After rereading this book from last year I found how cleshay the book really was. I thought it would be as good even better the second time I read it.

This book has an important point to make and does it well. A book about the courage to do the right thing even in the face of fear. It touches on how easily anger and revenge can consume us like a fire in a dry forest. A quick, easy read but deeply insightful, too. 5

This book did a really good job of capturing the tensions involved in a refugee situation, especially one where there aren't enough resources to go around -- a better job, I think, than most adult books on the topic. The tensions were clearly presented, and the emotions were well shaded and realistic. While the book did slide a bit towards having people turn out to be "good guys" and "bad guys," I think it's not any more so than any political discussion; I'm sure most readers hate certain actual political figures more than they would hate any person in this book. And this book is, in its sneaky way, about the difficulty and rewards of politics.

I liked that 300 pages through the book, I still didn't know what would happen between the People of Ember (the "cavepeople," it made me think of Fred Flintstone every time I read that) and the People of Sparks. And if the happy ending came a bit too easily -- if people were a bit too willing to take blame upon themselves rather than heaping it on others, a bit too willing to abandon the demagogues they had been following, a bit too willing to let bygones by bygones -- well, it is a YA book. The ability to honestly tackle as a difficult an issue as humanely treating refugee populations -- showing how difficult it is, and at the same time showing a plausible path forward -- is not a common one, and the ability to do all that in the context of a genuinely entertaining book is even less so.

“Darkness cannot drive out darkness, only light can”

I really enjoyed the message behind this book. It was a little slow-moving at first and took a while to get the plot across but it was enjoyable. The people of Ember collide with the people of Sparks and almost go to war over their differences, but it ends up different than they all expected. FIRE!

Although not quite as strong as the first book in the series, this was still a worthy read. The idealistic message about war was a bit forced but I did appreciate the emphasis on the golden rule and doing what is right even when it’s hard.

Love the description of Doon discovering the library for the first time and how “it was like he was a hungry person who had stumbled upon a banquet.”

Gets a bit boring the the middle but ends up interesting.

Review is also available on my blog The Shameful Narcissist Speaks.

We will renounce violence, which is so easy to start, but so hard to control.

In the second Book of Ember, Lina and Doon play Moses in leading the exodus from their dying city.  The find a settlement called Sparks where the descendants of the Disaster survivors live.  Having absolutely no experience or even knowledge of the world they've found themselves in, they ask the leaders of the village for help.

While I understood what DuPrau was going for in this sequel,  I found so many things so goddamn annoying.  When the people of Ember come to Sparks, there's obviously a discussion amongst the village leaders about what should be done with these 200 plus extra bodies.  While I understand portions of their dilemma, the Emberites have no knowledge of the world.  How could they since they've literally lived underground their entire lives up to that point.  They don't understand seasons, sunsets, or even rain.  It's not something within the realm of their experience, because the Builders purposely denied them this knowledge.  You can only know what you're taught, and though I can see skepticism for whether or not they're telling the truth about a underground city, if you accept that, it is absolutely abhorrent to shame and bully them for knowledge they could never have.  There were so many times in this novel where someone would become cross with an Emberite for not knowing something of which they'd have no experience like fire, which they show an understandable fear of.

This isn't to say the people of Sparks shouldn't be able to protect their own interests, and that's exactly the point DuPrau is trying to make.  She's tackling the idea of nationalism ("America First" *vomit*) even before this became a current hot button issue.  Of course the villagers need to to ensure they have enough for themselves, but in treating the Emberites like second class citizens and threatening removal (deportation), they're not being oppressive, they're also depriving themselves of an additional workforce that could provide more for all.

Ironically, the Emberites were born and grew up in a world with technology the people of Sparks lack.  The former had electricity and running water; modern conveniences now lost after the Disaster.  Everything has reverted 200-300 years ago, coinciding with how long ago the apocalypse happened.  Not only technology was lost, but also medical knowledge.  Not even the town's doctor knows about antibiotics.  While she understands (because she's seen) wounds sometimes fester and become infected, she doesn't really know why.  She only has an old medical book to go by, which isn't enough.

DuPrau was seeking to disrupt the "us vs. them" paradigm by showing that "us and them" are the same, but she wound up making the people of Sparks into gigantic bullies.  How are they going to make the Emberites leave in the middle of winter?  How would anyone, let alone refugees from a dying underground city who know nothing about the world, survive when it's freezing cold and they have no way to grow/find food?  The cruelty of it was too far-fetched, unless the residents of Sparks literally wanted the people of Ember to die, which, while a possibility, is a bit dark for a mid-grade novel.  The author does do a good job portraying metaphors for racism, discrimination, and oppression, which is what "us vs. them"  thinking entails.

