Among the Brave
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| Among the Brave | |
 1st edition hardcover |
|
| Author | Margaret Peterson Haddix |
|---|---|
| Cover artist | Cliff Nielsen |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Series | Shadow Children sequence |
| Genre(s) | Young adult Science fiction novel |
| Publisher | Simon & Schuster |
| Publication date | April 27, 2004 |
| Media type | Print (Hardcover) Print (Paperback) |
| Pages | 240 pp |
| ISBN | ISBN 0-689-85794-2 |
| Preceded by | Among the Barons |
| Followed by | Among the Enemy |
Among the Brave is a 2004 book by Margaret Peterson Haddix, about a time in which drastic measures have been taken to quell overpopulation. It is the fifth of seven novels in the Shadow Children series.
[edit] Plot introduction
The general plot revolves around an overpopulated world and the Government’s procrustean attempts to arrest the symptoms of population growth and scarcity amongst the Earth's resources. In this turmoil, the democratic government has been overthrown and a totalitarian Government has been put in its place. Laws established by the regime prohibit a family from having more than two children (any more will be euthanized).
[edit] Plot summary
The fifth book starts off directly where the last one stopped, though from the point of view of Trey, Luke's friend from Hendricks' School for Boys. After Luke Garner (Lee Grant) leaves Smits Grant, the younger brother of the real Lee Grant, in the care of his real parents, Luke's friend Trey finds himself at Mr. Talbot's front door preparing to explain all the recent events, including the deaths of the Grant family.
The car containing Trey's friends, Nina, John, and Joel (Luke (Lee) wasn't there because he and Smits had already been dropped off) takes off without Trey. The house is raided soon afterward and thanks to sheer luck and his own vast knowledge from reading during his years in hiding, Trey manages to dive to safety behind a flowerpot. A member of the raid, who searches the porch, says liber (Latin for free). Trey's knowledge of Latin saves his life, as the raider reports that the porch is clear. After the raid, Trey sneaks into the house and encounters a hostile but stunning woman with bright red hair; she is none other than Mrs. Talbot. Together, they discover from a private news network that the government has been overthrown and replaced by the Population Police. Both defeated, Mrs. Talbot abandons the house and leaves Trey to fend for himself.
After sorting himself out and taking several obscure, important looking documents found within the Talbot house, Trey sets out to find help, hopefully to find Lee and the others. He winds up on the Garner farm and ventures out with Mark, one of Luke's older brothers, to find Luke/Lee. They instead find themselves at Population Police Headquarters, once the house of the Grants; Mark is captured and taken instead and Trey must sign up as a recruit to save him.
He is ordered to put his uniform on. He goes into the bathroom and attempts to find Mark. He then spies on Aldous Krakenaur, the head of the Population Police and new Ruler of the Government. He falls out of the ventilation duct and finds Mark. They hear someone come and Trey hides. The officer offers them a chance to get out. To let Mark be released, he has to get the car back. He gets it with few stops.
Using his own ingenuity, despite his own fears, Trey manages to save an injured Mark, his missing friends, and Mr. Talbot from execution with the help of a rebel named Nedley. The group find safety at Mr. Hendricks' cottage and discover the schools have been raided and emptied of their students and able-bodied teachers. Then the group is nursed back to health by Mrs. Talbot, who happens to be a doctor. Afterwards, Trey presents the documents that he saved, despite several opportunities where he may have abandoned them. Mr. Talbot reveals that the documents conceal the identities of hundreds of Third Children with false identities and they decide to burn them to protect the children. But Trey wants to take the names and the responsibility.
Trey snatches them away at the last moment, resolving to take small steps to destroy the Population Police from within along with Lee, Nina, the chaffeur, and Nedley.
