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The Ellie Chronicles #2
Incurable
Ellie Linton is a survivor. Because she's honest. Because she's loyal. Because she's incurably brave. And because sometimes she's lucky.
But what happens to survivors when their luck runs out?
Packed full of action and human drama, John Marsden's Incurable delivers another fast-paced adventure that will thrill old fans and new readers like.
7 pages, Audio CD
First published May 30, 2005
74 people are currently reading
2032 people want to read
About the author
John Marsden
90 books1,954 followersThere is more than one author with this name in the database, see f.e. John Marsden.
John Marsden was an Australian writer and school principal. He wrote more than 40 books in his career and his books have been translated into many languages. He was especially known for his young adult novel Tomorrow, When the War Began, which began a series of seven books.
Marsden began writing for children while working as a teacher, and had his first book, So Much to Tell You, published in 1987. In 2006, he started an alternative school, Candlebark School, and reduced his writing to focus on teaching and running the school. In 2016, he opened the arts-focused secondary school, Alice Miller School. Both schools are in the Macedon Ranges.
John Marsden was an Australian writer and school principal. He wrote more than 40 books in his career and his books have been translated into many languages. He was especially known for his young adult novel Tomorrow, When the War Began, which began a series of seven books.
Marsden began writing for children while working as a teacher, and had his first book, So Much to Tell You, published in 1987. In 2006, he started an alternative school, Candlebark School, and reduced his writing to focus on teaching and running the school. In 2016, he opened the arts-focused secondary school, Alice Miller School. Both schools are in the Macedon Ranges.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 160 reviews
June 29, 2025
First read: January 18th 2015
Re-read: June 24th 2022
this book of this 3 book trilogy is also one i have had sitting on my shelf that i decide to give a go and like the first book of the series i really enjoyed this book.
I like how john marsden expanded on the world and characters he has created and the story continues to be strong.
Re-read: June 24th 2022
this book of this 3 book trilogy is also one i have had sitting on my shelf that i decide to give a go and like the first book of the series i really enjoyed this book.
I like how john marsden expanded on the world and characters he has created and the story continues to be strong.
December 3, 2015
This review was originally posted on The Moonlight Library
Incurable is Ellie’s second adventure post-war, and in it she again tangles with the rebel group Liberation, realises she has feeling for Jeremy, and helps Gavin find his lost sister.
Incurable is much more post-war than While I Live. In fact, the only scene showing the war happened was when Ellie once again rode to the rescue of her Liberation friends. The rest of the novel was about cementing her relationship with Gavin: doing farm work together, looking for him when he went missing – again – and rescuing him when his life was in danger. It’s clear by now that Ellie loves the little rascal with all her heart, and it’s heartwarming to see this war-hardened tween boy return her affection.
I confess I haven’t thought much of Gavin in previous novels. I kind of thought of him as a pain in the butt. But even though he has more issues than a shell-shocked veteran, I kind of grew to like him in this novel. Ellie clearly loves him and risks her life multiple times to ensure his safety, including riding into enemy territory, rock-climbing without safety equipment, and launching herself at a man with a butcher’s knife. It goes to show how brave and resourceful Ellie is, and it’s nice to see some of the other characters recognising this and actually admiring her, rather than being all boy-like about it and not talking about it at all, wishing they’d been as brave as her.
I love the title of this novel: Incurable. The war has affected the kids in ways that make them incurable, unable to face modern-day life without the risk and thrill they experienced during war time. It’s sad that this affects little Gavin as well as Homer and Ellie, but it’s to be expected.
I’m looking forward to the final novel in this series, and one of the reasons why is because I want to know which boy she’s going to pick out of the three potential love interests. While she’s not interested in one and another doesn’t seem interested in her in that way, I have my sights set firmly on the third. I also want to know if she finishes school, what will happen to the farm and Gavin, and how the peacekeeping on the border is going to work. I hope all of that can be wrapped up in one last novel. We’ll have to see.
Incurable is Ellie’s second adventure post-war, and in it she again tangles with the rebel group Liberation, realises she has feeling for Jeremy, and helps Gavin find his lost sister.
Incurable is much more post-war than While I Live. In fact, the only scene showing the war happened was when Ellie once again rode to the rescue of her Liberation friends. The rest of the novel was about cementing her relationship with Gavin: doing farm work together, looking for him when he went missing – again – and rescuing him when his life was in danger. It’s clear by now that Ellie loves the little rascal with all her heart, and it’s heartwarming to see this war-hardened tween boy return her affection.
I confess I haven’t thought much of Gavin in previous novels. I kind of thought of him as a pain in the butt. But even though he has more issues than a shell-shocked veteran, I kind of grew to like him in this novel. Ellie clearly loves him and risks her life multiple times to ensure his safety, including riding into enemy territory, rock-climbing without safety equipment, and launching herself at a man with a butcher’s knife. It goes to show how brave and resourceful Ellie is, and it’s nice to see some of the other characters recognising this and actually admiring her, rather than being all boy-like about it and not talking about it at all, wishing they’d been as brave as her.
I love the title of this novel: Incurable. The war has affected the kids in ways that make them incurable, unable to face modern-day life without the risk and thrill they experienced during war time. It’s sad that this affects little Gavin as well as Homer and Ellie, but it’s to be expected.
I’m looking forward to the final novel in this series, and one of the reasons why is because I want to know which boy she’s going to pick out of the three potential love interests. While she’s not interested in one and another doesn’t seem interested in her in that way, I have my sights set firmly on the third. I also want to know if she finishes school, what will happen to the farm and Gavin, and how the peacekeeping on the border is going to work. I hope all of that can be wrapped up in one last novel. We’ll have to see.
