J
John Marsden
Australian writer of young adult fiction and school principal
A Killing Frost
Synopsis
The third book in John Marsden's Tomorrow series, A Killing Frost (published outside North America as The Third Day, the Frost) follows Ellie and her small band of teenage friends as they continue to resist the foreign power that has invaded and occupied their part of Australia. After a successful but costly raid on the officers' houses in Wirrawee, the group retreats to their hideout in the bush, weighed down by grief over the accidental death of their friend Chris and the psychological toll of guerrilla warfare.
Marsden uses the group's exhaustion and guilt to push the series beyond straightforward survival-adventure territory, examining what sustained violence and responsibility do to teenagers thrust into a war they didn't choose. The title comes from a line in Shakespeare's Henry VIII: "The third day comes a frost, a killing frost."
Genres
Characters
EllieProtagonist
Frequently asked questions
Is this book known by another title?
This novel was originally published under the title The Third Day, the Frost in many regions, with A Killing Frost serving as the title for its release in the United States and Canada.
Can I read this book without reading the previous ones in the series?
The narrative follows a continuous chronological progression from the first two books, and reading them in order is necessary to understand the established stakes and the development of the group's guerrilla tactics.