The People of Sparks (Book of Ember, #2)

Feb 28, 2009 Ally rated it 4 of 5 stars

A sequel that holds true to its original characters, but puts them in a totally different situation and set of adventures. If I had one problem with these books, it would be that I suspect the authour starts writing the books with a "what values can I leave the readers with?" idea in her head. But, to her credit, I usually agree with her values (avoiding crowd mentality, being tolerant, solving problems non-violently) and the story is exciting enough anyways.

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Nov 12, 2008 Muzzlehatch rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: people looking for good ol' post-apocalyptic kid's books

Shelves: sf, juvenile, fletcher-free

Frustrating but ultimately pretty decent sequel to the fascinating "City of Ember", this picks up right after the finish of the first volume, as the entire populace of the dying underground city make their way out of harm's way, into the upper world. "Sparks" covers the travails of the next few months, as the Emberites encounter a small town struggling to get by, with a population even smaller than the 400 survivors of the underground world. There are two major problems with the book I think, fi...more

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Jan 24, 2009 Angela rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: sci-fi, childrens-lit, fiction, books-i-own

If I could give this book 6 stars, I would. I enjoyed City of Ember as a fun, quick YA read, but this sequel is just as entertaining, while also being profoundly thought-provoking and insightful.

I loved that the main characters - Lina and Doon - are honest and warm, with realistic struggles: Doon is still working on controlling his temper, and Lina's curiosity and impulsiveness still tend to cause trouble. However, they are both guided by good advice and a strong conscience, paving the way for g...more

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Jan 16, 2009 Bethany rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: childrenslit, futuristic, ya

Although not as strong as the first book in the series, People of Sparks is an interesting continuation of The City of Ember. Lina and Doon still figure prominently in the above-ground, post-apocalyptic community that is struggling to regain its foothold in the world. Overwhelmed by the Emberians, the outnumbered and unprepared citizens of Sparks begin by taking in the new families and giving them food and shelter, but the situation quickly deteriorates as scarcity and resentment build within bo...more

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Sep 01, 2011 ☆Jessie☆ (Ageless Pages Reviews) rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: sci-fi, young-adult-fiction, owned-copy, dystopia-or-postapocalyptic, series-ongoing, reviewed, 2011-reads, 2011-reviews

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Jeanne DuPrau's second of the Books of Ember series continues the trend begun in the introductory novel, The City of Ember. Compulsively readable, lively and easy, The People of Sparks was a novel mostly on-par with the levels of excellence from its impressive predecessor. By drastically changing the setting, as well as introducing new characters and ideas allows for an entirely different kind of novel than the first; the author makes a story replet...more Read This Review & More Like It On My Blog!

Jeanne DuPrau's second of the Books of Ember series continues the trend begun in the introductory novel, The City of Ember. Compulsively readable, lively and easy, The People of Sparks was a novel mostly on-par with the levels of excellence from its impressive predecessor. By drastically changing the setting, as well as introducing new characters and ideas allows for an entirely different kind of novel than the first; the author makes a story replete with familiar characters fresh and vivid. Surprisingly violent and tense, The People of Sparks is a careful exploration of the nature of conflict, brinkmanship and the idea of community. Interpersonal conflict, intercommunity conflict as well as self-conflict are each explored in various ways through various characters throughout the story. It is a deft and simple examination of conflict, prejudice and the results of such depravity upon the human community.

As "Ember" was a symbol for the dying population of the city, "Sparks" is a reference to the fledgling town itself - one that is barely beginning to prosper and survive. The village represents more than just food and lodging; it is a chance for a new start, to begin again fresh. A spark of life in a wasteland of death and destruction, Sparks is the only stable community for the Emberites after their mass exodus from underground. With tensions and fears between Sparklers and Emberites high and running, this seems far more emotional and volatile a novel than before. There is a constant back-and-forth from both camps, with allusions and hints of serious trouble down the line for two strange people trying to acclimate to one another's ways.

