Review: The People of Sparks by Jeanne Duprau

Last word first: A good continuation of the series, but not fantastic.

Would Joe like this? Yes.

Description: Lina and Doon have sucessfully evacuated the City of Ember. Now what? The people of Ember have never stepped outside their subterranean city before, and are woefully unprepared for life in the big, wide world. When the Emberites stumble across the nearby community of Sparks, and are allowed to stay, it seems like a perfect answer. But is it? Sparks fly (hehe) as the two groups attempt to coexist.

My thoughts: I know many fans of The City of Ember thought the sequel fell flat, but I disagree. Sparks is a very different story, but I think it's a good one. I liked the addition of more characters to the storyline; Sparks felt richer for it. Lina and Doon are both likeable characters, but it was nice to see them interacting with more people than just each other, as well as getting their own storylines.

My biggest complaint about The People of Sparks was that it got a little preachy here and there. "Why can't we all just get along?" "Don't judge what you don't know!" The message was laid on a little thick and it distracted me from the story now and again, but it wasn't enough to spoil my enjoyment of the book.

I'm having a bit of trouble thinking about things to say about Sparks, but overall, I liked this story. However, like City of Ember, I don't think it has the depth and crossover appeal for an adult audience that some young adult novels do.

About Jeanne Duprau: Jeanne spends several hours of every day at her computer, thinking up sentences. She has this quote taped to her wall: “A writer is someone for whom writing is harder than it is for other people.”— Thomas Mann (borrowed from the bio on her website)