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The People of Sparks (Books of Ember) Review
From the Hardcover edition. User Submitted The People of Sparks (Books of Ember) ReviewsDecember 1, 2008 Not as good as 1st book I was very interested in this series after reading City of Ember. I was very eager to see what befell the city of Ember. Like the first book, this was a page turner as well. The story itself wasn't as good. Basically, the Embrites emerge from the underground and begin looking for other people. They happen upon the City of Sparks and seek to start a new life. They are taken in and given 6 months (during the winter months) to stay and learn how to live on the upside. Tensions rise as the people of Sparks have to now share everything with the Embrites. A new word, WAR is introduced. Due to the actions of a child being mad, a war is started. The book hits themes about right and wrong. It was a good read, not what I really expected. Excellent series for young and old. Can't wait to read the next book. November 24, 2008 The People of Sparks After being enthralled by The City of Ember, I knew that I would be reading the rest of the series, sooner rather than later. The People of Sparks begins after the residents of Ember have found their way to the surface, and are searching for a place to live. When they stumble upon the community of Sparks, they hope that they have found a new home. Even though the addition of the Emberites more than doubles the population of Sparks, the two communities attempt to live side by side, sharing everything including the limited food supplies. Inevitably, tempers flare and both communities blame each other for the increasing acts of vandalism and hatred. As the tension builds, the citizens of Ember and Sparks have to decide if they are willing to forgive and forget, or if revenge and anger will rule the day. The People of Sparks, while staying with the same characters from the first book, has a very different tone and topic. This second book in the series focuses on how small interactions can trigger people to hate and then eventually war with each other. I enjoyed this book almost as much as The City of Ember. It didn't have the same magical discoveries and mysteries as the first book, but that is unavoidable since it is a sequel, and the story has to move forward. That being said, it was a fun read and I am looking forward to reading the third book in the series. October 11, 2008 the people of sparks The people of sparks is a really good book. It has a lot of suspense. It is not as good as the city of ember, but it follows close behind. If you are looking for a suspensful, non-violent book, this book is for you. September 24, 2008 Not gonna say it's the worst book I've ever read... But I can't think of a worse one... Let me just say that I bought the first book on a whim and was not dissapointed in the least. The characters were not fleshed out as well as they could be (or not at all really) but the idea of Ember, this underground city that is slowly dwindling away was just so enchanting that I had to keep reading. I really enjoyed the first book, and have read it several times over. So, in saying that, when the People of Sparks came out I was extremely excited to see what Duprau had come up with this time. Nothing. That's what she had come up with. The idea of the city of ember, which is what attracted me to the book in the first place, was completely gone, replaced by a completely worse setting, horrible characters, and a quite unintelligent plot. Reading this book was like reading a child's idea for the reason some people might go to war, and what ridiculous things they might go to war over. Don't read it, and if you are going to read it for the sake of the first book, don't buy it. At least get it from the library. It was absolutely horrific, and uninspiring, and had zero plot. I tried to read it. I tried to like it. I couldn't even finish the novel. And I know that is going to get reactions like, how am i saying all these things when i did not finish it. I couldn't finish it! That was how bad it was. If you do buy it you will feel like someone came up and stole 9 bucks out of your pocket. Promise. September 2, 2008 loved it! I so value Jeanne DuPrau's writing as she manages to convey the golden truths in a simple way that even children can understand. I think we're seeing classics in the making. August 27, 2008 creative and also uncomfortably realistic I'll let the kids' reviews decide how good this book is for its target audience. But it definitely spoke to issues I'm wrestling with as a middle-aged mother, living in a neighborhood that is struggling with sudden racial and economic changes. Sentiments expressed by the people of Ember and of Sparks sounded uncomfortably familiar--not just from my immediate situation but from far more infamous parts of the world and of history. I think the author has done a great job of addressing multiple issues of nonviolence in a creative setting that portrays human nature very realistically. Nonviolent problem solving is so much more complex than "make love not war." This book recognizes that and gives some sobering food for thought. August 26, 2008 Out of the lightbulb and into