Among the Hidden. Margaret Peterson Haddix. 1998. 153 pages. [Source: Library]
First sentence: He saw the first tree shudder and fall, far off in
the distance. Then he heard his mother call out the kitchen window:
“Luke! Inside. Now.” He had never disobeyed the order to hide.
ETA: I really love, love, love Margaret Peterson Haddix. I enjoy rereading her books every now and then. I don’t know that my library still has in its collection the whole series. But I’m going to try to read more of her books (again, again) this year.
Premise/plot:
Among the Hidden is the first book in Margaret Peterson Haddix’s
fast-paced futuristic middle grade series. Luke Garner is a shadow
child, an illegal third child; his parents are farmers in a rural
community which gave him small doses of freedom–if freedom means
breathing fresh air outside–now and then. But when the woods around his
house are bulldozed to make room for more houses–or apartments–even
that small bit of liberty is lost. Luke “lives” his life in the attic
and on the stairs. His family fears the Population Police so much that
they don’t even allow Luke to eat with them in the kitchen. Things seem
to be getting progressively worse; so much so that his mother decides to
get a job–in a factory, I believe–leaving Luke alone in the house.
One day Luke notices that one of the neighbor’s has his lights on when
no one is supposed to be home. Then he sees a face; could Luke have
found another hidden child? Could this child be his friend? Only if Luke
dares to disobey his parents and go outside. Is there life outside the
attic?
My thoughts: I remember discovering this series a few
years after I first started blogging. It was LOVE. I remember that it
was winter. While I had the first two or three checked out at the same
time, I finished them all in one day and a snowstorm kept me from
getting the rest of the series right when I wanted them, no, NEEDED
them. Long story short, CHECK OUT ALL THE TITLES AT ONCE. That’s my
advice to you. I found the series to be fast-paced, compelling,
thoughtful. I really loved Luke and his new friend, Jen.
© 2023 Becky Laney of Becky’s Book Reviews
