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Shadow Children #3
Among the Betrayed
Nina has been arrested for falsely accusing others of being illegal third children - a capital crime in a society that allows only two children per family. Now the government wants to strike a deal with Nina. In order to save her own life she must gain the trust of three young children and convince them to confess their hidden identities. Then she must betray them. The children will die; Nina will live. But then Nina discovers a way to escape and to take the others with her, but will their plan be successful and how does Nina know whom she can trust, in these treacherous times?
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First published June 1, 2002
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About the author
Margaret Peterson Haddix
130 books6,338 followersMargaret Peterson Haddix grew up on a farm near Washington Court House, Ohio. She graduated from Miami University (of Ohio) with degrees in English/journalism, English/creative writing and history. Before her first book was published, she worked as a newspaper copy editor in Fort Wayne, Indiana; a newspaper reporter in Indianapolis; and a community college instructor and freelance writer in Danville, Illinois.
She has since written more than 25 books for kids and teens, including Running Out of Time; Don’t You Dare Read This, Mrs. Dunphrey; Leaving Fishers; Just Ella; Turnabout; Takeoffs and Landings; The Girl with 500 Middle Names; Because of Anya; Escape from Memory; Say What?; The House on the Gulf; Double Identity; Dexter the Tough; Uprising; Palace of Mirrors; Claim to Fame; the Shadow Children series; and the Missing series. She also wrote Into the Gauntlet, the tenth book in the 39 Clues series. Her books have been honored with New York Times bestseller status, the International Reading Association’s Children’s Book Award; American Library Association Best Book and Quick Pick for Reluctant Young Adult Readers notations; and more than a dozen state reader’s choice awards.
Haddix and her husband, Doug, now live in Columbus, Ohio, with their two children.
She has since written more than 25 books for kids and teens, including Running Out of Time; Don’t You Dare Read This, Mrs. Dunphrey; Leaving Fishers; Just Ella; Turnabout; Takeoffs and Landings; The Girl with 500 Middle Names; Because of Anya; Escape from Memory; Say What?; The House on the Gulf; Double Identity; Dexter the Tough; Uprising; Palace of Mirrors; Claim to Fame; the Shadow Children series; and the Missing series. She also wrote Into the Gauntlet, the tenth book in the 39 Clues series. Her books have been honored with New York Times bestseller status, the International Reading Association’s Children’s Book Award; American Library Association Best Book and Quick Pick for Reluctant Young Adult Readers notations; and more than a dozen state reader’s choice awards.
Haddix and her husband, Doug, now live in Columbus, Ohio, with their two children.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,323 reviews
October 18, 2022
“What kind of a country thinks it’s a betrayal just to be born?”
AMONG THE BETRAYED posits a famine-stricken, dystopian, totalitarian world governed by strict population control laws which condemn a third child to death merely by virtue of its existence. To exist and hide with a false name and false identification renders the offense an aggravated crime punishable by death by torture at the government's choice. It is the story of the search for courage to stand up to a totalitarian government; the coming of age realization that there are false people in the world who would claim friendship but offer betrayal for their own venal purposes; the realization that, from time to time, life offers only choices which represent variations on ugly outcomes; that maturity and growing sometimes means choosing and accepting the least of all possible evils. It is the story of Nina’s struggle with the choice between saving herself or protecting the lives of three young children to which she really has no duty beyond humanity. It is a demonstration that the world does not come in black and white but offers the difficult choices of myriad confusing shades of grey, each of which may mean different things to different observers.
At least one issue in front of Nina appears to be cut and dry and crystal clear – betray three young shadow children to the Population Police and live or refuse to cooperate and be killed.
AMONG THE BETRAYED is the 3rd installment in Margaret Peterson Haddix’s exciting SHADOW CHILDREN series and I’ll certainly look forward to #4, AMONG THE BARONS. Great work, Ms Haddix. Keep ‘em comin’!
Paul Weiss
AMONG THE BETRAYED posits a famine-stricken, dystopian, totalitarian world governed by strict population control laws which condemn a third child to death merely by virtue of its existence. To exist and hide with a false name and false identification renders the offense an aggravated crime punishable by death by torture at the government's choice. It is the story of the search for courage to stand up to a totalitarian government; the coming of age realization that there are false people in the world who would claim friendship but offer betrayal for their own venal purposes; the realization that, from time to time, life offers only choices which represent variations on ugly outcomes; that maturity and growing sometimes means choosing and accepting the least of all possible evils. It is the story of Nina’s struggle with the choice between saving herself or protecting the lives of three young children to which she really has no duty beyond humanity. It is a demonstration that the world does not come in black and white but offers the difficult choices of myriad confusing shades of grey, each of which may mean different things to different observers.
At least one issue in front of Nina appears to be cut and dry and crystal clear – betray three young shadow children to the Population Police and live or refuse to cooperate and be killed.
AMONG THE BETRAYED is the 3rd installment in Margaret Peterson Haddix’s exciting SHADOW CHILDREN series and I’ll certainly look forward to #4, AMONG THE BARONS. Great work, Ms Haddix. Keep ‘em comin’!
Paul Weiss
August 27, 2018
3.5*
She's kinda dumb... and she's gonna be relevant for the rest of the series.
I have a prediction for Nina. There was the whole Jason reveal at the end with Luke and the adults. I'm guessing she going to be a thorn in Luke's side later on. She gonna screw them over because she's stupid. There are enough hints in this where I could see her becoming a betrayer. I mean she went back and forth on doing the right thing so many times.
