A master storyteller, John Marsden is Australia's best known writer for
young adults. Marsden first found success with the publication of So
Much To Tell You. Since then he has gone on to publish many popular and
well-recognized titles, including those in the Tomorrow Series and The
Ellie Chronicles. In his books, Marsden explores adolescents caught in a
world of opposites, of innocence and guilt, idealism and realism, and
joy and despair. Marsden's world view and his faith in adolescents serve
as the backdrop for John Noell Moore's critical readings of Marsden's
major novels. In John Marsden: Darkness, Shadow, and Light, Moore
investigates the full spectrum of Marsden's work, beginning with the
author's life as a teacher and writer. Throughout the book, Moore weaves
together Marsden's recurring themes, chief among them writing and
storytelling as ways of constructing identity in the transition from
childhood to adulthood and the ability of young adults to endure
hardships and overcome seemingly insurmountable odds. The book is a
valuable addition to the current scholarship on young adult literature
and will be welcomed by middle and high school English teachers and
students alike.