November 16, 2013
Oh WOW. I'm so pleased I gave this book a second chance. I'm not sure what the difference was this time around, maybe it was that this time I listened to it on audio, which really gave a sense of hearing Ellie's 'voice', or maybe it's that the first time around I'd been reading the Tomorrow/Ellie books pretty much one after the other and just needed a little break from it, or was comparing the Ellie Chronicles to the Tomorrow series, in terms of action and characters and stuff, rather than letting the Ellie Chronicles books stand more on their own.
Anyway, 'Incurable' is BRILLIANT. While I missed Fi (who sadly doesn't appear at all in this one), and Homer and Lee have significantly reduced roles, I loved how much this book focused on Ellie. While the first book in the Ellie Chronicles focused on her dealing with her parents' deaths and managing the farm, along with involvement in Liberation, 'Incurable' is focused on her relationship and struggles with Gavin. We really learn a lot more about Gavin in this book, and about how he's adjusting to everything, what life is like for him, and why he is the way he is.
There's a good bit of war-related action too, though. Homer, Lee, Jeremy, and Jess go on a mission over the border into enemy territory, and Ellie has to go save their butts when they get into hot water. And the way she saves them is awesome, and typical Ellie.
Not sure what I make of the characters of Jeremy, Bronte, and Jess who kind of replace the gang from the Tomorrow series in the Ellie Chronicles. They all seem to have potential. But I do miss Fi. It was nice to learn a bit more about Lee's post war life in the city with his younger siblings. Homer doesn't seem to do much other than be involved with Liberation, although his big brother-like relationship with Gavin (and Gavin's utter devotion to him) is fun.
So, apologies Mr Marsden for slating this one the first time around. I was wrong. This book was awesome.
Anyway, 'Incurable' is BRILLIANT. While I missed Fi (who sadly doesn't appear at all in this one), and Homer and Lee have significantly reduced roles, I loved how much this book focused on Ellie. While the first book in the Ellie Chronicles focused on her dealing with her parents' deaths and managing the farm, along with involvement in Liberation, 'Incurable' is focused on her relationship and struggles with Gavin. We really learn a lot more about Gavin in this book, and about how he's adjusting to everything, what life is like for him, and why he is the way he is.
There's a good bit of war-related action too, though. Homer, Lee, Jeremy, and Jess go on a mission over the border into enemy territory, and Ellie has to go save their butts when they get into hot water. And the way she saves them is awesome, and typical Ellie.
Not sure what I make of the characters of Jeremy, Bronte, and Jess who kind of replace the gang from the Tomorrow series in the Ellie Chronicles. They all seem to have potential. But I do miss Fi. It was nice to learn a bit more about Lee's post war life in the city with his younger siblings. Homer doesn't seem to do much other than be involved with Liberation, although his big brother-like relationship with Gavin (and Gavin's utter devotion to him) is fun.
So, apologies Mr Marsden for slating this one the first time around. I was wrong. This book was awesome.
November 29, 2018
This was not as good as the first in this companion series. It was still alright but it is starting to feel a bit repetitive and lacking reason at this point. I’ll still finish it off though cause I do love these characters and the overall story.
November 16, 2014
Can someone who has lived through the thrills and danger of war ever settle down to a "normal" life? How can the adrenaline rush like war ever be repeated in civilian life? Ellie continues in this second book of the "after Tomorrow" series to try to find out. She has kept the farm after her parents were killed by across the border raiders, she continues to keep Gavin with her, helping her work on the farm. But things are tough. Then there's Liberation: a group of unknown strength which conducts across the border raids to prevent terrorist groups from attacking what is left of Australia. They want Ellie to join. Many of her friends are involved. But she has Gavin and the farm. How is she supposed to keep both of those intact and still join a liberation group? However, after Gavin runs away to join 4 of her friends on a Liberation action, Ellie is again drawn into the thrill of near-death experiences and begins to realize that she does find it part of her life. Should she rethink her commitment to Liberation?
August 7, 2016
Plot summary: Life is starting to get back to normal for Ellie Linton after the war, and the murder of her parents. But with her friends involved in an underground guerilla movement, and a troubled young boy to look after, normal rapidly becomes elusive.
Thoughts: I'm not enjoying the Ellie Chronicles as much as I enjoyed the 'Tomorrow' series. I suspect it's because of the change in the supporting characters. While Lee is still an occasional presence in this installment, Fi barely rates a mention. Similarly, Homer is almost a passive character. Yes, he's present, and helping Ellie on the farm, and involved in the guerilla attacks. But in terms of dialogue and interaction? Not so much.
Look, I liked it. But the shift away from the characters that I've read about and loved for so many years is making me a little hesitant to keep reading this series.
Thoughts: I'm not enjoying the Ellie Chronicles as much as I enjoyed the 'Tomorrow' series. I suspect it's because of the change in the supporting characters. While Lee is still an occasional presence in this installment, Fi barely rates a mention. Similarly, Homer is almost a passive character. Yes, he's present, and helping Ellie on the farm, and involved in the guerilla attacks. But in terms of dialogue and interaction? Not so much.
Look, I liked it. But the shift away from the characters that I've read about and loved for so many years is making me a little hesitant to keep reading this series.
September 16, 2009
Oh, Ellie. I love your adventures, but I think I am getting even more tired than your friends of the way you always manage to swoop in and save the day. Are your friends really that consistently unlucky? Are you really bathed in the glow of constant good fortune?
I did like the bit where we learn more about Gavin's family history, but I really don't think the Ellie Chronicles live up to the original series (Tomorrow When the War Began).
I did like the bit where we learn more about Gavin's family history, but I really don't think the Ellie Chronicles live up to the original series (Tomorrow When the War Began).
January 15, 2009
As exciting and compelling as one would expect! That John Marsden really knows how to write a page-turner!
July 24, 2018
Funny that the blurb on this is "But what happens to survivors when their luck runs out?" because the luck does not run out for Ellie. Ever.
