Tomorrow, When the War Began

Tomorrow Series #1

By: John Marsden

Narrated by: Suzi Dougherty

Length: 7 hrs and 20 mins

Publisher's summary

While Ellie and her friends are away in the bush, the world changes. Suddenly they are in the toughest situations humans can confront, facing life and death decisions. They are thrown into a world where they find courage, initiative, spirit, and wisdom, or they die.

The first of an enormously popular series that has been translated and published all over the world.

Don't miss the other titles in John Marsden's Tomorrow series.

©1995 Jomden Pty Ltd. (P)1999, 2001 Bolinda Publishing Pty Ltd, by arrangement with Jomden Pty Ltd.

Critic reviews

"A gripping tale, told with Marsden's customary incisiveness." (Publishers Weekly)
"Fast-paced and provocative, it's a natural for book talking." (School Library Journal)

Kind of lame. knock off of Red Dawn

This is just a lame knock off of Red Dawn. I'm getting my credit back.

Fast moving, attention grabbing story.

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

I would recommend this book if you enjoy action based stories that centers around relationships of individuals working together for a greater good.

Who was your favorite character and why?

I thought all the characters were well developed as individuals. They seem like real people.

What does Suzi Dougherty bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

I truly enjoyed hearing the book read in a real Aussie accent. It made it seem even more real, as if I were watching a movie instead of reading a book.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

I was lucky in that I got to enjoy the entire book during a long road trip. It made the time pass so much faster, and an otherwise long boring trip was a pleasure.

Well worth a Credit!

This novel marks the first steps on Ellie's journey from "teenage farm girl" to "hardened guerrilla soldier". In the hands of a lesser writer it might have been botched but John Marsden handles this topic with the care and sensitivity it deserves.

Why does that matter? For a start it means that characters don't instantly take to killing like some other series I could mention. The progression happens in a way that feels real and isn't without personal cost to those doing the killing.

The true strength of The Tomorrow Series lies in how they make you invest in the characters. The author does a great job of letting you know early on that the stakes are exactly as high as they would be if this were happening in real life. Hell feels like a refuge and when bad things are happening you feel the tension and fear right along with the characters.

There is an entirely organic feel to the relationships between all of the characters too. They grow and change as the story progresses. Tensions mount and tempers fray but everything that occurs is believable and sets the tone for what comes in the later novels. I really felt like Ellie, Homer and the gang were entirely human.

The Tomorrow Series is one of my top series. Spend a credit and get to know Ellie and her friends. You won't be sorry.

...this book had me on the edge of my seat...

Tomorrow When The War Began is one of my favourite books. The series is brilliant. Personally I think John Marsden is a genius with this series. Suzi Dougherty is a perfect choice for the narration of this book. She conveys the emotion brilliantly. I like the way the characters in the book aren't heroic. There just plain, average teenagers caught in the middle of a terrible war. The story, with all it's twists and turns, is awesome. This book had me on the edge of my seat one moment, then had me laughing, then on edge again. Just brilliant work...

This book deserves 5 stars all the way with a great story line, interesting morals, brilliant characters and beautiful narration.

Read well...

It's like Red Dawn, but with humanity...

And a lot less jingoism. One note: American listeners migjt want to have a guide to Australian slang handy on their phones. There are a few terms that might trip you up, but there's also a few you can easily figure out on your own througj context clues like chook and dunny.

BEST 4.99$ I EVER SPENT!!!!

Loved this book!

If your old enough to remember the movie Red Dawn and liked it... you should really enjoy this.If your too young for that then Hunger Games fans should enjoy also.
2 Warnings 1-This is YA (PG13 for violence/teen drama) 2-This book does leave you hanging(1st in 7-8 books)
++This book is currently being made into a movie.

The book was better. It always is.

Everything about this movie was fine. Just fine. Definitely worth a watch. Especially if you've read the books. The subtitles were garbage though. It's like they let Siri caption it.

love this book

loved this book as a young teen... I feel like it has aged well as well.
the audio book aspect of this was also very good!

Less teenage drama, please...

Would you listen to Tomorrow, When the War Began again? Why?

No. I liked it, but not enough to warrant another listen.

What was your reaction to the ending? (No spoilers please!)

It was a good ending, it made me want to listen to more. HOWEVER, the end doesn't make up for the rest of the book, which I was very conflicted with.

Which character – as performed by Suzi Dougherty – was your favorite?

Oh Ellie of course. Spunky girl, I would have liked to hang out with her when I was a teen.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

No. See below.

Any additional comments?

This book was so inconsistent for me. At times it was incredibly boring, and it has a lot of action in it! Maybe a narration problem? But that's tough. I liked the narrator, but think she needed more oomph during action parts. I thought the beginning was so fun, it set up a great story and I appreciated learning more about the kids. But throughout the book I was completely irritated about the teenage drama. Drove me nuts. But with that, I get why it was in the book. They are teenagers and Ellie was very normal to have these thoughts. But I still couldn't get past it. I liked the book, at some points loved it, but also hated and was drove crazy by it. So with that, I won't be purchasing the rest of the series.

Brilliant & Captivating!!!

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Absolutely! I have read, re-read, listened and re-listened and loved the entire Tomorrow series. I first read the series back in high school and it was so easy to read and really pulled me into the story. I would recommend it to anyone, especially teens.

Have you listened to any of Suzi Dougherty’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

Suzi's performance is great. She doesn't distinguish the voices of the different characters as much as other readers do, but still very very enjoyable to listen to.

Any additional comments?

So totally loved it. The Tomorrow series will always have a place on my bookshelf and in my audiobook collection. The entire series is permanently stored on my iPod ready to be listened to at a moments notice!