She's kinda dumb... and she's gonna be relevant for the rest of the series.
I have a prediction for Nina. There was the whole Jason reveal at the end with Luke and the adults. I'm guessing she going to be a thorn in Luke's side later on. She gonna screw them over because she's stupid. There are enough hints in this where I could see her becoming a betrayer. I mean she went back and forth on doing the right thing so many times.
October 13, 2017
I'm short on time again today, so, this will be quick: This was another exciting entry in this series.
March 11, 2014
"Among the Betrayed" is the third book in the series. I really enjoyed this book. This book is about a young girl named Nina. The population police found her useful and used her to betray other third children. In her holding cell she meets three other children, Alia, Percy, and Matthias. While in the cell she tries to find information about them, but they do not tell her anything. One day while The Hating Man was questioning her a guard was found poisoned. Nina finds the poisoned guard's keys and escapes with Alia, Percy, and Matthias. They make their way to Harlow's School for boys and began to look for Lee Grant. To find food the four children took food from a garden behind the school. One day Lee finds Nina stealing food and takes her to Mr. Harlow. Nina soon finds out that this whole thing was a set up to see if she was trustworthy or not. Now she, Lee, Mr. Talbot, and the other three children are working to overthrow the population police.
The main characters are Nina, Percy, Matthias, and Alia. Nina is a young girl who makes the population police believe she is helping them. Nina grows up a lot as the book goes on. Percy is a nine year old boy who is very smart. He looks up to Matthias and also helps take care of Alia. Matthias is the oldest of the three children. He will do anything to protect them. Alia is six and is very smart for her age. She trusts Nina the most out of the three children.
The setting of the story starts off in a holding cell in the population police prison. The holding cell is very cold, damp, and dirty. The setting then moves to the forest where the four children hide out after escaping from the prison. The time period of the book is not mentioned, but I would guess it takes place in the future sometime.
The theme of this story is survival. The four children have to do all they can to survive. They have to try and find food and shelter in the woods to stay alive. They do all they can to not get caught by the population police again.
I would recommend this book to anyone who is already reading this series, or anyone who is in middle school and beyond. This book has great imagery and a great plot that keeps you interested.
The main characters are Nina, Percy, Matthias, and Alia. Nina is a young girl who makes the population police believe she is helping them. Nina grows up a lot as the book goes on. Percy is a nine year old boy who is very smart. He looks up to Matthias and also helps take care of Alia. Matthias is the oldest of the three children. He will do anything to protect them. Alia is six and is very smart for her age. She trusts Nina the most out of the three children.
The setting of the story starts off in a holding cell in the population police prison. The holding cell is very cold, damp, and dirty. The setting then moves to the forest where the four children hide out after escaping from the prison. The time period of the book is not mentioned, but I would guess it takes place in the future sometime.
The theme of this story is survival. The four children have to do all they can to survive. They have to try and find food and shelter in the woods to stay alive. They do all they can to not get caught by the population police again.
I would recommend this book to anyone who is already reading this series, or anyone who is in middle school and beyond. This book has great imagery and a great plot that keeps you interested.
May 15, 2020
I try to express only my most honest opinion in a spoiler-free way. Unfortunately, there is still always a risk of slight spoilers despite my best efforts. If you feel something in my review is a spoiler please let me know. Thank you.
This book told the story from a different person's point of view, but still a shadow child. I liked the switch up, and the ending was amazing. These are short and easy to read books with a scary kind of plot. I'm excited to see how it progresses.
This book told the story from a different person's point of view, but still a shadow child. I liked the switch up, and the ending was amazing. These are short and easy to read books with a scary kind of plot. I'm excited to see how it progresses.
February 25, 2017
Erst dachte ich, dass es sich hierbei nur um einen Zwischenteil der Grundgeschichte handelt und war etwas entäuscht, aber die Fäden finden sich zusammen und so bin ich doch sehr froh ein wenig mehr von Nina Idi, einem der Schattenkinder, zu erfahren. Ich glaube, dass sie im weiteren Verlauf noch eine größere Rolle spielen könnte. Ich bin gespannt ob ich recht habe ;))
Also auch dieser Teil konnte mich überzeugen. Da es eben eher eine Dystopie für jüngere Leser ist, ist die Sprache und der Aufbau natürlich sehr leicht gehalten, aber für zwischendurch ist es richtig toll.
Also auch dieser Teil konnte mich überzeugen. Da es eben eher eine Dystopie für jüngere Leser ist, ist die Sprache und der Aufbau natürlich sehr leicht gehalten, aber für zwischendurch ist es richtig toll.
December 10, 2024
For school
January 10, 2014
Among the Betrayed
The main character is Nina, and she is the third born child in her family. Nina is illegal, because she is the third born of her family, and third born children are illegal, because it is hard times where she lives. Nina used to live with her aunt’s, but she got caught. For third born children to try and not get caught, people make fake ID’s for them to try and help them.