We're given increasingly outlandish action scenes - I mean they're really getting ridiculous - without so much as a casualty. And they just don't fit with the context of the rest of the book. It's a bit like a MacGuyver episode sometimes. Marsden must produce these scenes as a reflex because they're sandwiched by mind numbing detail about farming and crushes and schoolwork. I know way, way too much about cattle farming now. These details would make a perfectly good story if the action scenes hadn't been jammed in.
I think the difference is that in the Tomorrow series, the story between the action scenes was still fascinating because it was about how they survived, how they laid low, their mental state and planning future attacks. But the incongruity between the action scenes and rural life just doesn't work as well with this series. Pick one! Just give us a raw account of the post war life and people can take it or leave it - don't manufacture violence to please the masses.
We're given increasingly outlandish action scenes - I mean they're really getting ridiculous - without so much as a casualty. And they just don't fit with the context of the rest of the book. It's a bit like a MacGuyver episode sometimes. Marsden must produce these scenes as a reflex because they're sandwiched by mind numbing detail about farming and crushes and schoolwork. I know way, way too much about cattle farming now. These details would make a perfectly good story if the action scenes hadn't been jammed in.
I think the difference is that in the Tomorrow series, the story between the action scenes was still fascinating because it was about how they survived, how they laid low, their mental state and planning future attacks. But the incongruity between the action scenes and rural life just doesn't work as well with this series. Pick one! Just give us a raw account of the post war life and people can take it or leave it - don't manufacture violence to please the masses.
December 24, 2020
Ellie's story continues in this second instalment of The Ellie Chronicles. Ellie is struggling with PTSD but not only from her war experience but also what happened in the last book (). While she managed to keep the farm and Gavin with her, it is a struggle to do all that needs to be doing; not just physically but also mentally. Meantime, her friends are continuing to fight and Gavin... well, there are some issues that needed to be resolved there. Overall, I didn't mind this story even if I'm starting to be a little sick of Ellie... it's been a lot of books, ok, but I need to get to the end so thankfully, there's only 1 more, I think.
November 14, 2023
I forgot that this entire series is just Ellie leaving her gun behind
September 18, 2013
"(...) dostaję szału, kiedy widzę, że historia niczego ludzi nie uczy. Uwielbiam historię. Daje odpowiedzi na wszystkie pytania, pod warunkiem, że ludzie zadają sobie trud, żeby ją poznać."(strona 65)
Nastoletnia Ellie i jej przyjaciele próbują poukładać swoje życie po zakończeniu wojny. Dziewczyna stara się otoczyć opieką małego, osieroconego Gavina, który zaczyna sprawiać jej coraz więcej problemów. Mimo zawartego pokoju w kraju nie jest spokojnie i marzenie o bezpiecznym domu nadal nie chce się ziścić.
"Wojna się skończyła, walka wciąż trwa." Tytuł pierwszej części jest bardzo adekwatny do sytuacji Ellie. Dotknęła ją największa strata z możliwych, a dziewczyna nadal nie może poradzić sobie z bólem. Nic dziwnego! Nie jest nawet pełnoletnia, a już dźwiga olbrzymie brzemię nie tylko opieki na Gavinem, ale również zarządzaniem farmą, które wiąże się z wielkim wysiłkiem oraz kosztami. Farma położona jest blisko granicy, więc jakby tego wszystkiego było mało, Ellie żyje w ciągłym strachu, że ktoś ją napadnie... Podejrzewa również, że jej przyjaciele biorą udział w partyzanckich akcjach i ciągle narażają się na niebezpieczeństwo. Nie mogą wyleczyć się z wojny...
"(...)zapisywanie różnych rzeczy to sposób ich utrwalania, który - co ważniejsze - nadaje im wagę i znaczenie."(strona 233)
'Kroniki Ellie' to kontynuacja serii 'Jutro', jak krzyczy napis na okładce. Po przeczytaniu pierwszego tomu tej trylogii zastanawiałam się, czy kolejne części nie będą dość przewidywalne, ponieważ autor już zostawił wskazówki, jak fabuła może rozwinąć się w "Nieuleczalnej". Nic bardziej mylnego. Pamiętam, że pierwszy tom "Kronik Ellie" określiłam "w miarę spokojnym." Teraz na odsapnięcie nie znajdziecie ani sekundy. Nie chcę zdradzić zbyt wielu szczegółów i ograbić Was z radości czytania, ale mogę Wam powiedzieć, że różnorodnych i niespodziewanych zwrotów akcji jest tak wiele, że ciężko oderwać się od lektury. Na ledwie trzystu stronach znalazło się więcej akcji, niż w niektórych dwukrotnie dłuższych powieściach, a jednocześnie nie przesadzono pod tym względem. Nie ma się uczucia, że tego wszystkiego jest po prostu za dużo. Łatwo ogarnąć rozwój sytuacji i nadążyć, lecz i tak przyśpieszone bicie serca oraz przeżywanie każdego wątku macie po prostu zapewnione w cenie. Ja wciąż nie mogę uwierzy, jak autor wykreował fabułę, ponieważ lekko go nie doceniłam. Jestem więc pod ogromnym wrażeniem.
Jak wygląda życie po wojnie? Zazwyczaj wszystkie serie z gatunku Young Adult kończą się po rozwiązaniu wszystkich problemów, a króciutki epilog opowiada, jak bohaterowie poradzili sobie w nowym świecie. Nie jest tego dużo, więc zarysowanie sytuacji bywa niepełne i pozostawia po sobie uczucie nienasycenia. Dobrych historii nigdy nie ma się dość "Kroniki Ellie" przedstawiają świat po wojnie, dlatego ta seria już mnie urzekła, a przede mną dopiero trzeci tom. Uważam, że "Jutro 7" było świetnym zakończeniem, a jednak nie wiedziałam, że brakuje mi epilogu dopóki nie wzięłam do ręki "Kronik Ellie". Trylogia jest zakończeniem opowieści, a może nowym początkiem?
