Among the Enemy by Margaret Peterson Haddix

Reviewed by Bridget

Ratings

Content Ratings based on a 0-5 scale where
0 = no objectionable content and
5 = an excessive or disturbing level of content

Guide to Rating System

LANGUAGE

VIOLENCE

SEXUAL CONTENT

ADULT THEMES


Shadow Children Series – Book Six

Ratings Explanation

Violence:  Matthias uses a nail to puncture the tire of a moving truck.  The tire blows out and causes the truck to crash.  Many children sitting in the back of the truck are fatally injured.  Alia is seriously injured.  Gunfire between the rebels and the Population Police are exchanged.  Percy is shot by the Population Police.  Matthias comes across a pile of rebel corpses.  Tiddy, a Population Police officer is poisoned and dies.  An enormous warehouse with food storage is distributed and then blown up.

Adult Themes:  Lack of food for the population of the country is an underlying theme throughout this series.  The existence of third-born children have been blamed for the people’s hunger. As governing power changes hands casualties abound.

Synopsis

The threat against illegal third-born children has increased and the Population Police have become more powerful.  Matthias finds himself making life and death decisions as he is caught between rebels and the Population Police.  He ultimately chooses to save lives and unknowingly saves the life of a population police officer, a favorite of the general.  As a reward, Matthias is given the luxury of training to become a population police officer, among his enemies.  While mourning the loss of his two friends, Alia and Percy, who were caught in the cross-fire, he is enlisted by a rebel, Nina to join in a plot to overthrow the goverment.  Matthias does not know who he should trust.

Among the Enemy is very suspenseful, I could not put the book down.  The author’s descriptions are so vivid that your heart rate will increase as you walk with Matthias, a third child, through Population Police Headquarters.

©2009 The Literate Mother