Among the Hidden is part of the Shadow Children series by Margaret Peterson Haddix. This dystopian novel is set in rural Oklahoma in a time when the government tries to regulate overpopulation by enforcing a law that families are not allowed to have more than two children. Luke, the protagonist in this novel, is the third child in his family. While his older brothers Matthew and Mark are allowed to go outside, he has to hide inside the attic of the house and can only come down for meals with the family when the blinds are drawn. This means that Luke does not know anyone outside his family, cannot go to school or make friends. Basically, he cannot do anything that other kids do. When new houses are built within sight of the family's house, Luke follows the building process as well as the new neighbors' lives by watching them through an air vent in the attic. One day, Luke sees a girl's face in a house where the parents and their two children have just left. Apparently, there are other third children. Eventually, he decides to find out about her and sneaks over to her house. What will happen once they meet? Will Luke finally be able to live a less isolated life?

I breezed through this novel as it does not have that many pages and is an easy read. It has everything a dystopian novel needs and the small set of characters works well to give an impression of the society and to create suspense. The plot fell somewhat short of my expectations, though, as it is pretty linear and the ending, while it was not necessarily to be expected, is also not earth-shaking. What the ending succeeds in, however, is to make you want to continue the series. Maybe the first two novels could have been combined to make one. As I have not read the second novel yet (and am still not decided on whether I will), I cannot really say. 3 stars for this one. ( )

Adversity

Luke is a forbidden third child who lives on a remote farm and only ventures outside when his parents are sure no-one is around because of the Population police. But times are tough and the land next to the farm becomes a housing development, so Luke must now stay inside all day, bored out of his brain. One day, while looking out of the window he sees a girl's face in the window of a new development house where he knows 2 children live who have gone off to school. He decides to investigate the other "shadow child" but will this lead to danger for himself and his family?

I remember reading this as a kid and loving it. It's just as good as I remember!

Luke is a "shadow child," a third child forbidden by the government. He's spent his entire life in hiding, only meeting his parents and two older brothers. One day, he sees the face of a girl in the window of a house where he knows two boys already live, and takes the risk of leaving his house to meet her. Jen wants to take on the government, demand that they recognize third children, and wants Luke to join her.

The book is thought-provoking, suspenseful, and just the right length! ( )

Originally purchased this series for the library, recently found the first book free at AUDIBLE. Just as good as I remembered.

FROM AMAZOM: Luke Garner has spent his entire life - all 12 years - in hiding. The government has outlawed families with more than two children. As the Garners' third child, Luke's very life is in danger. When Luke meets Jen, another "shadow child," he begins to question the government's policies. ( )

Because of a food shortage, the government has imposed a 2 child limit for families. Luke is a third child, and has spent his life staying home and being afraid of discovery. Fortunately his family are farmers. They always have plenty of food to eat even tho they are constantly worried about how they'll meet their tax payments. Also, in his younger years he could be outside as they were isolated from neighbors. This changes as the government uses eminent domain to take their woods, cuts it down, and builds a housing project.
I like that this story will give young readers a possible future that might get them to think about the consequences of how our current food production system is progressing into megafarms without concern for the environmental damage it is doing. It also includes a totalitarian government, a system with privileges for the elite, and the premise that the government doesn't plan well (building houses next to a hog farm?) or makes decisions that are inept (destroying 2nd rate food instead of feeding it to pigs to produce meat).
As an adventure story, the plot just didn't make it for me. ( )

This book was interesting....I'm partly curious to see how the storyline develops and thus, I might read the next book. However, I found the writing style poor which turned me off a considerable bit. Then again, it was a fast read which makes it perfect for middle grade or reluctant readers.

The thing I most appreciated was that I did not see the ending coming. I thought a character was going to be a central character and it turns out, they will not have a direct role. I appreciate not being able to predict the storyline.

The subject matter makes it appeal to older audiences--the topic of population control. We talk about this in current world events (China and their one child policy). It also subtly tackles the abortion debate....as I said, it has appeal. ( )

Words cannot describe my love for the Shadow Children, or Margaret Peterson Haddix, but I'll do my best. These books are some of my favorites, I've read them so many times! They make me laugh, cry, and question the world around me. The first book, Among the Hidden, or as I like to think of it, Luke's Story, is quite the lonesome tale. When he meets Jen, everything seems to look up for him. I could hardly bear it when she died.
One of my definite favorites indeed. ( )

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. ( )

2.5 Stars ( )

Among the Hidden is a suspenseful story of a child who can never be discovered. Will he risk everything in order to help his fellow shadow children? Margaret Peterson Haddix does a great job of making you feel for the characters and their situation, which makes you want to root for their success.

Loved the direction this book went. Curious to see how the story ends. ( )

good - Michael

MHS Library held the entire series and they were highly recommended.

FROM AMAZON: In a future where the Population Police enforce the law limiting a family to only two children, Luke, an illegal third child, has lived all his twelve years in isolation and fear on his family's farm.

Luke is one of the shadow children, a third child forbidden by the Population Police. He's lived his entire life in hiding, and now, with a new housing development replacing the woods next to his family's farm, he is no longer even allowed to go outside.

Then, one day Luke sees a girl's face in the window of a house where he knows two other children already live. Finally, he's met a shadow child like himself. Jen is willing to risk everything to come out of the shadows -- does Luke dare to become involved in her dangerous plan? Can he afford not to?

To be a third child is to be in constant danger. Available for the first time, a boxed set of all seven books in the perennially popular Shadow Children series.

Imagine a world where families are allowed only two children. Illegal third children—shadow children—must live in hiding. If they are discovered, there is only one punishment: Death.