The book is about a girl, (Nina), who gets caught being an illegal, and she is then thrown in prison. The guards start to ask her questions about her old life, and what she used to do, and where she got the fake ID from. Guards come into Nina’s cell with a recorder, and they play it back to her, and it is Jason, her friend, blaming Nina for everything. Then the guards take her to a different room and make a deal with her. If Nina helps them, then they might not kill her. Then, Nina gets put into a cell with three other children. The Population Police put her in there to try and see if she can get them to confess to who gave them the fake IDs. They don’t, and the guards tell her she has one more day and if she fails, the Population Police will kill her. So they escape, and come to find out, it was all a trick. It was all fake, the guards, and the three children. It was all a test for Nina.
In the beginning, the story takes place in a prison, where the Population Police hold the third born children. The cell that holds Nina and the three other children, (Percy, Alia, and Matthias), is like a dungeon. It is all wet, and cold, and nasty, and they only get food once in a great while. When the children do get food, it is moldy and hard. Then Nina gets the keys, and all four of them escape, and go into the woods. They all start to head to Nina’s old school to find her friend. She finds her friend at her old school, but she gets caught by some boys, for stealing from their garden, and they take her to the owner. And then, that’s when they tell her it was all a test.
I would rate this book at four stars. This is a great book for someone who likes action, and mystery novels. The theme of this book would be that you can’t trust everybody, or be careful who/ what you believe. Also, things may not be as they seem.
The main character is Nina, and she is the third born child in her family. Nina is illegal, because she is the third born of her family, and third born children are illegal, because it is hard times where she lives. Nina used to live with her aunt’s, but she got caught. For third born children to try and not get caught, people make fake ID’s for them to try and help them.
The book is about a girl, (Nina), who gets caught being an illegal, and she is then thrown in prison. The guards start to ask her questions about her old life, and what she used to do, and where she got the fake ID from. Guards come into Nina’s cell with a recorder, and they play it back to her, and it is Jason, her friend, blaming Nina for everything. Then the guards take her to a different room and make a deal with her. If Nina helps them, then they might not kill her. Then, Nina gets put into a cell with three other children. The Population Police put her in there to try and see if she can get them to confess to who gave them the fake IDs. They don’t, and the guards tell her she has one more day and if she fails, the Population Police will kill her. So they escape, and come to find out, it was all a trick. It was all fake, the guards, and the three children. It was all a test for Nina.
In the beginning, the story takes place in a prison, where the Population Police hold the third born children. The cell that holds Nina and the three other children, (Percy, Alia, and Matthias), is like a dungeon. It is all wet, and cold, and nasty, and they only get food once in a great while. When the children do get food, it is moldy and hard. Then Nina gets the keys, and all four of them escape, and go into the woods. They all start to head to Nina’s old school to find her friend. She finds her friend at her old school, but she gets caught by some boys, for stealing from their garden, and they take her to the owner. And then, that’s when they tell her it was all a test.
I would rate this book at four stars. This is a great book for someone who likes action, and mystery novels. The theme of this book would be that you can’t trust everybody, or be careful who/ what you believe. Also, things may not be as they seem.
September 23, 2010
Awesome book. I loved it. Its about this girl who has to decide whether or not to betray these three young kids. She makes the choice to help them and is on a long journey, with these really smart kids, to find a safe home to stay, in the shadows hidden from the rest of the world.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 4, 2024
Sadly all the previous momentum of the series is gone for me. The whole book is a bottle episode, but with relatively unlikeable characters we hardly know.
I think I see the effort at a new dilemma for the reader to consider; where Jen and Luke are resolute in their motivations and differ in their actions, Nina's motivations aren't secure. It's a relatable idea, I just didn't engage with the writing.
I'm pretty sure this is still an awesome series for kids.
I think I see the effort at a new dilemma for the reader to consider; where Jen and Luke are resolute in their motivations and differ in their actions, Nina's motivations aren't secure. It's a relatable idea, I just didn't engage with the writing.
I'm pretty sure this is still an awesome series for kids.
January 12, 2023
The character shift to a new pov threw me in this one.
March 15, 2017
this book is good because Nina is another shadow child and is actually with luke from the first book and luke doesn't know that she is a like him but she doesn't know if she should luke but IDK if she knows likes real name isn't lee grant luke is trying to say to say he can help her. this book is good because I like the series of the among the shadow children and all of these books mostly have action and its interesting
August 25, 2013
IT WAS AMAZING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
April 13, 2010
Third in 'The Shadow Children Sequence,' and perhaps the most fascinating so far, with its edgy examination of trust and perception.
'Among the Betrayed' shifts focus and the protagonist of the first two books in Haddix's seven-volume series becomes a minor player. A peripheral character in 'Among the Impostors,' Nina, takes center stage. Readers of the first two books, and it definitely is a plus to have read these first, will themselves not be sure whether to trust Nina.
Nina, held and questioned by the Population Police in a not-too-faraway America ruled by an authoritarian government, isn't sure whether she trusts herself. The allies she makes, and even her imprisoners (in a nice plot twist), turn out to be not exactly what they seem to be at first.
Haddix is unflinching as she looks at a bleak future that is all too possible. The bleakness is leavened by the resiliency and hope of her young (and well-drawn) characters. Lots to think about and discuss for young readers in short books that are easy to read.
'Among the Betrayed' shifts focus and the protagonist of the first two books in Haddix's seven-volume series becomes a minor player. A peripheral character in 'Among the Impostors,' Nina, takes center stage. Readers of the first two books, and it definitely is a plus to have read these first, will themselves not be sure whether to trust Nina.
