A summary of the characters.

Ellie Linton is the story's main protagonist and the series's narrator. Ellie also gradually becomes the group's leader. Ellie is the brave, strong leader. She has good ideas and her farm upbringing has given her many skills, notably her driving.

Corrie Mackenzie is Ellie's very best friend, her mate, who she had done everything with since she was a toddler and who she plans on doing everything with when they leave school.

Homer Yannos was famous in the Wirrawee district prior to the invasion for his pranks and often dangerous antics, many of which Ellie reflects on during the series; however, when the war comes, he reveals himself as a strong leader. He guides the group almost single-handedly through the first book and early in the second book.

Lee Takkam is an introverted, part-Thai part Vietnamese Asian Australian. He is Ellie's primary love interest, although their relationship was a highly turbulent one. Lee is left with the burden of caring for his siblings due to the loss of his parents.

Robyn Mathers is described as courageous, religious, strong, confident, and someone who loves to win. She is a devout Christian and a very close friend of Ellie's. She is athletic and good at sports. In one of her most courageous moments, Robyn sacrifices her own life to save her friends' lives at Stratton Prison by detonating a hand grenade.

Fiona Maxwell, or Fi, is pretty, "posh" and knows virtually nothing about camping or living in the bush, but is neither spoiled nor unkind. Fiona is a child of privilege, with both parents practicing as solicitors, with whom she lives on the "upper class" part of Wirrawee. She and Homer start a romantic relationship in the first book but it soon cools off as the war intensifies.

Kevin Holmes is an aggressive and big-talking boy from a Wirrawee property, though he often backs down in the face of danger.

Chris Lang is a dreamer,also a pot smoker.His motto was "if you can grow it you could smoke it." Chris wasn't able to join the group at first on the camping trip, but is found by them hiding out at home in the middle of the first book. He joins them, but falls asleep on watch, angering Ellie. In the second book, after a few guerilla operations, he is killed in a car accident while away from the group.