"(...) im wyżej sięgasz, tym bardziej ryzykujesz. Jeśli będziesz się wspinać bez końca, pewnego dnia zostaniesz bogiem. Dla większości ludzi to niewykonalne(...). Duże ryzyko można podejmować na początku, kiedy masz mało do stracenia i twoje szczęście jeszcze się nie wyczerpało. A gdy pójdzie Ci świetnie, pora zwiększyć ostrożność. Każdy sukces zbliża cię do porażki."(strona 73)
"Nieuleczalna" bardzo mnie zaskoczyła. Nie spodziewałam się, że autor wciąż chowa tak wiele Asów w rękawie i tylko spokojnie czeka, aby znów namieszać w życiu Ellie i jej przyjaciół. Po tak dynamicznej i emocjonującej opowieści chce się poznać zakończenie "Kronik Ellie" natychmiast. Polecam Wam, jak najszybsze zabranie się za "Nieuleczalną" i przeżycie tego... wszystkiego. Zaczyna mi brakować słów, żeby opisać emocje, które towarzyszą lekturze tego tomu. Dajcie się ponieść tej fali...
Ogólna ocena: 10/10.
Nastoletnia Ellie i jej przyjaciele próbują poukładać swoje życie po zakończeniu wojny. Dziewczyna stara się otoczyć opieką małego, osieroconego Gavina, który zaczyna sprawiać jej coraz więcej problemów. Mimo zawartego pokoju w kraju nie jest spokojnie i marzenie o bezpiecznym domu nadal nie chce się ziścić.
"Wojna się skończyła, walka wciąż trwa." Tytuł pierwszej części jest bardzo adekwatny do sytuacji Ellie. Dotknęła ją największa strata z możliwych, a dziewczyna nadal nie może poradzić sobie z bólem. Nic dziwnego! Nie jest nawet pełnoletnia, a już dźwiga olbrzymie brzemię nie tylko opieki na Gavinem, ale również zarządzaniem farmą, które wiąże się z wielkim wysiłkiem oraz kosztami. Farma położona jest blisko granicy, więc jakby tego wszystkiego było mało, Ellie żyje w ciągłym strachu, że ktoś ją napadnie... Podejrzewa również, że jej przyjaciele biorą udział w partyzanckich akcjach i ciągle narażają się na niebezpieczeństwo. Nie mogą wyleczyć się z wojny...
"(...)zapisywanie różnych rzeczy to sposób ich utrwalania, który - co ważniejsze - nadaje im wagę i znaczenie."(strona 233)
'Kroniki Ellie' to kontynuacja serii 'Jutro', jak krzyczy napis na okładce. Po przeczytaniu pierwszego tomu tej trylogii zastanawiałam się, czy kolejne części nie będą dość przewidywalne, ponieważ autor już zostawił wskazówki, jak fabuła może rozwinąć się w "Nieuleczalnej". Nic bardziej mylnego. Pamiętam, że pierwszy tom "Kronik Ellie" określiłam "w miarę spokojnym." Teraz na odsapnięcie nie znajdziecie ani sekundy. Nie chcę zdradzić zbyt wielu szczegółów i ograbić Was z radości czytania, ale mogę Wam powiedzieć, że różnorodnych i niespodziewanych zwrotów akcji jest tak wiele, że ciężko oderwać się od lektury. Na ledwie trzystu stronach znalazło się więcej akcji, niż w niektórych dwukrotnie dłuższych powieściach, a jednocześnie nie przesadzono pod tym względem. Nie ma się uczucia, że tego wszystkiego jest po prostu za dużo. Łatwo ogarnąć rozwój sytuacji i nadążyć, lecz i tak przyśpieszone bicie serca oraz przeżywanie każdego wątku macie po prostu zapewnione w cenie. Ja wciąż nie mogę uwierzy, jak autor wykreował fabułę, ponieważ lekko go nie doceniłam. Jestem więc pod ogromnym wrażeniem.
Jak wygląda życie po wojnie? Zazwyczaj wszystkie serie z gatunku Young Adult kończą się po rozwiązaniu wszystkich problemów, a króciutki epilog opowiada, jak bohaterowie poradzili sobie w nowym świecie. Nie jest tego dużo, więc zarysowanie sytuacji bywa niepełne i pozostawia po sobie uczucie nienasycenia. Dobrych historii nigdy nie ma się dość "Kroniki Ellie" przedstawiają świat po wojnie, dlatego ta seria już mnie urzekła, a przede mną dopiero trzeci tom. Uważam, że "Jutro 7" było świetnym zakończeniem, a jednak nie wiedziałam, że brakuje mi epilogu dopóki nie wzięłam do ręki "Kronik Ellie". Trylogia jest zakończeniem opowieści, a może nowym początkiem?
"(...) im wyżej sięgasz, tym bardziej ryzykujesz. Jeśli będziesz się wspinać bez końca, pewnego dnia zostaniesz bogiem. Dla większości ludzi to niewykonalne(...). Duże ryzyko można podejmować na początku, kiedy masz mało do stracenia i twoje szczęście jeszcze się nie wyczerpało. A gdy pójdzie Ci świetnie, pora zwiększyć ostrożność. Każdy sukces zbliża cię do porażki."(strona 73)
"Nieuleczalna" bardzo mnie zaskoczyła. Nie spodziewałam się, że autor wciąż chowa tak wiele Asów w rękawie i tylko spokojnie czeka, aby znów namieszać w życiu Ellie i jej przyjaciół. Po tak dynamicznej i emocjonującej opowieści chce się poznać zakończenie "Kronik Ellie" natychmiast. Polecam Wam, jak najszybsze zabranie się za "Nieuleczalną" i przeżycie tego... wszystkiego. Zaczyna mi brakować słów, żeby opisać emocje, które towarzyszą lekturze tego tomu. Dajcie się ponieść tej fali...