Nina, held and questioned by the Population Police in a not-too-faraway America ruled by an authoritarian government, isn't sure whether she trusts herself. The allies she makes, and even her imprisoners (in a nice plot twist), turn out to be not exactly what they seem to be at first.
Haddix is unflinching as she looks at a bleak future that is all too possible. The bleakness is leavened by the resiliency and hope of her young (and well-drawn) characters. Lots to think about and discuss for young readers in short books that are easy to read.
December 7, 2014
I loved this book! At the beginning I felt it was a little boring and could of had more detail, but I loved the twist ending so much it definitely deserves 4 stars! This book had lots of action and included a lot of twist and turns I did not see coming. It just goes to show you, trust no other man alive!!!!
At first I thought it would be a bad book because it was in Ninas point of view but I was completely wrong! If anything it made the book better.
Plus this is my favorite cover for this series-very cool!
A great addition to the Shadow Children series!
At first I thought it would be a bad book because it was in Ninas point of view but I was completely wrong! If anything it made the book better.
Plus this is my favorite cover for this series-very cool!
A great addition to the Shadow Children series!
June 8, 2021
Writing: 1.0
Plot: 0.75
Characters: 0.75
Enjoyment: 1.0
Reread/Recommend: 0.75
4.25 stars
I liked this a lot, but there were some points I didn't like Nina and the plot was a little slow and repetitive.
Plot: 0.75
Characters: 0.75
Enjoyment: 1.0
Reread/Recommend: 0.75
4.25 stars
I liked this a lot, but there were some points I didn't like Nina and the plot was a little slow and repetitive.
May 23, 2024
Every time I read another book in this series, a tiny piece of little middle school me lives on. It's so good and I can't believe it's almost just as good to 25 year old me now as it was to 12 year old me then.
One of my middle schoolers is reading this series right now, too and she loves it. She's reading the next book in the series, and she brought her book to the staff v student basketball game yesterday and read through the entire game. Icon.
One of my middle schoolers is reading this series right now, too and she loves it. She's reading the next book in the series, and she brought her book to the staff v student basketball game yesterday and read through the entire game. Icon.
August 16, 2021
This one was really good, with lots of action and high stakes. I feel like this is where the series gets real, and the stakes being played for are ramped up. Nina's moral battle was also really well written. Fast paced and with good characters.
November 27, 2023
I love how resilient and determined these kids are. Looking forward to next in series
February 17, 2024
Awesome book! There were so many plot twists, yet it was easy to keep up with. It's very intriguing. It will definitely keep you captivated for a while
October 21, 2016
Personal Response
I thought that this book was pretty good. The plot had a lot of action to it and it was very detailed throughout the book. I was able to follow what was going on with the characters pretty easily. I also thought that the variety of the characters was also very good. The ability to know what the main character was going through, both internally and externally, allowed for me to get more involved in the reading of the book.
Plot
Nina is very confused on what has happened to her. She has been arrested by the Population Police and is now sitting in a jail cell. Nina is immediately worried that they somehow found out her true identity and she will now be punished for it. Nina is an illegal third child and has been living a false life at a school for girls. She has been hidden in the school by her family under a false identity for most of her life. Nina is interrogated by the warden and learns that she is not in jail for being a third child but, she is in jail for treason. Nina was betrayed by a boy she thought she loved. Nina agrees to make a deal with the Population Police in order to have her life spared. She must infiltrate a group of third children also being held in the prison and get them to confess their real identities. Nina feels guilty to attempt to betray her own kind but she agrees anyway. She slowly tries to gain the trust of the other children when fate decides to throw her a bone. She is able to procure a set of keys and decides to help the other children in an escape. The other children agree to trust her and they soon use their skills to escape the prison. Nina is on the run with the others for quite some time before the find a place to settle down. Nina and the kids steal food from the garden of a neighboring boys school until Nina is caught. Nina escapes but is tracked by the people who caught her. Nina tries to save the other kids when it is revealed that it was a trick the whole time. The Population Police who arrested her are secret supporters of the opposition movement for third children. The whole thing was a test to see if Nina would join her and she passed.
Characterization
Nina questions her own character quite frequently throughout the book. The thought of betraying other third children like her slowly starts to eat away at her mentally. The battle between her betraying of the others and her will to stay alive is very apparent in the book. Her whole life has been based on a lie and the reader can tell that she just wants to be her true self at times throughout the book.
Impact of Setting
The book takes place in a very oppressive country. The law against third children creates a feeling of suspense throughout the reading of the book. When Nina is in the prison the reader is very easily able to feel the terror and depression that Nina feels. The prison also adds an aspect of survival to the book. When Nina and the others are on the run the same feeling of survival is also felt throughout the book.
Thematic Connection
I think that the theme throughout the book is the battle between right and wrong. Nina wants to betray the others to survive even though she knows it is the wrong thing to do. She is constantly faced with the dilemma of how she can survive without hurting the ones around her. Sometimes the wrong thing seems to be her savior, but she knows that if she goes with that decision it will stay with her for the rest of her life.
Rating/Recommendation
I think that this book was just shy of five stars. The one thing that might have gotten it that extra star would be the introduction of more information on the other kids. There is some information on the others but it didn't feel like I could really understand who they were. The book is great for readers who like adventure themed books. I also think that the book is great for both genders because it has a female main character, but it also has a lot of action. I would say that this book is great for people in late middle school and up.
