It s nearly six months since our country was invaded. We ve lived in a war zone since January and now it s July. So short a time so long a time . . . I m an expert on fear now. I think I ve felt every strong feeling there is: love hate jealousy rage. But fear s the greatest of them all. Nothing reaches inside and grabs you by the guts the way fear does. Nothing else possesses you like that. It s a kind of illness a fever that takes you over. Ellie and her friends return from a camping trip to find their country at war. Learning together they fight back--battling fear rage and the invading army that has stolen their land seized their homes taken their families and destroyed their future. Continuing the story begun in Tomorrow When the War Began and The Dead of Night John Marsden paints a shockingly realistic portrait of teenagers who take great risks to defend what is theirs.