In Among the Hidden, Haddix uses the development of Luke Garner from a frightened and powerless child into a self-aware, confident young adult to explore several important themes. Unlike Utopian and dystopian works, which describe imaginary societies, this novel concentrates on the maturation of one twelve-year-old boy as he learns about the society he lives in, the freedom he has lost, and the costs of choosing to make a difference in the world. Luke confronts the developmental tasks of all young adults, but he does so in a dystoptian world where he is not even supposed to exist.

As the story begins, Luke's mother is exhorting him to get in the house and hide immediately because the government has begun to cut down the trees next to their house that have previously hidden Luke from view when he is outside. Until he turned six years old...