I thought that this book was pretty good. The plot had a lot of action to it and it was very detailed throughout the book. I was able to follow what was going on with the characters pretty easily. I also thought that the variety of the characters was also very good. The ability to know what the main character was going through, both internally and externally, allowed for me to get more involved in the reading of the book.
Plot
Nina is very confused on what has happened to her. She has been arrested by the Population Police and is now sitting in a jail cell. Nina is immediately worried that they somehow found out her true identity and she will now be punished for it. Nina is an illegal third child and has been living a false life at a school for girls. She has been hidden in the school by her family under a false identity for most of her life. Nina is interrogated by the warden and learns that she is not in jail for being a third child but, she is in jail for treason. Nina was betrayed by a boy she thought she loved. Nina agrees to make a deal with the Population Police in order to have her life spared. She must infiltrate a group of third children also being held in the prison and get them to confess their real identities. Nina feels guilty to attempt to betray her own kind but she agrees anyway. She slowly tries to gain the trust of the other children when fate decides to throw her a bone. She is able to procure a set of keys and decides to help the other children in an escape. The other children agree to trust her and they soon use their skills to escape the prison. Nina is on the run with the others for quite some time before the find a place to settle down. Nina and the kids steal food from the garden of a neighboring boys school until Nina is caught. Nina escapes but is tracked by the people who caught her. Nina tries to save the other kids when it is revealed that it was a trick the whole time. The Population Police who arrested her are secret supporters of the opposition movement for third children. The whole thing was a test to see if Nina would join her and she passed.
Characterization
Nina questions her own character quite frequently throughout the book. The thought of betraying other third children like her slowly starts to eat away at her mentally. The battle between her betraying of the others and her will to stay alive is very apparent in the book. Her whole life has been based on a lie and the reader can tell that she just wants to be her true self at times throughout the book.
Impact of Setting
The book takes place in a very oppressive country. The law against third children creates a feeling of suspense throughout the reading of the book. When Nina is in the prison the reader is very easily able to feel the terror and depression that Nina feels. The prison also adds an aspect of survival to the book. When Nina and the others are on the run the same feeling of survival is also felt throughout the book.
Thematic Connection
I think that the theme throughout the book is the battle between right and wrong. Nina wants to betray the others to survive even though she knows it is the wrong thing to do. She is constantly faced with the dilemma of how she can survive without hurting the ones around her. Sometimes the wrong thing seems to be her savior, but she knows that if she goes with that decision it will stay with her for the rest of her life.
Rating/Recommendation
I think that this book was just shy of five stars. The one thing that might have gotten it that extra star would be the introduction of more information on the other kids. There is some information on the others but it didn't feel like I could really understand who they were. The book is great for readers who like adventure themed books. I also think that the book is great for both genders because it has a female main character, but it also has a lot of action. I would say that this book is great for people in late middle school and up.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 23, 2024
Loved this book!
October 2, 2013
I thought the book Among the Betrayed was very good. It was interesting and kept you wanting to read more. I enjoyed the book because it was intense, entertaining, easy to comprehend, and the end had a twist on it that made the book good.
The plot of the book is that there are these “third children” in this country that only allows you to have two kids because there is not enough food, this book is about this girl name Nina. Nina goes to this special school where there are a lot of third children. She goes to the girls only school but ends up meeting some people from the boys only school. Nina ends up falling for a guy named Jason. Jason has a plan to work with the people who take care of third children, they are called the population police. Jason was going to turn in some third children and get an award hoping that him and Nina would be protected because the police would think they are third children if they turned some others in. That plan didn't work.
They both went to prison and this man pretended to be a population police person but was really a good guy who faked all of it to see if Nina could prove whether or not she was on their side. He made Nina try to betray these other third children to see if she was trustworthy or not. He made this huge plans full of test to see whether she was good or not. In the end she passed the test and he told her it was all an act and now Nina has joined them to rebel against the true population police.
The main character in the book was Nina. In the beginning of the book she was pretty pathetic. She did not know a lot and she was childish in a way that she couldn't take care of herself. Throughout the book with the help of others she becomes stronger and more independent. She turns out to be almost like an adult and she is ready to take on more responsibility. Some of the people that helped her were Percy, Mathias, and Alia. They were very smart group of kids and they were very good actors. They were almost like secret agents at such a young age. Through out the book they work with Nina and try to get her to prove herself and they finally get her too. Percy, Mathias, and Alia were very impactful on the book.
This book takes place at first in between two schools. One school for boys and the other a school for girls. In between these two schools is a forest were a bunch of the kids from different schools would secretly meet up. Thats where Nina met Jason. After Jason, Nina, and some other kids get “caught” the book takes place at the population police prison. There were a bunch of really cold and dirty cells that people were put in and they barely got any food or water. The places that the officers would relax at though were very luxurious and nice. Finally the book finishes back in the woods which is where Nina proves herself and everything is explained to her.
I would recommend this book to most people for sure. I really enjoyed it and the twist at the end makes it even better. I would say the book should mainly be read by middle school to high school level. I think the book would be enjoyed by any gender and from ages 14-18 would be the best. I wouldn't recommend this book to people older because it would not be very challenging for them at all.
The plot of the book is that there are these “third children” in this country that only allows you to have two kids because there is not enough food, this book is about this girl name Nina. Nina goes to this special school where there are a lot of third children. She goes to the girls only school but ends up meeting some people from the boys only school. Nina ends up falling for a guy named Jason. Jason has a plan to work with the people who take care of third children, they are called the population police. Jason was going to turn in some third children and get an award hoping that him and Nina would be protected because the police would think they are third children if they turned some others in. That plan didn't work.