Ogólna ocena: 10/10.
November 9, 2021
This one took me longer to read as it was a bit repetitive. It finished well though.
August 14, 2012
The Tomorrow, When the War Began series should be read first.
In the ebook, chapter 6 is before chapter 5, but it's easy to go to the table of contents and click on 5.
Just because the war is officially over doesn't mean things go back to how they were before. While Ellie has the resposibilities of an adult, like paying bills, running her farm, taking care of a kid, and going to school, she finds herself bored and missing some aspects of the war. Some of Ellie's friends who survived have joined a secret "A" Team type group that sneak across the border to carry out missions, and Ellie finds herself being drawn back into the fight. Meanwhile, the kid Ellie's taking care of is keeping secrets.
I enjoyed this so much better than the first book of this series, and I'm totally into this world again. Marsden can do no wrong!
In the ebook, chapter 6 is before chapter 5, but it's easy to go to the table of contents and click on 5.
Just because the war is officially over doesn't mean things go back to how they were before. While Ellie has the resposibilities of an adult, like paying bills, running her farm, taking care of a kid, and going to school, she finds herself bored and missing some aspects of the war. Some of Ellie's friends who survived have joined a secret "A" Team type group that sneak across the border to carry out missions, and Ellie finds herself being drawn back into the fight. Meanwhile, the kid Ellie's taking care of is keeping secrets.
I enjoyed this so much better than the first book of this series, and I'm totally into this world again. Marsden can do no wrong!
December 14, 2022
Kan iemand die de spanning en gevaren van een oorlog heeft overleefd ooit een 'normaal' leven leiden? hoe kan de adrenaline van de oorlog ooit herhaald worden in een normaal leven?
Ellie heeft de boerderij van haar vermoordde ouders overgenomen. Ze houdt Gavin bij haar, hij helpt haar bij het werk op de boerderij. Maar het zijn moeilijke tijden.
De Liberation groep, die regelmatig invallen doet over de grens om te voorkomen dat terroristen een aanval doen op wat nog over is van Australië, wil dat Ellie zich bij hen aansluit. Vrienden van haar zijn al lid. Maar zij heeft Gavin en de boerderij om voor te zorgen. Nadat Gavin weg gelopen is om zich aan te sluiten bij vier van haar vrienden op een Librarator actie, is Ellie opnieuw in de spanning van bijna-dood ervaringen en begint zich te beseffen dat het een deel van haar leven is.
Later worden zij en Gavin bedreigd door de stief-vader van Gavin, die gezien heeft hoe hij zijn moeder vermoordde.
Ellie heeft de boerderij van haar vermoordde ouders overgenomen. Ze houdt Gavin bij haar, hij helpt haar bij het werk op de boerderij. Maar het zijn moeilijke tijden.
De Liberation groep, die regelmatig invallen doet over de grens om te voorkomen dat terroristen een aanval doen op wat nog over is van Australië, wil dat Ellie zich bij hen aansluit. Vrienden van haar zijn al lid. Maar zij heeft Gavin en de boerderij om voor te zorgen. Nadat Gavin weg gelopen is om zich aan te sluiten bij vier van haar vrienden op een Librarator actie, is Ellie opnieuw in de spanning van bijna-dood ervaringen en begint zich te beseffen dat het een deel van haar leven is.
Later worden zij en Gavin bedreigd door de stief-vader van Gavin, die gezien heeft hoe hij zijn moeder vermoordde.
May 19, 2018
Note: I have not completed the entire story- I would have given this book a one but I know that the final part was sort of interesting (I read the plot summary). However, I will review what I've read so far and explain why I did not finish it
Goddamnit... I tried.
I really, really tried.
I'm a completionist when it comes to books. Even if I don't like the book, I still aim to finish the series. However, this series has thwarted me- it is sheer boredom.
For me, that is the worst kind of bad- there's nothing worse than reading a boring book. Books are supposed to be engaging- they're supposed to provoke our imaginations. They need to take extra care in grasping the reader's attention as, let's be frank, films are more visually appealing. That's why books need to be descriptive, interesting and succinct and to the point.
I have not finished Incurable, as you can imagine. Normally, I'd warn about spoilers but I don't recommend this to anyone. I'm completely shocked at the amount of 4 or 5 star ratings this book has received- granted, I did not finish this book and I believe the best part is unread but that's literally in the final third. I know it's just some long action sequence of Gavin and Ellie battling Gavin's stepfather- but I honestly don't care.
The book immediately opens with a farm sequence- that is not something that immediately grasps my attention. It is REDUNDANT! I became so sick of this sequences from While I Live- why the hell open it like this?
I complained about having not enough action from While I Live. When I say action, I mean actual stuff happening- I don't mean that it has to be Michael Bay explosions. Once again, I cannot stress this enough- careful what you wish for. Instead, Incurable chucks me in the deep end with this long-ass action sequence- I didn't even know what was going on! It wasn't even that good...
Another extremely annoying thing- Ellie's love life. This has always been slightly annoying as Ellie is very indecisive- Lee or Homer, Lee or Homer?. But ALL OF A SUDDEN- we get Jeremy, Colonel Finley's son- aaaaaand that's all I know about that guy. But Ellie, for some reason, and I quote, is 'starting to fall seriously in love with Jeremy'. UGH! Not only is this boring but the love development is extremely poor- she barely knows the guy! The only exchanges they've really had is one where they talk about war and another when Jeremy kinda randomly massages Ellie's neck- which was very awkward by the way. I don't know what the result of this was as I didn't read it but I don't think it matters- I already know that Ellie randomly decides to fall in love with Lee at the end of Circle of Flight. Pointless this was.
