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Oct 11, 2007

Caroline rated it:

Meh. I really enjoyed the first two (last two?) books in DuPrau's trilogy, and was excited about reading this prequel. I have to say, though, I felt like I was reading something that had been written by a liberal Democrat frustrated with the takeover of the evangelical right and defense contractors in modern American politics. And I say this as a liberal Democrat who is currently frustrated with the takeover of the evangelical right and defense contractors in U.S. politics. But YA fiction is not More...

2 comments like (15 people liked it)

Sep 14, 2008

Sara rated it:

I read this because I'd read the first two books in the City of Ember series and enjoyed them; this is the 3rd book and a prequel to the events in Ember, so I expected a good story about why the city of Ember was built and how it all began. Instead, this book introduced eleven-year-old Nicki, who moves to her great-grandfather's old mansion in the city of Yonwood and discovers there is a woman regarded as a prophet living there, whose words are interpreted by another woman and the city follows More...

1 comment like (11 people liked it)

Feb 02, 2008

Kimberly rated it:

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6 comments like (14 people liked it)

Dec 07, 2008

Amy rated it:

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0 comments like (3 people liked it)

Oct 02, 2007

Karen rated it:

This prequel was actually disappointing in comparison to The City of Ember and The People of Sparks. It was too disconnected to these two books to be considered a prequel for my tastes. The story line was not nearly as interesting as the other two books. It does raise some interesting questions about blindly following the prophesies(dictates) of someone else because you think that person must be right instead of trusting your own instincts.

0 comments like (5 people liked it)

Aug 19, 2008

Janis rated it:

I enjoyed this story, although at times I found it a bit slow.

I think it put the dangers of blind acceptance and obedience to a self-proclaimed prophet, forced adherance of others to those who claim to speak for God, (and how not everyone who claims to speak for God actually does), in terms a child could easily relate to.

I think this could give kids good food for thought in a world where there are places where people live under this kind of religious tyranny today, even i More...

0 comments like (2 people liked it)

Jan 05, 2009

Megan rated it:

I finished reading this book 3 days ago and as soon as it ended i new it was a wonderful book!!!!

4 comments like (2 people liked it)

Dec 12, 2007

Kim rated it:

Too preachy and the connection to the other books is just tossed in at the end.

0 comments like (6 people liked it)

Dec 23, 2008

Melissa rated it:

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0 comments like (1 person liked it)

Dec 03, 2008

Alyssa rated it:

The Prophet of Yonwood Book Review

‘The Prophet of Yonwood’, by Jeanne Duprau is a very enticing story. It’s full of friendship and love, as well as oddities and dilemmas. The genre is science fiction for people who don’t like science fiction. I would recommend this book to anyone, but not if you’re looking for a fast-paced action novel. This book is also the third in it’s series and you should probably read the first two if you want to understand it. Although this book has d More...

0 comments like (1 person liked it)

Sep 18, 2008

Kirstin rated it:

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2 comments like (8 people liked it)

Jul 14, 2008

Hidden rated it:

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0 comments like (1 person liked it)

Jun 07, 2008

Steven rated it:

I'll agree with many of the other reviews. This book just isn't up to par with the really amazing stories in the first two books of this series. The City of Ember and The People of Sparks are much better than this book.

The author does have some nice and believable characters, but the action and drama within the story just fall flat in comparison with her other books. I guess the difficulty is the post-Apocalyptic world of the first two books is extremely compelling, but the pre-A More...

0 comments like (1 person liked it)

Oct 15, 2008

Ginny rated it:

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0 comments like (1 person liked it)

Nov 29, 2007

Steven rated it:

I was hoping for a book about the people who built Ember and why they decided to not teach them any technology or nation rebuilding skills. This isn't that book. This is the author's treatise on why the Iraq war is a big mistake and how religion only makes people fight. There is more hope in science and studying the stars than in saying prayers. The story was engaging, but I'm getting tired of the religious being treated as zealots and mindless sheep looking for any type of leader. This book was More...

2 comments like (3 people liked it)

Jan 16, 2009

Bethany rated it:

The City of Ember started off so strongly, and even The People of Sparks has its engaging moments. Prophet of Yonwood, sadly, didn't measure up to either. Pounding away at the recurring theme of corrupt leadership (thwarted by enterprising children), Yonwood has caricatures instead of characters, and the prophet of the title is, predictably, manipulated and misused by people who abuse their power. The only connection between this book and the previous two isn't revealed until the last pages, More...

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Nov 23, 2008

Helen rated it:

This should be called "The prophet of Yawnwood". I can overlook flaws in a book if the story and characters are interesting enough, but this was pretty boring and the main character was annoying. My biggest problem is that as a prequel to "The City of Ember", this book should have given us a clearer picture of the world before people decided to go into a city underground to save themselves from disaster. The first two books hint at wars and terrorism and I was hoping that thi More...