They both went to prison and this man pretended to be a population police person but was really a good guy who faked all of it to see if Nina could prove whether or not she was on their side. He made Nina try to betray these other third children to see if she was trustworthy or not. He made this huge plans full of test to see whether she was good or not. In the end she passed the test and he told her it was all an act and now Nina has joined them to rebel against the true population police.
The main character in the book was Nina. In the beginning of the book she was pretty pathetic. She did not know a lot and she was childish in a way that she couldn't take care of herself. Throughout the book with the help of others she becomes stronger and more independent. She turns out to be almost like an adult and she is ready to take on more responsibility. Some of the people that helped her were Percy, Mathias, and Alia. They were very smart group of kids and they were very good actors. They were almost like secret agents at such a young age. Through out the book they work with Nina and try to get her to prove herself and they finally get her too. Percy, Mathias, and Alia were very impactful on the book.
This book takes place at first in between two schools. One school for boys and the other a school for girls. In between these two schools is a forest were a bunch of the kids from different schools would secretly meet up. Thats where Nina met Jason. After Jason, Nina, and some other kids get “caught” the book takes place at the population police prison. There were a bunch of really cold and dirty cells that people were put in and they barely got any food or water. The places that the officers would relax at though were very luxurious and nice. Finally the book finishes back in the woods which is where Nina proves herself and everything is explained to her.
I would recommend this book to most people for sure. I really enjoyed it and the twist at the end makes it even better. I would say the book should mainly be read by middle school to high school level. I think the book would be enjoyed by any gender and from ages 14-18 would be the best. I wouldn't recommend this book to people older because it would not be very challenging for them at all.
March 20, 2014
I decided to read “Among the Betrayed” by Margaret Peterson Haddix because I read her first two books in the shadow child sequence and I loved them. “Among the Betrayed was an attention-grabbing book. I kept wanting to read more.
The main character is this book is Nina. Nina is a shadow child with a fake identity. She used to live with her aunt until she moved to the school for girls. Nina has a friend named Jason who also is a shadow child with a fake identity who went to the school for boys. They met in the woods between their schools. Jason and Nina were caught trying to send in illegal third children for a reward. Three other characters are the three children Nina is supposed to betray. The children’s names are Percy, Matthias, and Alia. Percy is nine, Matthias is ten, and Alia is six.
The background behind the first two books in the sequence is that families are only allowed to have two children because of the shortage of food. Many families disobeyed this law and had more than two children. At the start of “Among the Betrayed” the book takes place at the Population Police Prison when Nina wakes up in a prison cell. The book takes place in the future but the specific time period was never stated in the book. Nina thinks it is all a dream. Then she gets called to a conference room that is very luxurious. The man talking to her tells her that her friend Jason had betrayed her and told them that everything was her idea. She then finds out that they killed Jason. Nina gets moved to a cell with Alia, Matthias, and Percy. The population police tell Nina that she has a certain amount of time to figure out the real names of the three children. One day the four of them escape when a prison guard gets poisoned. They go to Nina’s school. Someone at the school turns them in. Nina then finds out that the whole thing was fake and a test to see if Nina was trustworthy.
One major theme in this book is trust. Percy, Matthias, and Alia have to be able to trust Nina to tell them their secrets. Another theme would be survival. Nina and the kids have to learn to survive off of little to no food and when they do get food it is moldy or stale. They also have to learn to survive after escaping from the prison when they are out on their own.
I would recommend this book to any junior high or high school boy or girl that loves to read action books. This book definitely was filled with action and suspense. I really enjoyed reading this book.
The main character is this book is Nina. Nina is a shadow child with a fake identity. She used to live with her aunt until she moved to the school for girls. Nina has a friend named Jason who also is a shadow child with a fake identity who went to the school for boys. They met in the woods between their schools. Jason and Nina were caught trying to send in illegal third children for a reward. Three other characters are the three children Nina is supposed to betray. The children’s names are Percy, Matthias, and Alia. Percy is nine, Matthias is ten, and Alia is six.
The background behind the first two books in the sequence is that families are only allowed to have two children because of the shortage of food. Many families disobeyed this law and had more than two children. At the start of “Among the Betrayed” the book takes place at the Population Police Prison when Nina wakes up in a prison cell. The book takes place in the future but the specific time period was never stated in the book. Nina thinks it is all a dream. Then she gets called to a conference room that is very luxurious. The man talking to her tells her that her friend Jason had betrayed her and told them that everything was her idea. She then finds out that they killed Jason. Nina gets moved to a cell with Alia, Matthias, and Percy. The population police tell Nina that she has a certain amount of time to figure out the real names of the three children. One day the four of them escape when a prison guard gets poisoned. They go to Nina’s school. Someone at the school turns them in. Nina then finds out that the whole thing was fake and a test to see if Nina was trustworthy.
One major theme in this book is trust. Percy, Matthias, and Alia have to be able to trust Nina to tell them their secrets. Another theme would be survival. Nina and the kids have to learn to survive off of little to no food and when they do get food it is moldy or stale. They also have to learn to survive after escaping from the prison when they are out on their own.
I would recommend this book to any junior high or high school boy or girl that loves to read action books. This book definitely was filled with action and suspense. I really enjoyed reading this book.