And I don't give a shit about Jess, Bronte, Jeremy (again), Shannon, Sam or whatever new character has been introduced. They are cardboard characters, they lack personality and they are poor replacements of the original group.
Even the old characters don't live up to their original potential- Lee is kinda just there sometimes and Homer- my god Homer- this series has ruined Homer. He's not his usual smartass, funny self and nor does he show the qualities of his real mature self- he's just kinda there. This is extremely disappointing. You'd think more effort would be put into this- for godsakes, Ellie, Lee and Homer were in the war together! But nah, apparently that doesn't bloody matter.
Ellie is one of the worst contenders in this series. I'm sick of her narration- While I Live she talked about how much she loved her parents private bits and in this one she goes off on way too many tangents. I'm sick of her analogies- there's literally chapters where she does routine tasks mixed with her analogies- boom, a chapter. It's redundant filler most of it. This is why I was forced to stop reading- this filler makes the book boring. Honestly, I preferred to read the plot summaries online- it nicely summed up the book without these analogies.
This book makes me not care about anything- especially Ellie and Gavin's relationship. And honestly, I think Gavin is a bit of a psychopath- killing animals as a child is one of the first signs (he killed the cat for no real reason).
Here are the reoccurring problems here that make this series goe ugh!. Firstly, I think it should have been set long after the war. I think if Ellie was older- not a teenager!- it probably would have been a lot better. The story could have been told in present and in past- maybe flashback sequences of right after the war, and a fresh new story of what is happening now. Also, this did NOT need to be a trilogy- I've read the plot summary to Circle of Flight too. Not much happens and I know for a fact it'll be filled with lots of filler. This only needed to be one novel- nothing more. If it was one novel, the filler would have been scrapped and we would have a more packed, better developed story.
I'm not going to read the rest of Incurable and I am most certainly not going to bother reading Circle of Flight. This series is a disgrace- when I wanted to read what happened afterwards, I didn't want it to be like this. I absolutely do not recommend this series whatsoever. It is worth going online and reading the plot summaries- honestly, they summarise the key points really well. In fact, the plot summaries tell a better story than the actual novel itself. If it weren't for the semi interesting step father plot that I will unfortunately not be able to read (plot summary might've done better on that too) then this would have been a one. I prefer Twilight, Alice in Zombieland and The Fifth Wave series over these- at least they were somewhat interesting despite being bad books.
Completely disappointing and utterly terrible. Avoid this series like the plague.
Goddamnit... I tried.
I really, really tried.
I'm a completionist when it comes to books. Even if I don't like the book, I still aim to finish the series. However, this series has thwarted me- it is sheer boredom.
For me, that is the worst kind of bad- there's nothing worse than reading a boring book. Books are supposed to be engaging- they're supposed to provoke our imaginations. They need to take extra care in grasping the reader's attention as, let's be frank, films are more visually appealing. That's why books need to be descriptive, interesting and succinct and to the point.
I have not finished Incurable, as you can imagine. Normally, I'd warn about spoilers but I don't recommend this to anyone. I'm completely shocked at the amount of 4 or 5 star ratings this book has received- granted, I did not finish this book and I believe the best part is unread but that's literally in the final third. I know it's just some long action sequence of Gavin and Ellie battling Gavin's stepfather- but I honestly don't care.
The book immediately opens with a farm sequence- that is not something that immediately grasps my attention. It is REDUNDANT! I became so sick of this sequences from While I Live- why the hell open it like this?
I complained about having not enough action from While I Live. When I say action, I mean actual stuff happening- I don't mean that it has to be Michael Bay explosions. Once again, I cannot stress this enough- careful what you wish for. Instead, Incurable chucks me in the deep end with this long-ass action sequence- I didn't even know what was going on! It wasn't even that good...
Another extremely annoying thing- Ellie's love life. This has always been slightly annoying as Ellie is very indecisive- Lee or Homer, Lee or Homer?. But ALL OF A SUDDEN- we get Jeremy, Colonel Finley's son- aaaaaand that's all I know about that guy. But Ellie, for some reason, and I quote, is 'starting to fall seriously in love with Jeremy'. UGH! Not only is this boring but the love development is extremely poor- she barely knows the guy! The only exchanges they've really had is one where they talk about war and another when Jeremy kinda randomly massages Ellie's neck- which was very awkward by the way. I don't know what the result of this was as I didn't read it but I don't think it matters- I already know that Ellie randomly decides to fall in love with Lee at the end of Circle of Flight. Pointless this was.
And I don't give a shit about Jess, Bronte, Jeremy (again), Shannon, Sam or whatever new character has been introduced. They are cardboard characters, they lack personality and they are poor replacements of the original group.
Even the old characters don't live up to their original potential- Lee is kinda just there sometimes and Homer- my god Homer- this series has ruined Homer. He's not his usual smartass, funny self and nor does he show the qualities of his real mature self- he's just kinda there. This is extremely disappointing. You'd think more effort would be put into this- for godsakes, Ellie, Lee and Homer were in the war together! But nah, apparently that doesn't bloody matter.
Ellie is one of the worst contenders in this series. I'm sick of her narration- While I Live she talked about how much she loved her parents private bits and in this one she goes off on way too many tangents. I'm sick of her analogies- there's literally chapters where she does routine tasks mixed with her analogies- boom, a chapter. It's redundant filler most of it. This is why I was forced to stop reading- this filler makes the book boring. Honestly, I preferred to read the plot summaries online- it nicely summed up the book without these analogies.
This book makes me not care about anything- especially Ellie and Gavin's relationship. And honestly, I think Gavin is a bit of a psychopath- killing animals as a child is one of the first signs (he killed the cat for no real reason).
