia should be focused on unity, not separation. There are also other stereotypes like "prim and proper city girl," and "rural country boy," and are things to be aware of if you decide to read this novel.

Overall, the characters are well-written, it is so interesting to read a story through the viewpoint of an aware protagonist and you will enjoy these characters. You will be aggravated but they are human and humans make mistakes. And as a series, you get to enjoy them for quite longer than normal and also get to see them grow.

You will finish Tomorrow, When the War Began and immediately want more. The ending sets up the rest of the series because it is unsatisfying, there is no way you can just read this and then stop. Good thing the second one is ready to go, read my review of The Tomorrow Series #2 here!

It was like saying hello to an old friend. Tomorrow, When the War Began was my favourite novel growing up and I immediately fell down the rabbit hole that was the tomorrow series. Can I just mention real quick that they tried to make a movie out of this and ONLY MADE ONE?!? C'mon, I need this to be a TV series already. Please.

Rereading this as an adult proved to me that I chose correctly as a child as these were still great to read even a decade older (I still cannot believe I just said that). I will admit, compared to when I was a kid, certain aspects fo the novel were more "convenient" than I remember but hey, storytelling can have a little leeway and not too much was taken to make this an unbelievable story.

The best part of reading about teenagers doing so many heroic actions when I was young is that I believed I could impact the world like them. As an adult, I recognize that my impact will most likely be MUCH smaller than theirs but it still gave me hope. It made me believe, and I still do believe, on a smaller scale that I will change the world even if its just flipping a pebble.

I loved Ellie growing up. She is head-strong and a loud female with flaws. She is stubborn, she gossips with her mates, and she is a natural born leader who burns down bridges. Ellie makes you believe you can fight without your whole identity being about fighting.

I love Tomorrow, When the War Began and I recommend you read this over and over again. If you have, what did you think about it??