More crucial and previously withheld information is supplied on the mysterious and warlike past of this world. "The Disaster" referenced so fearfully in book one is revealed as four epic wars and three plagues that wrecked havoc and nearly ended the species of man. Beyond that, not much detail or history is expounded upon. Don't look for the same character development as found in book one, either; this sequel concerns itself mostly with the plot and not the characters. Sadly, neither Lina nor Doon really grows or changes from the experiences in this novel. I didn't mind that much - I was far more caught up in the drama of the clashing communities. They're also kept apart for much of the events of the tale, which further limits the easy atmosphere of the previous novel. Lina's adventurous side does appear, and she is in fact the only character to give the reader a glimpse of the "world" beyond Sparks. Through her journeys, the devastation is made plain; this is a world that has torn itself apart with hatred. So how can the people of Sparks and the people of Ember change history and keep the peace?

In the simplest terms, this is an engrossing, simple but GOOD book. I think I would've enjoyed this at about 12, at 15, and even now at 23 years old. I did feel that some parts were filler action, or superfluous for the main story but the very good drastically outweighs the bad in this novel. (less)

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Dec 25, 2009 Dioskoroi rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Kalo City of Ember lebih seperti adventure-novel yg dihias dengan sedikit sci-fic, maka People of Sparks lebih berasa drama dengan banyak kandungan filosofi, dan lebih sedikit adventure.

Ceritanya tetep light, ringan, nggak perlu mikir berat2 karena style penulisan cepat dan lugas, nggak banyak deskripsi membosankan dan filosofi berbelit2..

Semua serba sederhana, tapi disitulah letak keindahan cerita ini !!

Mengapa manusia memulai perang ? Apakah memang insting dasar manusia untuk bertahan hidup ta...more Kalo City of Ember lebih seperti adventure-novel yg dihias dengan sedikit sci-fic, maka People of Sparks lebih berasa drama dengan banyak kandungan filosofi, dan lebih sedikit adventure.

Ceritanya tetep light, ringan, nggak perlu mikir berat2 karena style penulisan cepat dan lugas, nggak banyak deskripsi membosankan dan filosofi berbelit2..

Semua serba sederhana, tapi disitulah letak keindahan cerita ini !!

Mengapa manusia memulai perang ? Apakah memang insting dasar manusia untuk bertahan hidup tak lebih dari hewan2 lain ? Bukankah kita sejak dulu selalu memikirkan diri kita sendiri, keluarga dan suku kita ?

Gw jadi teringat perang suku yg sampai sekarang pun masih sering terjadi di daerah2 yg lebih terbelakang (no offense) seperti papua atau kalimantan, bahkan di desa2 di pulau Jawa dan Sumatra yg (katanya) lebih maju pun hal2 semacam ini sering terjadi..

Lebih parah lagi sekarang anak2 sekolah (sampe mahasiswa segala) mulai demen ama yg namanya tawuran (mulai nggak nyambung)

Jadi kenapa perang bisa terjadi ? Tema itulah yg (mungkin) berusaha diangkat oleh Author dalam cerita ini. Kenapa warga desa Spark dan kota Ember terlibat huru-hara perang ? Bahkan ketika mereka mengetahui kehancuran yg diderita umat manusia pasca-Bencana akibat perang ? Segitu sulitkah manusia belajar dari kesalahan yg telah diperbuatnya di masa lalu ?

Semua diceritakan dalam plot yg sederhana tapi memikat, dalam bahasa yg sederhana tapi berbobot, dibalut alasan yg sederhana tapi mengena..

Kalau manusia pasca-bencana berperang karena wilayah, agama dan keinginan egois orang2 tertentu, maka warga Sparks dan Ember berperang karena makanan. Simple tapi jujur.

Gw jadi sadar -- hal2 paling sederhana sekalipun bisa menabur benih2 kebencian, dan dalam setiap waktu dan tempat, selalu ada provokator menyebalkan dan orang2 egois yg bisa melakukan segala cara untuk mendapatkan keinginan mereka, terlepas dari konsekuensi yg harus mereka terima..

Jadi makin nge-pens ama Lina si petualang dan Doon yg pintar dan selalu ingin tahu. Penggambaran Doon yg nyaris tergelincir pada kemarahan dan kebencian bener2 real, dan gw senang dia nggak bener2 terperosok. Dan satu lagi, penutup cerita ini bikin gw terkesan, sederhana: Doon membuat percobaan ala anak SMP buat ngidupin bohlam -- sederhana, tapi dalem bow !!(less)

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Apr 03, 2009 Chris rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: i-own

Last fall I raced through City of Ember and really enjoyed the world and the characters. The ending wasn't a cliffhanger per se, but it really left me wondering what would happen next...so much so that I raced out and bought the next book. Sadly, life got busy and it took me another 4 months to finally read the continuation.