Here are the reoccurring problems here that make this series goe ugh!. Firstly, I think it should have been set long after the war. I think if Ellie was older- not a teenager!- it probably would have been a lot better. The story could have been told in present and in past- maybe flashback sequences of right after the war, and a fresh new story of what is happening now. Also, this did NOT need to be a trilogy- I've read the plot summary to Circle of Flight too. Not much happens and I know for a fact it'll be filled with lots of filler. This only needed to be one novel- nothing more. If it was one novel, the filler would have been scrapped and we would have a more packed, better developed story.
I'm not going to read the rest of Incurable and I am most certainly not going to bother reading Circle of Flight. This series is a disgrace- when I wanted to read what happened afterwards, I didn't want it to be like this. I absolutely do not recommend this series whatsoever. It is worth going online and reading the plot summaries- honestly, they summarise the key points really well. In fact, the plot summaries tell a better story than the actual novel itself. If it weren't for the semi interesting step father plot that I will unfortunately not be able to read (plot summary might've done better on that too) then this would have been a one. I prefer Twilight, Alice in Zombieland and The Fifth Wave series over these- at least they were somewhat interesting despite being bad books.
Completely disappointing and utterly terrible. Avoid this series like the plague.
November 16, 2010
As much as I LOVE Marsden's Tomorrow When the War Began series, I have to admit that I've been really disappoionted by the follow up series. Ellie doesn't even seem like the same Ellie from the original series... much of her narration is irritating, incessant rambling about nothing in particular, and it stands out because there's not a lot going on plot wise. I am uninterested in cattle and farming and quad bikes and all of the things that take up pages and pages of this series. I only became interested in what was happening in this book towards the very end. I will probably read the third and final book in the series out of loyalty but I really think that Marsden should have written a post Tomorrow novella instead of dragging it out accross three books.
November 26, 2016
This was disappointing. Nothing actually happened. In fact, there were whole chapters of nothing but routine. I don't need to know what they usually have for breakfast, especially if it's going to take half a page.
The action scenes were completely unrealistic and boring. All in all, this was a BAD book.
The action scenes were completely unrealistic and boring. All in all, this was a BAD book.
April 16, 2008
I've been listening to this series from Tomorrow When the War Began to the Ellie Chronicles and with this book the reader changed and as you may know, the reader can make all the difference. This gal just isn't Ellie and it distracts from the story of her struggles after the war.
November 22, 2015
Again, I'm at a loss as to the point of this added series. Gavin is proving to be a problem in terms of blending back into society and Ellie plays mother. I should have stopped reading and not started this series.
January 26, 2024
Quality Rating: Four Stars
Enjoyment Rating: Four Stars
These books really are a saga, all the way from Tomorrow When the War Began to where we are now. While the story only takes place over a few years at most, this series has been with me for most of my life thanks to a dear family friend. I wish it got more traction outside of Australia because it really is one of the best book series for young adults out there.
For a story no longer taking place during a war, there sure is a lot of drama and action. If you had to assign a genre I’d probably go for ‘slice of life’ - but the most exciting kind imaginable. I’m finding it incredibly freeing to follow the aftershocks of the war and Ellie and her friends’ experiences. And especially since living through the Covid epidemic, I have a newfound appreciation for epilogues and what comes next.
Reading John Marsden book is always a joy because no one writes action like this. I get through a fair amount of action-intense books across various genres, but none have this clear-headed processing and absolute petrifying chaos in their execution. Ellie and her friends find themselves in life threatening situations chronically frequently, but every time, it’s just as tense and inescapable and hugely satisfying to watch them finding their way through.
And wow, how amazing is it to see a genuinely clever female character kick ass. I love a lot of YA fiction and heroines, but Ellie is just so instinctively intelligent, it never gets old. The witty one liners aren’t her thing, nor are the elaborate gotcha plans running in the background; but adrenaline pumping survival instinct? No one does it better. She’s such a good example of a protagonist being the person who swoops in and saves others, rather than being agency-less and only ever experiencing things as a result of being caught unawares - Ellie really takes charge of situations and feel the strain it of course takes to do it.
I think I would probably read anything by John Marsden after this series, regardless of the genre or even synopsis. I expect I said this in my last review but, who knew farming could be so intrinsic and actually interesting in a war story from a teenager? How could so many ‘will they, won’t they’ relationships just be a small part of a much bigger human story? How could a protagonist who literally never seems to win be so rewarding to follow along? I still don’t really know the answer, but I definitely enjoy the ride.
Enjoyment Rating: Four Stars
These books really are a saga, all the way from Tomorrow When the War Began to where we are now. While the story only takes place over a few years at most, this series has been with me for most of my life thanks to a dear family friend. I wish it got more traction outside of Australia because it really is one of the best book series for young adults out there.
For a story no longer taking place during a war, there sure is a lot of drama and action. If you had to assign a genre I’d probably go for ‘slice of life’ - but the most exciting kind imaginable. I’m finding it incredibly freeing to follow the aftershocks of the war and Ellie and her friends’ experiences. And especially since living through the Covid epidemic, I have a newfound appreciation for epilogues and what comes next.
Reading John Marsden book is always a joy because no one writes action like this. I get through a fair amount of action-intense books across various genres, but none have this clear-headed processing and absolute petrifying chaos in their execution. Ellie and her friends find themselves in life threatening situations chronically frequently, but every time, it’s just as tense and inescapable and hugely satisfying to watch them finding their way through.
And wow, how amazing is it to see a genuinely clever female character kick ass. I love a lot of YA fiction and heroines, but Ellie is just so instinctively intelligent, it never gets old. The witty one liners aren’t her thing, nor are the elaborate gotcha plans running in the background; but adrenaline pumping survival instinct? No one does it better. She’s such a good example of a protagonist being the person who swoops in and saves others, rather than being agency-less and only ever experiencing things as a result of being caught unawares - Ellie really takes charge of situations and feel the strain it of course takes to do it.