March 13, 2017
Personal Response
I thought this book was good. I liked it mostly because it had a really good story line. I thought it was good, because it usually had some action. Another reason I liked this book was because every character changed so much throughout the book.
Plot
Among The Betrayed was about a girl, named Elodie, who was a third child. She lived with her aunts at the start. Then she had to leave, and she moved to Harlow School for Girls with the name of Nina Idi. Harlow was a school for third children. While she was there, she met a boy named Jason. Nina really liked Jason, but then he betrayed everyone and turned everyone in. Then Nina got arrested, and she tried to work with the population police. They asked her to try to get three kids to tell her they were all illegal. She never could get herself to betray them. She broke them all out of prison. Then they got to the Hendrick’s School for Boys. Nina got caught stealing food, and she met Mr. Talbot. The kids and Mr. Talbot revealed that it was all just a test to see if she was trustworthy.
Characterization
The main character, Nina, changed quite a bit throughout the book. Nina went from only worrying about escaping to actually caring about the people helping her. She started thinking about how they will survive. The other kids changed quite a bit also. They started out by just sticking to themselves. Once Nina offered an escape route, they all opened up and started to treat each other like family.
Impacts of the setting
This book took place during the modern era. It is based mostly in or around a prison. The setting impacted this book by making Nina try to escape from the population police. The setting required Nina to make life or death decisions, like asking if the other kids wanted to leave the prison with her boarding school.
Thematic Connection
The main theme of this book was a desire to escape. The whole book was about Nina wanting to escape. It started out with her wanting to escape the population police and be free without any worries. Then, it changed to her wanting to physically escape the prison.
Recommendation
I recommend this book to all high school students because the main character is around the same age, and they would relate the most. Both boys and girls may like this book because the main character is a girl, and it’s part of a series that has boys as main characters.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 8, 2013
Among the Betrayed by Margaret Peterson Haddix is a science fiction children’s book. The age group this book is intended for is intermediate readers. The book talks about the government controlling the population by only allowing two children per family. If families had any more than two children, they would be executed; so, many families hid the children known as shadow children or exnays.
I like how this book was written. The book theme was based on survival. I like how the younger characters knew to use the sun for direction and time. It was hard to believe that the government would execute innocent children just for being born, but it showed desperate times called for desperate measures. It looked at how people can easily turn their back on others just to protect themselves. It addressed struggles with morals. As the character, Mr. Talbot said, “Nina, we live in complicated times” (p. 152). Right and wrong isn’t always a clear decision and sometimes what is right for one person, isn’t right for another person. I think this is a good book for young readers. The book was full of suspense and detail that could hold a child’s interests. I know I didn’t want to put the book down because I wanted to know what happened next.
I like how this book was written. The book theme was based on survival. I like how the younger characters knew to use the sun for direction and time. It was hard to believe that the government would execute innocent children just for being born, but it showed desperate times called for desperate measures. It looked at how people can easily turn their back on others just to protect themselves. It addressed struggles with morals. As the character, Mr. Talbot said, “Nina, we live in complicated times” (p. 152). Right and wrong isn’t always a clear decision and sometimes what is right for one person, isn’t right for another person. I think this is a good book for young readers. The book was full of suspense and detail that could hold a child’s interests. I know I didn’t want to put the book down because I wanted to know what happened next.
July 18, 2016
I really enjoyed this young adult series and it made me look for more books by the author.
April 25, 2021
This book was very good. I liked reading the book from Nina's point of view. It had a big, surprise ending! I am excited to see what happens next!
May 17, 2022
Ah eh
October 17, 2024
1. Summary
In the story there is a shadow child named Nina Ida but her real name is Elodie Luria and she is illegal because she is a shadow child. In the story she lives with her grandma and aunty and they save up money for a fake id. She uses the fake id to get into a school for all girls. She falls in love with a boy at the neighboring school that is for all boys. She makes it her mission to find other shadow children and trusts her crush will help her and not snitch on her. She trusted the wrong person because he was a spy, and he told the population police. The police came and arrested her and took her to the population police jail. She is giving a decision to become a spy and rat out other third children or be killed. She decides to become a spy. But she deceives the man that she called Hating Man and decides to use her spy time to help free other third children. She makes this decision in a different cell and made the decision because of three other children she saw in the cell Percy, Alia, and Matthias. They go back to the schools and run into Lee Grant and Trey. The Hating Man arrives and takes them all back and plans to execute them or so they thought. The Hating Man reveals that he is a spy for America and his name is Mr.Talbolt. He also reveals that her crush is also a spy like him and is on their side. She is very happy about this and is excited to see him but resentful of him.
2. Characters
Nina Ida/Elodie Luria
In the beginning of the book she is frightful and scared. She is also brave because she went out into an unknown world and lived in it.
At the end of the book she is brave but still scared because she doesn't know who to trust or what's going to happen in the meantime.
Mr. talbot
In the beginning of the story he is almost a dictator and is very controlling. He is also very mean to people and cruel.
In the end of the story he is nice and wants to help the shadow children. He is also kind to the shadow children and wants to protect them from the government.
Percy
He is very scared and is one of the shadow children like Nina and everyone else at the prison.
He is scared but has others to help him be less nervous and scared.
Alia
In the beginning of the story she is scared and frightful. She is also shy because she is around new people and things.
