Marsden has a towering reputation in his native Australia, where the fourth and fifth books in the saga are already best-sellers. They retreat into hiding and adopt guerrilla warfare tactics, though they are acutely aware of their inadequacies as fighters. Shifting friendships and romantic interests develop among them, in spite of their desperate circumstances, but as the third volume ends, the continual necessity for violence begins to erode their relationships and their souls. But let's look now at some of the pressures that affect the committee's voting and might begin to explain why outstanding books may be overlooked on a list that aims to represent the year's best. It isn't difficult to spot factors that may blur the judgment of even the most conscientious committee member.
Timing can be an influence.
Enthusiasm about a book read 16 months ago can be overshadowed by reactions to huge quantities of more recent reading. A novel may depend on a prequel, which overburdened readers may not have an opportunity to track down. A committee unfamiliar with an author's earlier work may not have the time needed to put the work under consideration in perspective. Other factors also come into play. If a book is read by only eight members of the committee, it will be defeated, even if those readers are unanimous in their approval.