The Prophet of Yonwood

Following "The City of Ember" and "The People of Sparks," Yonwood is actually a prequel to the adventures of Lina and Doon, recounted in Ember and Sparks.

In my opinion, DuPrau has maintained the quality and qualities of Ember throughout the series, while bringing freshness to each installment. And while the stories may be dealing with ethical and philosophical questions, especially about society and governance, the plots are fun and compelling reads.

In fact, I'd make the claim that DuPrau is one of the best writers of science fiction (real science fiction--not fantasy--in that this series is set in the future and deals with challenges of technology and society) for teens today. The actual, underlying challenges that her characters face show more are classic dilemmas from science fiction literature.

Ember deals with a society dependent upon technology it doesn't understand, compounded by a corrupt government. Sparks considers the challenges when two wholly diverse societies must suddenly learn to live together, focusing on the nature of courage. And Yonwood explores the affects of fear on individuals and society, as well as the question of doing right when you don't know what right is--or who to believe.
The books are timely, philosophical, and compelling--but never preachy. Excellent reads. show less

It's 50 years before the settlement of the city of Ember, and the world is in crisis. War looms on the horizon as 11-year-old Nickie and her aunt travel to the small town of Yonwood, North Carolina. There, one of the town's respected citizens has had a terrible vision of fire and destruction. Her garbled words are taken as prophetic instruction on how to avoid the coming disaster. If only they can be interpreted correctly. . . .
As the people of Yonwood scramble to make sense of the woman's mysterious utterances, Nickie explores the oddities she finds around town--her great-grandfather's peculiar journals and papers, a reclusive neighbor who studies the heavens, a strange boy who is fascinated with snakes--all while keeping an eye out show more for ways to help the world. Is this vision her chance? Or is it already too late to avoid a devastating war?

In this prequel to the acclaimed The City of Ember and The People of Sparks, Jeanne DuPrau investigates how, in a world that seems out of control, hope and comfort can be found in the strangest of places. show less

I actively disliked this book, which was surprising to me because I loved the first two Ember books. It's important to note, though, that while this is called the Third Book of Ember, it's actually a prequel with very little connection to Ember. I was a bit disappointed when I first realized that, but I still had high expectations for this book.

Boy, was I wrong. I found a large part of the book almost unbearable, because I couldn't stand the main character. Like the other Ember books, DuPrau has a message to get across here, but unlike the other ones, it doesn't make for a good story. Nickie wants to do something good for the world, so she's quick to accept the word of a stranger that it's necessary to root out sinners. This basically show more results in her becoming a big tattle-tale, despite herself doing things that she must realize she shouldn't, like secretly keeping a dog in her house. She's quick to accuse other people for very little reason, causing a lot of harm, and I really didn't enjoy reading about it.

Then there's the fact that all the different threads in the story don't really resolve into a satisfactory whole; it was more like one random disappointment after another. I can't resist including some SPOILERS here: the supposed terrorist in the woods turns out to be an albino bear (what?), the coded message that Nickie's father is sending from the top-secret mission that he's on turns out just to say what state he's in (what's the point?), and the mysterious flashes in the sky are really a way to see into parallel universes, which led to the discovery of extraterrestrial life and so intrigued the important people in Washington that they put off going to war with the terrorists (WTF?).

Rather than being left with a sense of satisfaction when everything was explained in the end, I was deeply disappointed. I felt that this story was much less than the sum of its parts. show less

This is a prequel to DuPrau's City of Ember kids' series, although it stands on its own very nicely, without any need to have read the other books in the series. The story features a girl who, in a country facing the looming threat of a possibly apocalyptic war, comes to a small town to help her aunt prepare her recently deceased great-grandfather's house to sell. She soon learns that something interesting is going on there: a local woman experienced a powerful vision of a devastated future and now lies semi-conscious, muttering cryptic words that most of the town believes hold the key to averting disaster, if only they have enough dedication and faith.

