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crochetchrisie's review
4.0
"One bad thing after another leads to worse things. So you do a good thing, and that turns it around."
Given that this is a children's (middle grade) book, it could have been a black and white, good guy vs bad guy novel. But in life things there usually isn't a clear-cut right and wrong and this novel actually digs into it in a child-friendly way. The people from Ember are refugees, and they are at the mercy of the people of Sparks. Neither are in a great position - Sparks are teetering on the edge of prosperity and the more than doubling of their population is a strain on even the kindest of hearts. The people of Ember have left everything they've ever known and have no idea and no resources to live in this new world.
It's super easy to fall prey to resentment and mistrust, which leads to violence, and very hard to break that cycle.
I didn't end up 'falling into' the story as much as I would have liked but it was definitely a good read.
Given that this is a children's (middle grade) book, it could have been a black and white, good guy vs bad guy novel. But in life things there usually isn't a clear-cut right and wrong and this novel actually digs into it in a child-friendly way. The people from Ember are refugees, and they are at the mercy of the people of Sparks. Neither are in a great position - Sparks are teetering on the edge of prosperity and the more than doubling of their population is a strain on even the kindest of hearts. The people of Ember have left everything they've ever known and have no idea and no resources to live in this new world.
It's super easy to fall prey to resentment and mistrust, which leads to violence, and very hard to break that cycle.
I didn't end up 'falling into' the story as much as I would have liked but it was definitely a good read.
alyshadeshae's review
5.0
My full review is here on my personal website. I'll post a few excerpts here, though:
5.0 out of 5.0 stars
The very worst thing about this book is how quickly things get out of hand between the people of Ember and the people of Sparks. Granted, this is a fairly accurate representation of how it would work in the real world, but it seems unrealistic in a story. Does that make sense?
The very best thing about this book is that DuPrau quite literally picks the story up right where “The City of Ember” ended. There’s aren’t any “four months later” or “five years down the road” writing loopholes. She takes the citizens of Ember and works with them through the struggles of returning to the surface. That, to me, shows her ability and ambition as a writer. Her five stars are well earned.
5.0 out of 5.0 stars
The very worst thing about this book is how quickly things get out of hand between the people of Ember and the people of Sparks. Granted, this is a fairly accurate representation of how it would work in the real world, but it seems unrealistic in a story. Does that make sense?
The very best thing about this book is that DuPrau quite literally picks the story up right where “The City of Ember” ended. There’s aren’t any “four months later” or “five years down the road” writing loopholes. She takes the citizens of Ember and works with them through the struggles of returning to the surface. That, to me, shows her ability and ambition as a writer. Her five stars are well earned.
fairydespair's review
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
elektra_xo's review
adventurous
hopeful
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
cburgbennett's review
2.0
2.5 stars. It was decent. A lot of the characters got on my nerves. Torren. Tick. Ben. Caspar. Just to name a few. It was kind of dry and more political than City of Ember, which was way better. Still planning on reading the prequel and finale.
sarahanne8382's review
3.0
In the sequel to The City of Ember Lina, Doon, and the people of Ember has escaped their dying underground city, only to enter into a new world where so many things are strange to them. Luckily they come upon the prosperous town of Sparks, which is willing to take the Emberites in, but only for a six months while they learn how to create their own town. Tensions run high as the people of Ember and Sparks learn to coexist.
This one was a hard read for me. In the end I thought the story was good, but I think as an adult it was painful to read the conflict unfolding so slowly, and I have lower tolerance for conflicts that the reader sees coming long before the characters in the story. I'm going to move on to the next two books in the series, and then I'll decide if the series as a whole is worth reading.
This one was a hard read for me. In the end I thought the story was good, but I think as an adult it was painful to read the conflict unfolding so slowly, and I have lower tolerance for conflicts that the reader sees coming long before the characters in the story. I'm going to move on to the next two books in the series, and then I'll decide if the series as a whole is worth reading.
chaosmavin's review
4.0
I am really enjoying this series. It continues to amaze me how simple the writing is and yet how complex the story is. This book is the sequel to the city of Ember where in a bunch of folk were raised in an underground city after a disaster… probably nuclear… of which the irony is not lost on me! Century later the folks of Ember are now out and about and they have stumbled on another village as refugees. They outnumber the original population and as humans are apt to do divisiveness begins to raise it ugly head amongst the people. I really love the idea of young adults reading these books and being introduced at a very early age to how quickly things can go south when people start othering others. Everything about the story feels so true to human nature and I and I imagine young people discovering it and seeing just how idiotic greed and hierarchy are. Apparently there's two more books left but I'm hoping the series ends up being all about promoting nonviolence and Socialism! I am definitely going to be getting this series for a few of my favorite 10 year olds!
nicoledean's review
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
3.0
📖The people of Ember have escaped from underground and have found a new town, Sparks. The people of Sparks are hesitant of the newcomers, but agree to help them get settled to this new life, before setting them off on their own. The adjustment isn’t easy, and as tensions rise, so does the animosity on both sides.
💭This is the second book in the Book of Ember series. I liked it, but didn’t enjoy it quite as much as I did the first book. I thought it was interesting to continue the story and see how the people of Ember were adjusting to their new world. There was so much they didn’t know about since they were from underground, it was kind of wild to hear and think about all the things the Sparks people had to explain to them. I’ve been listening to the audiobooks for this series and I recommend reading them that way. I’m really enjoying the narration.
✍️How I rated other books by this author:
The City of Ember- 3.5⭐️
motobart's review
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
tmm80's review
3.0
It was a little slow. I liked the first book and I liked knowing what happened to the people of Ember. I don't think I will read any of the other books.