Among The Impostors by Margaret Peterson Haddix

Pages: 192

Publisher: Aladdin

Age Group: Middle Grade

Challenges: N/A

Release Date: October 1, 2002

OUT OF HIDING. INTO DANGER.

Luke Garner is an illegal third child. All his life has been spent in hiding. Now, for the first time, Luke is living among others. He has assumed a deceased boy's identity and is attending Hendricks School for Boys, a windowless building with cruel classmates and oblivious teachers. Luke knows he has to blend in, but he lives in constant fear that his behavior will betray him.

Then one day Luke discovers a door to the outside. He knows that beyond the walls of Hendricks lie the secrets he is desperate to uncover. What he doesn't know is whom he can trust -- and where the answers to his questions may lead him . . . 

Stars: 3.5/5

Cover: B

Plot:

Among The Imposters was a really fast read, though not in the sense where there was so much action that the book just flew by. The book was under two hundred pages, and I felt like the beginning half was pretty slow. 

Characters:

Luke is an awesome MC, because he tells the story so well and is very realistic. 

I like how relentless and creepy the Population Police are, and the fear that they instill in the third children.

Writing:

Haddix is a master as the mysterious, creepy storyline. She's really good at making her readers try to figure out what will happen next, and then be completely blindsided by the unexpected thing that does happen. 

Ending:

I loved the ending to Among the Imposters. It was the best part of the book, and I was completely surprised by what ended up happening. Haddix tied all the loose ends in ways that I would have never guessed, which is what I love about all of Margaret Peterson Haddix's books.

Lovely Line:

Luke looked back at the school, hopelessly. Anyone could easily look out a window and see him, and report him. Maybe they'd just give him more of those meaningless demerits. Or maybe this would make them realize that he wasn't really Lee Grant, that his papers were forged, that by the laws of the land, he deserved to die.

(Page 39)

The Final Verdict:

Though Among The Imposters wasn't the most exciting of eventful book, it was still an awesome sequel to Among The Hidden.