In Sparks there are some rather significant changes to the plot dynamics which allow for some intriguing new commentary on humanity and social interactions. We're given a pos...more Last fall I raced through City of Ember and really enjoyed the world and the characters. The ending wasn't a cliffhanger per se, but it really left me wondering what would happen next...so much so that I raced out and bought the next book. Sadly, life got busy and it took me another 4 months to finally read the continuation.

In Sparks there are some rather significant changes to the plot dynamics which allow for some intriguing new commentary on humanity and social interactions. We're given a post-apocalyptic world in which humanity is trying to recover and rebuild. This high level genre is compounded by being seen primarily through the eyes of children and also by making the Emberites ignorant of the disasters that befell humanity or even of human history at all. In fact, through the entire first book, they had no knowledge of any other human culture at all and thought their microcosm to be the extent of humanity.

The main new dynamic in the book acted as a commentary on the interactions between people in strained situations and the passions which lead to prejudice, anger, and eventually to war. The plot separated for a time the two main characters from Ember, Lina and Doon.

Lina acts as the reader's guide to understanding the history of this new world and how humanity fell into war as well as understanding the current geography and social structure. She undertakes a journey to one of the old cities in the hopes of finding something akin to the drawing she made in the first book. Instead, she finds disaster and learns about war, disease and destruction.

Doon serves as the reader's guide to watching two struggling groups of people dealing with hardships and sacrifices as the Emberites are taught about life in the new world and how to survive above ground. He feels the sting of hostility as the people of Sparks grow resentful of the Emberites consuming their food and other resources. That resentment grows into mistrust and eventually sparks begin to fly (pardon the pun).

As tensions grow between the people, one of the Emberites named Tick Hassler (an antagonistic name if ever I saw one *grin*) grows hungry for a fight and begins riling up the people of Ember to prepare for battle. Doon feels conflicted throughout and Lina (once she returns) has new found knowledge into the near-destruction of humanity. Unfortunately, by then, things are spiraling out of control and it's difficult to see a viable resolution.

I really enjoyed the character dynamics DuPrau set up in this novel. With very few exceptions, all of the players were honestly trying to do good. She set up some great conflicts which resulted in each group of people trying to do what was good, and yet that "good" was conflicting and causing tension. It's the old adage "you can't please everyone all the time." There are always self-interests of individuals and even of groups which will collide with other individuals and groups. This book presented great examples of how people interact and shows motivation for making compromises and looking at the situation from the point of view of the other person.

It's difficult to compare to Ember and say which I liked better. I think I preferred Sparks because the plot and dynamic was more interesting to think about. Still, they are each presenting such different concepts, that it's hard to pit one against the other. They are great stories with a lot of thoughtful concepts to ponder. It's actually quite thought provoking, especially when considering the fact that it's a children's book. Children and youth will enjoy the vivid characters and the action. Adults can still enjoy it with its fluid writing and its deeper themes.

****
4 stars (out of 5)(less)

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Sep 10, 2009 Violet rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: sci-fi, steampunk, dystopia-utopia

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Not as good as the first book. Interseting but not as good. I don't know why, just not the same feeling as the first one or something like that. Just not as good.

I kept comparing the city of Sparks and the city of Ember. (which aren't really cities compared to cities today) I mean Ember was more avanced then Sparks. But Ember was underground. Ember had electricity and running water, while Sparks had fire and pumps to get water. But at the same time, Sparks has seasons, trees, the sun, the moon,...more Not as good as the first book. Interseting but not as good. I don't know why, just not the same feeling as the first one or something like that. Just not as good.

I kept comparing the city of Sparks and the city of Ember. (which aren't really cities compared to cities today) I mean Ember was more avanced then Sparks. But Ember was underground. Ember had electricity and running water, while Sparks had fire and pumps to get water. But at the same time, Sparks has seasons, trees, the sun, the moon, stars, and much more. Which do you think is better? Runing water and electricity or the sun and trees? For me, I don't know. I love the sun and the trees and things like that but I think it would be hard to live without electicity and running water. But people have lived without electicity and running water for years and years. But to live without the sun and trees would be hard, too. I guess you have to live with one or you can't live at all. The problem is which one...