In the end of the story she is still scared but less frightful. She is also less shy but is still not open.
Matthias
At the beginning of the story he is scared like the rest of the children and wants to be free like everyone else.
At the end of the story he is scared like everyone else but is also feeling brave because there are others he can trust and people he knows around him.
3. Themes and messages
A theme in Amoung the betrayed is betrayal as hunted in the title. In the book she is betrayed by Jason, her crush. In the book she says “Feeling abandoned and betrayed was worse than hunger, worse than cold, worse than the handcuffs on her wrist”(Peterson 155). She is saying that being betrayed is worse than almost anything she had felt after being betrayed. She is also saying that betrayal is one of the worst things that can happen to a person.
4. Personal reflection
Somethings I liked
I like how there are some countries that have this law and how she overcomes challenges. I also liked how the book told the story and kept you guessing on what was going to happen next in the story.
Something i disliked
I disliked how It was sometimes confusing but it was manageable if you reread what you didn't understand. I also dislike how sometimes what was going to happen next was predictable. For example at the end of the story she mentions Jason being dead and then it is revealed he is not dead but this was predictable and could be seen coming.
5. Recommendations
Who should read
People that should read this book are people that have read the other books or people looking for a book about somewhat true things. Even though this book is fiction it has some events that heppen in society today.
Who should not read
If you haven't read any of the first books ever or are looking for something that is all happy and joyful. You also should not read this book if you want a book that is more historical. Even though this book has some history behind it it is still fiction and not 100% accurate.
6. Real world connection
Limiting population growth
This book is roughly based on the events of some countries that have limited the amount of times a family or couple can have kids. In some countries for example, China has limited married couples to three children. In these countries if you have more than the limited number of children you will be fined for each additional kid that you have after the limit. So the book is not entirely true because they don't lock the kids up, they just fine the parents, luckily.
In the story there is a shadow child named Nina Ida but her real name is Elodie Luria and she is illegal because she is a shadow child. In the story she lives with her grandma and aunty and they save up money for a fake id. She uses the fake id to get into a school for all girls. She falls in love with a boy at the neighboring school that is for all boys. She makes it her mission to find other shadow children and trusts her crush will help her and not snitch on her. She trusted the wrong person because he was a spy, and he told the population police. The police came and arrested her and took her to the population police jail. She is giving a decision to become a spy and rat out other third children or be killed. She decides to become a spy. But she deceives the man that she called Hating Man and decides to use her spy time to help free other third children. She makes this decision in a different cell and made the decision because of three other children she saw in the cell Percy, Alia, and Matthias. They go back to the schools and run into Lee Grant and Trey. The Hating Man arrives and takes them all back and plans to execute them or so they thought. The Hating Man reveals that he is a spy for America and his name is Mr.Talbolt. He also reveals that her crush is also a spy like him and is on their side. She is very happy about this and is excited to see him but resentful of him.
2. Characters
Nina Ida/Elodie Luria
In the beginning of the book she is frightful and scared. She is also brave because she went out into an unknown world and lived in it.
At the end of the book she is brave but still scared because she doesn't know who to trust or what's going to happen in the meantime.
Mr. talbot
In the beginning of the story he is almost a dictator and is very controlling. He is also very mean to people and cruel.
In the end of the story he is nice and wants to help the shadow children. He is also kind to the shadow children and wants to protect them from the government.
Percy
He is very scared and is one of the shadow children like Nina and everyone else at the prison.
He is scared but has others to help him be less nervous and scared.
Alia
In the beginning of the story she is scared and frightful. She is also shy because she is around new people and things.
In the end of the story she is still scared but less frightful. She is also less shy but is still not open.
Matthias
At the beginning of the story he is scared like the rest of the children and wants to be free like everyone else.
At the end of the story he is scared like everyone else but is also feeling brave because there are others he can trust and people he knows around him.
3. Themes and messages
A theme in Amoung the betrayed is betrayal as hunted in the title. In the book she is betrayed by Jason, her crush. In the book she says “Feeling abandoned and betrayed was worse than hunger, worse than cold, worse than the handcuffs on her wrist”(Peterson 155). She is saying that being betrayed is worse than almost anything she had felt after being betrayed. She is also saying that betrayal is one of the worst things that can happen to a person.
4. Personal reflection
Somethings I liked
I like how there are some countries that have this law and how she overcomes challenges. I also liked how the book told the story and kept you guessing on what was going to happen next in the story.
Something i disliked
I disliked how It was sometimes confusing but it was manageable if you reread what you didn't understand. I also dislike how sometimes what was going to happen next was predictable. For example at the end of the story she mentions Jason being dead and then it is revealed he is not dead but this was predictable and could be seen coming.
5. Recommendations
Who should read
People that should read this book are people that have read the other books or people looking for a book about somewhat true things. Even though this book is fiction it has some events that heppen in society today.
Who should not read
If you haven't read any of the first books ever or are looking for something that is all happy and joyful. You also should not read this book if you want a book that is more historical. Even though this book has some history behind it it is still fiction and not 100% accurate.
6. Real world connection
Limiting population growth
This book is roughly based on the events of some countries that have limited the amount of times a family or couple can have kids. In some countries for example, China has limited married couples to three children. In these countries if you have more than the limited number of children you will be fined for each additional kid that you have after the limit. So the book is not entirely true because they don't lock the kids up, they just fine the parents, luckily.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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