the light. And here we are folks back to Ember, kinda. Jeanne Duprau's sequel to her thoroughly satisfying 2003 novel "The City of Ember" takes place in fresh surface air, in stark contrast to it's subground predecessor. Though the setting may have changed, the pieces of genius throughout it's pages are far from gone. The People of Sparks begins shortly after "City of Ember" in the small and grungy aboveground town of Sparks. The towns citizens, unlike those of ember, are people of the land, wise in the ways of manual labor. The newly shelterless Emberites seek to take refuge in the town, and the townspeople accept the city-citizens plea. But tensions soon begin to rise, and differences between the two groups begin to tear them slowly apart, eventually escalating into open hostilities. As with the first novel, Duprau manages to paint an iconic picture of a world where humanity has killed itself, presenting many images of human greatness reduced to nothing. The book sends powerful messages of redemption and how human selfishness can only lead to destruction. The novel does contain, a however, a few cliches in it's character developement. These include characters not being honest with each other for no reason particular reason. Some specific parts seem to put the moral point before the literary one, causing some of the more powerful moral points to be somewhat underwhelming due to the slight cheesiness of the event. This novel is a major success for Duprau, it's sets her apart from other authors, making her mark in young adults literature. A masterpiece? Not quite, but a great book by most standards. B+ August 22, 2008 She did it again The City of Ember is a great book, I believe. To say Sparks is very nearly as good is to say that it is another extraordinary achievement, another completely and richly imagined world, another gripping story that'll keep you up till you've finished it, whatever age you may be. We get to know Lina and Doon better, and like them the more we know them. The story leads up to an ending that seems painfully inevitable but then, when it comes, is both unsentimental and deeply heartwarming. A terrific book. August 22, 2008 Facing the new world In "The People of Sparks", Jeanne DuPrau follows Lina and Doon and the people of Ember as they climb out from their underground city into the sunlight of a new-old world, the world after the apocalypse. This is a different kind of book from "The City of Ember", one that deals with a different kind of drama. DuPrau bravely looks into the darkness of our human hearts, well intentioned but weak in the testing. How does a small village deal with 400 dazed and helpless strangers whose numbers take a heavy toll on its resources and tolerance? People want to do the right thing, for the most part, but doing the right thing is hard. In elegantly clear and plain language, DuPrau lays out the problems facing the peoples of Ember and Sparks, and in doing so, grapples with some very large issues. There's a good story here, too, and interesting new characters. Everyone's flawed, as people are. Will the worst instincts of the peoples of Sparks lead to war and chaos again? Read it and find out. You won't easily forget this book. August 21, 2008 why couldn't someone who actually knows how to write get the idea for this series? I read "City of Ember" a while ago and managed to ignore Duprau's penchant for unrealistic dialogue, flat characters, and deus ex machina because the idea was intriguing enough to continue. And in "People of Sparks" DuPrau has semi-intriguing ideas about human nature and civilization and all that, but oh my goodness this woman's writing seems to only have gotten WORSE. I didn't think it was possible, but she messes up pretty much any chance she has to prove competence with language. Horrible, unrealistic, ridiculous dialogue? Check. Telling us what we're supposed to feel rather than letting us decide for ourselves? Check. Cardboard characters? Double check. The way Duprau handles character makes me wonder if she's ever, you know, met a person. NO ONE acts like this. Torren? Give me a break. She might as well have named him Plot Device. Pretty much every secondary character (Caspar, the town leaders, um, ANYONE ELSE) is one-dimensional and totally unbelievable. And as far as primary characters go, I think Duprau is giving herself too much credit for fleshing them out in the first book. The problem is that she certainly didn't do enough in the first book, much less enough for their characterizations to carry over to the second book. Basically, it reads like a first draft. Apparently her editors just check to see that she has written SOMETHING, tell her it's fabulous, then wait for their checks. But something keeps drawing me back. I'm probably going to read the rest of the series, but get it from the library or something. I guess it's like watching a train wreck and wondering what will happen next. Jeanne Duprau, after this series ends, PLEASE never ever write again. I would say to stop out of love for the English language, but no one who loves language would ever let this represent her. For more The People of Sparks (Books of Ember) reviews click here.
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