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A review by rebecita
The City of Ember by Jeanne DuPrau
3.0
The premise of this series is really cool, and I enjoyed the story, but there was so much unused potential here. I want more intrigue, more developed characters, more depth overall. Everything was a little one-dimensional, though not predictable. Definite points for following through on the backstory. I'm hooked enough to continue with the sequels, but I will pass on the audiobooks next time. I actually kept meaning to switch this one for the hard copy but somehow finished it first... the voices were annoying, and listening to instead of viewing the word puzzle that's central to the story was reeeally annoying.
Just because I like to complain... there are lots of distracting plot-holey things, but here's a few that I just can't let go of. The 12 year olds get NO JOB TRAINING. Literally, they show up to their first day and within 2 seconds they are out in the field fixing pipes or carrying messages to the mayor. Similarly, I get that the policemen in town are not the brightest bulbs around (and presumably benefit from the same lack of training), but they start a major manhunt for two kids WITHOUT EVER CHECKING THEIR HOMES. Most importantly, CANNED GOODS WILL NOT LAST FOR 200 YEARS.
Just because I like to complain... there are lots of distracting plot-holey things, but here's a few that I just can't let go of. The 12 year olds get NO JOB TRAINING. Literally, they show up to their first day and within 2 seconds they are out in the field fixing pipes or carrying messages to the mayor. Similarly, I get that the policemen in town are not the brightest bulbs around (and presumably benefit from the same lack of training), but they start a major manhunt for two kids WITHOUT EVER CHECKING THEIR HOMES. Most importantly, CANNED GOODS WILL NOT LAST FOR 200 YEARS.