The Shadow children includes: 1/ Among the Hidden; 2/ Among the Impostors; 3/ Among the Betrayed; 4/ Among the Barons ; 5/ Among the Brave; 6/ Among the Enemy; 7/ Among the Free. ( )

This one was a required reading for school, and immediately after finishing the school lecture, I went to my local bookstore and ordered the second book. By now, six out of seven books of the "Shadow Children" series have a place on my shelves, but as it has been so long since I've read them, I fear I wouldn't be able to get into the seventh anymore. However, at least the first three books can be highly recommended by me. While I don't remember so much about the fourth, the fifth and the sixth one, Luke's experiences and the enthralling plot in this first installment were excellent to follow, with Luke being a very likeable boy who you can't help but root for. ( )

Spoilers. Two and a half stars. I first read this at a friend's house early in the morning while waiting for them to wake up. I was staying the weekend, I think. Bored and wanting to be quiet and respectful of their sleep, I pulled this off the small bookshelf. It looked interesting, so I read it in one sitting. Now, I wanted to learn if I still found it as tense, thrilling and sad. I did not. I remembered all the action scenes, plot points and characters, and was kind of surprised. There was still stuff I'd forgotten, though, that was nice to rediscover. The chapters were super short, which I found annoying. I wish the writing would have been more vivid and less repetitive.

I felt bad for Luke all over again, cheered Jen and felt the injustice of the system. The world-building seems like stuff was left out, though, and I compared it to "The Giver": also short, but with fantastic world-building and dark and sinister even in mild moments. This...is not. Paragraphs are dedicated to stating the same characterization over and over in ways that aren't new in terms of information or in some instances, even working. I questioned repeatedly how Luke had developed such a case of learned helplessness, never once rebelling or really seeming to think it was unfair. He came across as kinda pouty at times. Jen, in contrast, had a far more active and urgent sense of agency, perhaps due to the relative privileges her family's socioeconomic status provided her at times. I get why the book was written from Luke's POV, but--Jen was more interesting and even written more realistically as a twelve-year-old. Luke's emotional growth could well have been stunted by his parents' arguable abuse and neglect, but still. Jonas from "The Giver" was also twelve, also lived in a dystopian government, and -was entirely different-. I know Luke's parents genuinely believed the government propaganda and it led to their mistreatment of Luke, but...they suck.

Jen's death was jarring, as it was when I first read the book many years ago. I've always wondered if her dad, an official for the Population Police, was solely responsible. He gets an award and isn't allowed to grieve his daughter. Luke and he have some exchanges that are a bit contrived and definitely exposition-heavy. Jen's dad arranges for Luke to leave. Luke's family, especially his mother, act genuinely sad for him to leave and I call bullshit. They adjusted -fast- when more and more efforts to hide Luke had to be made. Luke often commented on it, and I felt bad for him.

I expected a lot more from this book than I got, but that's likely because it's middle grade. It's a good introduction to dystopian books, though. ( )

A riveting novel of a boy who's very existence warrants death. In a dystopian world, where the totalitarian government mandates only 2 children per family, an illegal 'third child' lives his life in hiding and fear until one day he meets another 'third child'. ( )

Short novel featuring dystopian scenario. In a world where parents can have no more than 2 children, a whole generation of third children lead hidden lives. Luke Garner's life changes when the woods his family owns are taken over by the government for new housing for Barons (wealthy, connected families). He loses the freedom he has had up to that point, as his parents try to keep him safely hidden. Luke can see the new houses from a vent in the attic, and when he sees another hidden child in the house next door, his finds. he can't resist reaching out. ( )

In a future where the Population Police enforce the law limiting a family to only 2 children, Luke has lived all his 12 years in isolation and fear.

I try to express only my most honest opinion in a spoiler-free way. If you feel anything in my review is a spoiler and is not already hidden in spoiler brackets please let me know. Thank you.

Well, I can see why this book got so many awards in its day. It's an amazing book of 'what if'. What if the government took the overpopulation crisis in their own hands. Banning people from having more than 2 children. What if some families had 3 children anyways.

One of the things that struck me most was the moral dilemma in this book. On one hand, no mother would want to 'get rid of' one of their children just because a forced operation didn't take but keeping them locked up and hidden for the rest of their lives seems almost crueler.

It was a great start to what I think will be an amazing series. I don't know where it's all going to lead to in the end but I'm eager to find out. This is something I should have been reading in my teens, but I didn't. Better late than never, right?

How I choose my rating:
1* Hated it. I had to force myself to finish it.
2** Didn't like it. I didn't hate it but not sure why I finished it other than for some closure.
3*** I liked it. I had some issues with it, but as a whole it was good. I probably won't reread ever, but there is a chance I might finish the series. (If part of one) But if not it's not a huge loss.
4**** I really liked this book. Maybe not a work of genius, but highly entertaining. I might reread this, and I will finish the series. (If part of one) I would recommend to those I know hold interest in this book's content.
5***** I loved this book. I found little to no issues with it at all. I will be rereading this and probably more than once. I will finish the series and reread it multiple times. (If part of one) I will recommend this book to EVERYONE!!!! ( )

12-year old Luke is a third child in a society where two is the limit; however, he notices signs of life in a deserted home and ventures out against all rules to find another hidden third child, Jen. Jen is bold and wants freedom for all, trying to enlist others similarly situated in a massive protest. Luke is too scared to go along and then has to face the dire consequences of his inaction. While this is a decent adventure of sorts, with compelling social issues, I think Haddix has unnessarily dumbed her writing down. Six more to read. ( )

Great dystopian read for children. Great read for 4th grade and up due to mature themes such as death and population control. ( )

This is a book that faces issues similar to today. The reasons and motivations are different, however there are protests going on which kids could relate to todays world. This will keep you wanting to read and want to find out more, hard to put down.

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