There was a crashing sound from the bushes. I spun round, wondering if this was my death, the last movement I would ever make, the last sight I would see... It's tough surviving in Hell. But sometimes Hell can be a haven.

Their country has been invaded. Their homes have been occupied by strangers - or destroyed. Their families are facing death at the hands of a merciless enemy. but one group of teenagers - fugitives in a remote valley - will never give in. Not without a fight.

But sometimes courage demands too high a price...

John Marsden is one of the new breed of Australia's writers for young people: lively, fresh, provocative. Many young readers actually turn off the TV and leave their computer games to go and read John's books. And, for a number of them, they are the first books they voluntarily read.