Showing posts with label futuristic. Show all posts
Showing posts with label futuristic. Show all posts

Tuesday, November 24, 2009

The People of Sparks

want to read: The Prophet of Yonwood
reading next: Audrey, Wait!

The People of Sparks
written by Jeanne DuPrau

http://pics.librarything.com/picsizes/6c/3d/6c3d06dd5effc795931426d5641434d414f4541.jpg

I found this book to have many of the similar problems that other sequels encounter--there's not much interesting. The odd thing is, this is typically due to a sequel serving as a bridge between books, but honestly, I'm not seeing very much that'll come in use for future books. We'll see though. Although Lina and Doon are still characters, I felt like they didn't get nearly enough page-time. Too many new secondary characters were introduced, and while some of them had personalities that were interesting enough, others did not. We still don't have any new information about the mythology, which is disappointing. The book's boredom was aggravated by the fact that it moved slower than the first fast-paced book. A lot of time was dedicated to necessary but overly preachy social and political commentary. I don't know if a child would have the patience to sit through this, particularly when I can see many of the social/political references completely going over their heads. I would love to see a return to Ember, or something that somehow connects to the first book, other than the characters. It's easy to understand: this book was too simple and too predictable to truly have been enjoyable.

Rating: 1.5/5

I got this book from...:Waldenbooks

The City of Ember

The City of Ember
written by Jeanne DuPrau

http://images.amazon.com/images/P/0375822747.01._SX140_SY225_SCLZZZZZZZ_.jpg

The City of Ember was an easy but enthralling read, so ridiculously easy to love. The characters were so real in this unreal world, presented with plenty of exposition. Plotwise, the book excels, with plenty of fast-paced suspense carrying the reader steadily through the book. The characters act so realistically—like the children they are, but with unambiguous bravery. It’s full of the characterization symbolism, and other literary elements that teachers crave, but also filled with wonder, suspense, and just an amazing plot that kids of all ages will enjoy. It ends on a cliffhanger, so I strongly suggest having the second book on hand to immediately jump into—trust me, you’ll want to have it.
Rating: 5/5

I got this book from...:Waldenbooks