I think I would probably read anything by John Marsden after this series, regardless of the genre or even synopsis. I expect I said this in my last review but, who knew farming could be so intrinsic and actually interesting in a war story from a teenager? How could so many ‘will they, won’t they’ relationships just be a small part of a much bigger human story? How could a protagonist who literally never seems to win be so rewarding to follow along? I still don’t really know the answer, but I definitely enjoy the ride.
April 28, 2024
this one felt a little less cohesive. the action scenes felt a little manufactured, like gavin falling of the cliff (when we get told every other page how brilliant he is lol) and then the large chase scene that felt a little repetitive (and how did it take soo long for ANYONE to notice a guy running after kids with a knife in a city??) I did enjoy the random adventures, ellie being affected by her grief and ptsd so much that it translates to her beloved bush betraying her (including the whole thing about her realising she needs to reconcile with herself before being open to love), whilst also trying to be a teenager. I do wish instead of the entire book surrounding gavin’s problems that there was a little more focus on how ellie was dealing with things. obviously not well but honestly I’m astounded she hasn’t had a complete mental breakdown with everything she’s dealing with - where is her therapist??
aside from that I still love this series and I’m sad I’m almost at the end
aside from that I still love this series and I’m sad I’m almost at the end
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 13, 2023
I really enjoyed this book. I haven’t read any other of the Tomorrow Series or Ellie Chronicles but I still understood the story and characters etc.
As I was reading I felt like I was there and could visualise what was happening - to me that’s a sign of great language by the author. I cared what was happening to the characters and found myself on edge at the suspenseful moments.
The plot was quite vague (as in, it never really explained who the terrorists/invaders were) but that didn’t seem to matter, and added a little mystery to the plot.
I liked how it took quite a while to draw out key info (eg. How characters were connected, what happened to her parents etc).
I don’t think I’d rush out to buy the rest of the series but I’d like to read some more Marsden over time.
As I was reading I felt like I was there and could visualise what was happening - to me that’s a sign of great language by the author. I cared what was happening to the characters and found myself on edge at the suspenseful moments.
The plot was quite vague (as in, it never really explained who the terrorists/invaders were) but that didn’t seem to matter, and added a little mystery to the plot.
I liked how it took quite a while to draw out key info (eg. How characters were connected, what happened to her parents etc).
I don’t think I’d rush out to buy the rest of the series but I’d like to read some more Marsden over time.
August 24, 2018
The tomorrow series(including the Ellie chronicles) is still the best book series I have read. These are not complicated books and they won't leave you struggling with life's difficult questions. What the series does do is leave you utterly and truly entertained. Filled with action packed senes, and Marsden's particular talent for suspense, the books will keep you turning page after page and will have you reading each book back to back.
After twice having read all 10 books (The tomorrow series-7- and the Ellie chronicles -3-) I feel that getting to know Ellie has been one of the great pleasures of my life.
After twice having read all 10 books (The tomorrow series-7- and the Ellie chronicles -3-) I feel that getting to know Ellie has been one of the great pleasures of my life.
April 29, 2020
I seriously don’t understand the timeline here. How can Ellie etc possibly *still* be at high school?? And more to the point, why? Leaving aside the tiny fact of THE WAR (it seems pretty realistic to assume there would be special considerations regarding exams and university entry, rather than students and teachers being expected to just pick up where they left off) we just spent the whole previous book trying to keep the farm. So is she supposed to just disappear off to uni once she graduates??? And if not, what’s the point in school? I can only assume it’s because John Marsden is a high school teacher, because realistically someone needs to give Ellie some serious career counselling.
October 28, 2025
Ellie’s saga continues as she realizes that Gavin is the only person she was a connection with given her parents are gone. She is lured into a cross border raid to protect Gavin which results in the usual close calls before they arrive on their side of the border. Ellie receives word that Gabon’s sister has been located and when they visit, they are chased by a crazed man who turns out to be Gavin’s step father. More action and more unrest for Ellie as she is conflicted about her relationship with Lee and a budding connection to Jeremy Finley.
June 15, 2020
I like how things did happen in this, but the first half was very boring and the only reason I pushed myself to finish this was because it has been on my TBR forever and I want to finish the series.
Things finally started happening after 100 pages, but it was a bit late and I wasn't drawn into it. The issues with Gavin seemed to be dropped and Ellie didn't really deal with them well.
I don't think maybe it's just been too long for me to enjoy this world.
2/5
Things finally started happening after 100 pages, but it was a bit late and I wasn't drawn into it. The issues with Gavin seemed to be dropped and Ellie didn't really deal with them well.
I don't think maybe it's just been too long for me to enjoy this world.
2/5
June 27, 2025
This continuation of Ellie's saga after the war is over and the murder of her parents is both gripping and emotionally challenging for Ellis. As she takes over the mothering of an increasingly dysfunctional Gavin and maintaining the farm with just the two of them to work it, and continue her education she is also tempted to join the secretive Liberation movement in which her friends are involved.
September 14, 2017
3.5 stars
A captivating read. I always enjoy Marsden's books. Except for this time I felt not so much wow factor. Maybe this book just had a case of middle book syndrome. Either way I hope the next book, the ending of the series will be amazing. I have high hopes as I know Marsden is clever enough to pull of a incredibly devourable ending.
A captivating read. I always enjoy Marsden's books. Except for this time I felt not so much wow factor. Maybe this book just had a case of middle book syndrome. Either way I hope the next book, the ending of the series will be amazing. I have high hopes as I know Marsden is clever enough to pull of a incredibly devourable ending.
October 19, 2017
The plot felt like "wtf" at times, but the series is as readable as ever. Ellie's mix of thoughts, with bits of TV shows she's seen, conversations she's had, stupid jokes, musings on language and people, makes the character feel very realistic and three-dimensional, even when the crazy turns of the plot would otherwise be too much.
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