This was published in 2006, and is clearly influenced by the political climate of the show more time, being very much a commentary on war, religion, and the dangers of blind belief in a way that feels like it should be painfully heavy-handed, but somehow manages to work surprisingly well, anyway. The world-building is very lightly sketched, and aspects of the ending are a little too pat, but overall I was surprised by how much I liked this. show less

The Prophet of Yonwood is one of those infuriating books that is pretty good until the end, and then it all falls to pieces.
Nickie goes with her aunt in a vague near-future America to the small town of Yonwood, North Carolina, where they plan to pack up and sell a mansion that has been left to them after the old relative's death. Nickie's father is away on a secret government project; and the nation is on the brink of war against an enemy alliance. In Yonwood, there is a frail woman who the townspeople believe to be a prophet of God, her vague mumblings interpreted by the deeply self righteous Mrs. Beeson. Nickie decided she wants to do what is right and follows Mrs. Beeson's directions. Also in town are Grover, a boy who likes snakes, show more and Hoyt McCall, a local eccentric.
The tale kept me wrapped up and interested... but in the end, none of it mean anything. Grover and his snakes? Irrelevant. Hoyt McCall and his astronomical experiments? Irrelevant. The Prophet and Mrs. Beeson? Irrelevant. The dog? Other people in town? The mysterious objects she finds in the old house? All irrelevant! Nothing that happens in the entire book has a point. Every aspect of the story is either abandoned completely, or winds up with an abysmally anticlimactic conclusion. Apart from a mention in the superfluous epilogue, there isn't anything whatsoever in this book that has to do with the City of Ember. It's not really a prequel, just a pointless book by the same author.
Tip: Even if you're reading the series and like the others, don't waste your time on this book. show less

I don’t really see a lot of point to this book. It’s a prequel to the first two books in the city, but it’s barely connected. And even the elements within this book were fairly disconnected from each other. There’s the main character, Nickie, and her aunt, who are visitors to Yonwood, and their disagreement about selling the house they’re there to clean out and possibly sell. The actual Prophet storyline, which barely comes across as the main storyline. Grover and his plight to make it to camp in Arizona. The kooky man who is interested in the heavens and is the only who who successfully defies the Prophet’s lackeys. There is just too much going on, and even by the halfway point, I had no idea what the purpose of the book show more really was.

As the Prophet’s main interpreter begins to get more and more ridiculous with her rules, I quickly began to realize that this is just another attempt on the author’s part to teach readers something she feels is important. But unlike a more universally accepted truth in the 2nd book (“War is bad”), this one is a lot more controversial. The book turns into basically an indictment on religion, seeming to imply that religions are largely fabricated by their followers. It actually reminds me most of the Pharisees who, by Jesus’ time, had imposed so many of their own rules, they had lost the core message. On top of all of that, the author attempts a tug at the heartstrings that is likely far more successful for dog lovers. I’m more of a dog tolerater (I know that’s not a word). I can acknowledge that what happens is ridiculous (stupid, really), but definitely didn’t get as emotionally invested as others might. In the end, I really wish DuPrau had kept this series more in line with the first book. The second wasn’t bad, but the first and fourth were my favorite, and I really just wish for more like them. If you are considering reading this series, I recommend it, but feel free to skip this third book. show less

Nickie goes to Yonwood to clean out her great-grandfather's home. Little does she know that Yonwood wants to be the safest place in America.
Although published two years ago, this book resonates as particularly topical now. We all want to protect ourselves and our way of life, but we are not all in agreement as to how to do that. This book looks at what happens when an entire village lets its desperation overshadow reason. It has echoes in 1930s Germany and the rhetoric that comes from the extreme right wing demonstrators that make the evening news today. It also considers just how easy it is to be taken in because the first steps always seem so reasonable and logical. The book really makes the reader think critically about why a society show more chooses its rules.
This is the best of DuPrau's trilogy, and it should really be included in Middle School and Public Library collections. show less