A post-Apocolyptic story. Pretty good.

tThe dystopian book “The people of Sparks,” is a good book for middle school students. I rate this book a 4 star because it is a very good book for middle schoolers, and it is an easier book to read. I really liked this book because it had lots of parts where I just couldn’t put the book down. Especially towards the end of the book when lots started to happen. This book had a lot of surprises and interesting things that happened. There are 2 main characters in The People of Sparks are Lina and Doon. They have jobs and they are trying to find a way out of the underground city. The underground city has lots of problems the lights go out a lot and when the lights go out it is almost impossible for them to see. Everyone in the city is exhausted, hungry and they must find different ways to survive. Their living style underground is very different then the people living in the real world. Lina and Doon get very sick of the underground city, and they become more determined to find a way out.
tThe second half, towards the end of the book is when it starts to get interesting. Lina and Doon take the river and find their way out of the underground. YES... they found the way out of the underground. Lina and Doon take the river back to the underground to get their family and friends to take them to the real world. But just because they are in the real world doesn’t mean they don’t have any problems. They all must find a place to stay at because they don’t have a house or anything. They also must find a way to make and buy food. Overall, living in the new world is going to have difficulties to, it is going to take a little bit to adjust to the new world and figure out the living style. This book is recommended for kids and teenagers.
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This book was just as great and charming as the first one. While there wasn’t a single mystery or quest threaded throughout the book like in the first one, it was a story about discovering new things, learning to get along with others, and doing the right thing even when it’s hard. It was also full of a lot of good messages and themes.

Full review is now up on my blog

Me gusto mucho The City of Ember... Pero The People of Sparks real, real, realmente me encantó.

Primero: el simbolismo

Aunque el nombre de los libros lo hacen algo obvio no me había dado cuenta de lo simbólico que son los nombres de Ember y Sparks hasta que los leí en la misma oración cuando Lina esta pensando en ambas ciudades. Ember significa ascua o braza, ese pedazo de materia que permanece apenas encendido después de que un fuego se apaga. Sparks es chispa, lo que inicia el fuego.

Amo cuando las cosas tienen significado.

Ember, la ciudad de donde vienen los protagonistas es una ciudad agonizante, en sus últimos dias. La ciudad -o pueblo, siendo honesta- de Sparks esta empezando a prosperar, la llama de un brillante futuro comenzando a encender. Y es el sitio a donde los 417 habitantes de Ember llegan tras salir de la tierra hacia la luz.

Y la chispa, the spark, crea el fuego que no solo da vida y luz y calor... Tambien es peligro y violencia... Tensión...

Y créanme cuando les digo que lo que menos le hace falta a este libro es tensión.

Segundo: los personajes

Nuestros intrépidos protagonistas Lina y Doon han llegado al mundo exterior y guiado a sus compañeros a un nuevo futuro. Y aunque al principio están muy esperanzados, pronto se dan cuenta de que las cosas no son para nada como esperaban. Admito que me provocó golpear a Doon en mas de una ocasión por dejarse llevar tan fácil por Thick y de haber estado en la posición de Lina, le hubiese dado un golpe a Torren a la segunda vez que se portase como un pequeño patán.

That's Just me... I'm kinda violent some times...

Pero ambos personajes logran recordar y volver a ser quienes eran, a hacer lo correcto a pesar de las peleas y las malas influencias, igual que en el primer libro.

Los nuevos personajes me gustaron: Thick y Torren los encontré detestables pero no son malos personajes, me otorgan villanos que odiar. En Maddie y Kenny, al contrario, me brindaron aliados muy importantes.

Y la gente de Ember y Sparks... Vaya forma de crear tensión.

Tercero: la tensión y el suspenso

A pesar de que me encanta el romance en los libros me parece que mientras una historia posea estas dos características es un libro que vale la pena leer.

La apuesta es alta en este libro, y la tensión... Pues no necesitas un cuchillo para cortarla, es tan tensa que podría agarrar una cucharilla y la romperías.

En momentos me molestaba con los habitantes de Sparks porque, seamos honestos, son los nuevos, no los conozco tan bien... Sus penurias e infortunios. Pero realmente no puedo culparlos. Cuando has tenido unas 300 personas y tienes todo planeado para esa cantidad que de la nada te lleguen 400 extraños, delgados y ,admitámoslo, ignorantes sobre todo en el exterior que tendrás que mantener y educar es algo terrorífico. No es excusa para actuar inhumanamente ni hacer comentarios hirientes sobre la falta de conocimiento de los emberitas pero entiendo como puede llegar al punto.

Después me molestaba con los habitantes (o ex-habitantes) de Ember por ponerse de victimas y darse golpes de pecho y exigir. La gente de Sparks no tenían ningún deber de recibirlos, y aunque repito que eso no les da derecho a tratarlos como esclavos y de forma inhumana... Me parece que debían entender la dificultad en la que los de Sparks se encontraban. Los Emberitas no son ignorantes del mundo exterior por elección. Los constructores que planearon Ember lo diseñaron de esa forma: No necesitaron construir, ni encender fuegos -entre otras cosas- asi que nunca aprendieron. Si pasas mas de doscientos años sin ver un perro o una gallina, o algún pájaro o jamas has visto el sol o un árbol, seamos honestos, tambien nos quedaríamos fascinados. Si el plan de los constructores es que la Ciudad de Ember fuese abandonada después de 200 años ¿cómo esperaban que sobrevivieran si saber construir un refugio o cosechar su propia comida?

No un gran plan...

De verdad que este libro fue excelente y espero con ansias los siguientes dos.

I listened to this book on audio during a car trip. I hated this book. It was super boring and everyone in the book was complaining and talking about how unfair everything was the whole time. It was super whiny. Even though the first book (City of Ember) was super fun, I will not be continuing on with the series.