‘Tomorrow, when the War Began’ will be hitting Australian screens on the 3rd of September 2010 with great excitement and anticipation.
This is the first book in the “Tomorrow Series” by the wonderful young adult fiction writer, John Marsden. It is a series that has captured the hearts of young adults and the young at heart alike all over australia and many parts of the world and I can say it certainly captured mine.
These books are my equivalent to Twilight or Harry Potter, when I read them I live and breathe every moment, I become Ellie and for days after I dream (and daydream) about being in Wirrawee and Hell living every moment. I can honestly say I am not one of those people who are super fanatics about every book or new face on tele as I don’t really have an addictive personality, but these little books sweep me up and just engulf me completely to the point of obsession.
“Tomorrow, When The War Began and its subsequent sequels are one of the most popular and critically acclaimed series of novels aimed at young readers in Australian literature history. It has sold between 2 and 3 million copies in Australia alone and has been translated into five languages…”
The story is based around a group of teenagers from the rural farming town of “Wirrawee, Australia” who decide to go for a camping trip over the school holidays. They end up finding a hidden path into a giant sinkhole the locals name “Hell”, a place that as far as they know, no-one else has ever found a way in and end up camping there and making it their own little sanctuary.
One night they notice hundreds of planes flying over head, but think nothing of it. Just expecting the planes to be going to the showground for the Commemoration Day Celebration that happens every year. However, when they return home they are quick to find every house deserted and realise that the whole of Wirrawee and Australia has been invaded. From then on its a constant fight to stay alive and fight for their country as they remain free from enemy capture. A thrilling and emotional journey from start to end, you never want to stop reading.
“When their country is invaded and families taken, eight unlikely high school teenagers band together to fight.”
I like many teenagers were made to read the book as part of the syllabus in english at school. But unlike the other run of the mill, painstakingly boring books that you have to read at school this one was loved by all. It wasn’t until the week after I finished year 12 that I decided to read the whole series. I wanted to sit down and be able to enjoy a book without my brain having to analyse the context of themes. I just wanted to simply read to my heart’s content, like I did before I went to highschool. So I curled up on the day bed in my lounge room for a week and read through the whole series effortlessly. Never had I been so engrossed in a bunch of books.
A few years later I was thinking of a present to get my father for Christmas and while I was rummaging through a bookshop I found the Audio version of the first book and thought it would make a perfect present. He loved it and raved about it for weeks which once again sparking my interest for the books and I started to research them online. That is when I found the Ellie Chronicles, the follow on series. So I once again read the series and then followed them up with the Ellie Chronicles.
And now as I am just about to turn 23 my interest was once again drawn to the books. I was asked to choose a book for book club and it was the first one to pop into my head. Regretfully we didn’t end up reading it for the book club, but I did get my housemate onto them and it was her who found out about the movie being now as hooked on the series as me. I am just finishing off “The other side of dawn”, the last book in the series, with her nipping on my heels ready for me to hand the book over to her. From a 12year old to a 23yr old I still love the books and I think I will love them for years to come.
I was so happy to see the movie was being made. When we found the trailer I cried twice from the emotion of seeing the books I had dreamt about for a good portion of my life being made into the movie I always dreamed I would make and because I have been terribly home sick, seeing imagery from my country just filled me to the brim with painful joy. Here is the clip!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qxb8rgq_Un8&feature=related
When we read a book we always have a certain image of what the characters look like in our heads, so it was amazing to see who was actually cast for the roles. None of them were exactly what I pictured them to be . I guess I always saw Ellie as myself which is probably because the book is written in first person but also because I felt everything thing she did in the book and I guess you always long to be the hero. I saw Homer as my friend Timmy, he had the ethnicity, the arrogance and stupidity but also brought that sense of protection that homer does. Fi was in recent years my friend Jo. This perfect porcelain faced dark-haired doll that had a voice of and angle and the presence of one aswell. I think we make our most beloved characters personal to us so we can connect with them more. But I think I am happy with the people who have been casted in the roles.
Ellie Linton – Caitlin Stasey
Homer Yannos – Deniz Akdeniz
Lee – Chris Pang
Fiona Maxwell – Phoebe Tonkin
Kevin Holmes – Lincoln Lewis
Corrie McKenzie – Rachel Hurd-Wood
Robyn Mathers – Ashleigh Cummings
Chris Lang – Andy Ryan
Some may say that they don’t want to see the like of Soap actors in the roles, but the truth is that our best teenage actors only really have the opportunity to star in soaps as there just aren’t any other roles. I think there is a fair mix in the bunch with this cast.
You have Caitlin Stasey who played Rachael in Neighbours who I feel might actually under the right direction have what it takes to be Ellie. Lincoln Lewis from Home and Away surprised me as being the perfect fit for Kevin and surprised me even more with his knowledge and praise of the books. Phoebe Tonkin I think is yet to pull my interest as the role of Fi as I just haven’t been too impressed with her work, but I am looking forward for her to prove me wrong. I don’t know much about Chris Pang, Deniz Akedeniz as far as their credits go but if looks count for anything, they suit the roles perfectly.
Our only international star (which I am quite pleased it is mostly an Australian cast) has a very impressive CV, from starring as Wendy in Peter Pan and also more recently in Sherlock Holmes I think she would be a welcome addition. I think Ashleigh Cummings and Andy Ryan are relatively new comers but I am sure they have something special to give. They would have had to do something special to impress the likes of Stuart Beattie who has directed several smash hits, such as The Pirates of the Caribbean and Australia. All in all, I am looking forward to seeing my dreams and the dreams of so many others come to life on the big screen. I certainly can say that it is going to be great for Australia to show the world some more of what we can do 🙂
And on a funny little note, here are some hilarious book covers for the series that were released in other countries. Enjoy!
Somewhere beyond the sea 