Among the Hidden
Margaret Peterson Haddix (1998)
“In a world where third children are illegal, a boy hidden in an attic discovers he is not as alone as he believed.”
EraContemporary / Young Adult Dystopia
Pages153
Difficulty★☆☆☆☆ Accessible
AP Appearances0
Character Analysis
A twelve-year-old third child who has never left his family's farm. Luke's defining characteristic is not his illegality but his intelligence — he observes, calculates, and reasons with a precision that his limited education cannot suppress. His journey from passive hiding to active resistance is the novel's structural spine. Luke is not naturally brave; his courage is earned through loss, making it more credible and more moving than innate heroism would be.
How They Speak
Simple vocabulary, short sentences, frequent qualifications ('I think,' 'maybe,' 'I don't know'). Hesitant and self-correcting in dialogue.