0 comments like (3 people liked it)

Jan 09, 2012

M rated it:

The City of Ember was OK, nothing spectacular...The People of Sparks was booorrriiinnnggggg...The Prophet of Yonwood? I got a few chapters in and just couldn't go on anymore. I realize that, as I am an adult, these books aren't marketed to me, they're made for young (VERY young) children, but having read engaging children's/young adult literature in the past, these books leave MUCH to be desired. When I was young I read The Hero and the Crown, Harry Potter, The Iron Ring, Ella Enchanted, Island More...

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Oct 29, 2011

Alexa rated it:

It was a mistake to write a prequel to The City of Ember books. Or maybe it was a mistake to go back as far as DuPrau did. It could have survived the abrupt change of cast if it had at least taken place in Ember, perhaps during the earliest years. There are so many interesting questions to ask of the first generation of Ember: How did they organize their government? Handle money? Assign jobs? Deal with outcasts or criminals? None of this is answered, though, because the prequel takes place befor More...

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Aug 28, 2011

Ival rated it:

I have been a fan of the Books of Ember series ever since I opened Jeanne Duprau 's debut for the first time. But after reading the third installment, The Prophet of Yonwood, for the second, I truly understand the wisdom she was trying to impart through her books. To understand what I am trying to say, I guess you would have to read it for yourself. I wouldn't want to give any spoilers away. ;-) The prequel to The City of Ember is a truly great read. Besides describing the adventures of a young More...

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Feb 26, 2011

Audiaa rated it:

Like The People of Sparks (the second book in this series), I think this book left a great story untold. This book told the story of a somewhat crazy woman who is held as a prophet because she had a vision others believed was from God. Mrs. Beeson acts as an interpreter for the prophet and requires all the members of the town follow what she believes are the prophets words. The people can no longer sing or own dogs; they are required to put their dogs on a bus to be taken away. People who do More...

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Nov 26, 2010

Hrandall rated it:

Having previously read DuPrau's "The City of Ember" and "The People of Sparks" and thoroughly enjoying both, I was really looking forward to reading "The Prophet of Yonwood" and I had very high expectations for the third book! However, I was very disappointed.
I found all the characters in "The Prophet of Yonwood" to be quite flat and the storyline was random and unrelated to Ember. I was eager to find out the history of Ember and the Builders, as this More...

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Oct 10, 2010

Theresa rated it:

This third book in The Ember Series was a disappointment after finishing The People of Sparks. The book is a prequel and according to the annotation, takes place 50 years before the City of Ember. Well, nothing happens!!! There is the fear of world war and the citizens of Yonwood believe that one of their own has had a vision in which she speaks of the annihilation of the world. These citizens believe in rooting out the evil in their city through religious quests as they believe this may help More...

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May 14, 2010

Eldon rated it:

Do not read this book as a prequel to the Ember series. Four paragraphs do not a prequel make. There are two more installments that should be added between this one and The City of Ember: Nickie's dad's story (same 50 year time frame as The Prophet of Yonwood) and an actual prequel beginning where The Prophet of Yonwood ends.

Read this as a stand-alone story. It will be more enjoyable if you aren't constantly looking for how it ties into the first two books. Also be prepared for tange More...

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Mar 09, 2010

Lighthearted rated it:

The Prophet of Yonwood is a prequel to the City of Ember series. The Disaster has not yet occurred but an ultimatum has been issued by the United States to the Phalanx Nations and the countdown has begun. People everywhere are frightened and the townspeople of Yonwood frantically cling to the belief that God has given them a prophet and if they follow the prophet’s directives, they will build a “shield of goodness” around their town and so survive the imminent war.

The problem is th More...

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Jan 02, 2010

Nancy rated it:

Eleven year old Nickie comes to Yonwood with her aunt to sell her late great grandfather’s house. The town is in an uproar after a citizen predicts the end of the world. To save themselves, the townsfolk follow the dictates of righteous Mrs. Beeson who seeks out evil like an incarnation of a Salem witch hunter. This is the third volume in DuPrau’s Book of Ember series, but unlike the other two, it takes place before the cataclysm that destroyed civilization as we know it. Although this story dep More...

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Sep 11, 2009

Elizabeth rated it:

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.
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May 26, 2009

Angela rated it:

When I finished this book, I was left feeling a bemused combination of "huh?" and "so what?" - feelings which had been growing on me since the beginning of the book.

In the first two books of the Ember series, there are deep and thoughtful morals that can be drawn, but this book's message was glaringly overstated. The heavy-handed moralizing in "Yonwood" made for a plodding pace and an anticlimactic conclusion. Worst of all, while there were several int More...

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May 04, 2009

Jenn rated it:

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May 01, 2009

Kerry rated it:

The Prophet of Yonwood continues my read of Jeanne duPrau’s series, The Books of Ember. After The City of Ember and The People of Sparks, this book takes a different look at duPrau’s world, going back to a time before the Disaster.

11 year old Nickie travels to the small North Carolina town of Yonwood with her aunt. Together, her mother and aunt have inherited an old house from their late grandfather and Nickie and Crystal are there to prepare the house for sale. Nickie, caught in the More...

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