People of Sparks (original 2005; edition 2006)

As with the first novel The City of Ember , I was pleasantly surprised. Maybe the dumbed down explanation of war was a bit heavy handed, but the simmering tensions between the people of Sparks and the people of Ember was very realistic. It feels like a very real possibility for where our world is headed, what with the discussions about people fighting over gasoline and oil, and was interesting to think about. Seems like the third book in this series is a prequel which I may skip, but looks like the fourth book picks up where this one ends. ( )

[b:The City of Ember|307791|The City of Ember (The Ember Series, #1)|Jeanne DuPrau|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1173599732s/307791.jpg|2285229] concludes with Lina and Doon having reached the surface from the cavern in which their city is built. They have written a note explaining how to leave Ember and flung it through a fissure far above the city. Now, joined by many of their compatriots, they travel across an empty land, eventually encountering the village of Sparks. Fortunately, the war feared by Ember's creators was, though horribly devastating, not the complete conflagration they had feared. There are some villages in the former California, Sparks being the most prosperous. The leadership and people of Sparks must contend with the unexpected drain on their resources posed by the larger group of Emberites, and both groups struggle to make sense of the other. Though there are plot lines about particular people and discoveries about the world, the story is centered on the ways in which economic tension increases in group/out group problems and leads to racist or excluding policies based on fear. The novel ends with a triumphant rediscovery and the promise of further emotional development for both Lina and Doon.

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This book is an interesting follow-up but there is a lot of telling and not showing. I read a lot of YA so I don't think it is a YA issue; I just think the language and writing is simplistic. ( )

This is the second book in the Book of Ember series. [The People of Sparks] picks up where [The City of Ember] left off. I don't want to say too much about the plot because it will spoil the first book, but I can say that the two main characters from the first book, Doon and Lina, are back again. In the first book, they had to deal with power shortages in the underground City of Ember. But in this book, the challenges are even greater as they have to learn to interact peacefully with the people of Sparks. Lina and Doon are fabulous main characters. They have their flaws, but they are resourceful and often more insightful than the adults in the book. DuPrau continues to create a fascinating world with challenges that keep the pages turning until the very end. ( )

This book has many mysteries and loose ends to tie up in the end. Lina Mayfleet and Doon Harrow are amazing people who will journey to find just what they needed.