Also, the ruined city reminded me a lot of the Ruins in Uglies books. I mean the Ruins were basically like the city in the book. Well, the city in the book was distroyed by man and nature. While in the Ruins in Uglies was just distroyed by nature. Which it worse, distroying by warfair or distroying by cars? I hate wars and I hate what cars do to nature. I guess it's the question if humans will distroy the world or themselfs first. In Uglies it was almost the world and in the book it was almost themselfs. Both would be horrible. But which one is more horrible?

So that is it......no, its not. In the book the thing that set off the chain of events that leds to the fights and almost war was Torren's anger and envy. Because of Torren's anger and envy towards Lina he threw the tomatos. And because he threw the tomatos he blamed Doon. And because he blamed Doon (an Emberites/caveperson) the people of Sparks started to hate the people of Ember. And because of that the fights started and war almost broke out. So basicly Torren almost started a war. Wow. A little boy's anger and envy almost started a war. But isn't that how all wars start, because of a little boy's anger and envy?

So that is it (really) I'm going to read the other books and see the movie of the first one. I can't wait to read the prequel, I want to know how the Disater started. Oh, I can't wait!(less)

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Aug 30, 2008 Britt rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy-sci-fi, fiction, kids, apocalyptic

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Enjoyable book, though not as good as the first. I did like watching the people of Ember encounter the outside world for the first time, but I didn’t really feel the tension between the two groups. It seemed like a somewhat lifeless conflict. And it just kept going. We were just reading the same thing over and over again. Yes, they are not getting along; let’s get to the point please.

The plot wandered a bit. What was the point of Lina sneaking on the truck and going to the city? To learn from Ma...more

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Aug 05, 2008 Rebecca rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. The weak writing, admittedly present in City of Ember, is more apparent here in the second book...and the story is a bit overbearing & heavyhanded with its message, at the expense of the story-unfolding... The message is peace-keeping and war-avoiding though, so I guess I have a bit of leniency for the message-hammering.

The people of Ember have emerged from their underworld, and have found Sparks--a village that has survived the Disaster. I liked reading about the people of Ember seeing sun...more

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Aug 06, 2008 Kimberly rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: fifth/sixth grade readers, fans of juvenile literature

Shelves: young-readers

Please tell me that if there really was a war that killed most of humanity, stupid people would not be left in charge...like they apparently were in The People of Sparks. Truly, the leaders in both Sparks and in the preceding City of Ember are exceedingly elementary in their thinking. Why wouldn't the people of Sparks just look on the Emberites as newly added, contributing members of their society? Instead of isolating the Emberites, why not allow them to work and better the city of Sparks? But,...more

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Tony I would think much of it would have to do the previous generations were busy trying to survive rather than sitting and reading. Very much like many of...more
Aug 06, 2008 07:55am

Andrea I've read the book but I don't remember the word "sanazy"... I don't know the context (but this is probably a stupid question anyway)... what is it su...more
Aug 28, 2008 09:44pm

Kimberly I borrowed this book from the library, so I'm unable to find the exact quote/reference from the book, but I believe that the people were talking about...more
Sep 03, 2008 02:02pm

Nov 12, 2007 Lucy rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: kidlit, sciencefiction, post-apocalyptic, middlegrade

The people of Ember have made it out of their dying underground city. But now, faced with the prospect of life aboveground after living their whole lives without ever seeing the sun, they are practically helpless. When they stumble across the village of Sparks, they are relieved, and at first, the people of Sparks offer them shelter and food and aid. But as the weeks grow longer and it becomes clear that the people of Ember can’t fend for themselves and aren’t leaving any time soon, tempers begi...more

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Jan 01, 2009 Ryan rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 52-52, young-adult, read-in-2008

338

I thought the 1st book was more of an adventure. This book deals with different groups trying to survive and how small differences can become big deals. This book is probably more realistic, in that it deals with the day to day survival of 700 or so people (400 from and city of ember and 300 from the city of sparks). Both groups are trying to survive, with the people of ember depending on the good will of the people of sparks. This dependence takes its toll on both of the groups. After a figh...more

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Feb 26, 2009 Orpha Hernandez rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Very interesting book. The people from the city of Amber finally make it out into the world. A world unknown to them. Good reading.

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Oct 12, 2008 Holly rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Those who enjoy young adult lit

Recommended to Holly by: Lark

I really enjoyed the simplified concepts of war in this book. It discussed how war begins and how to stop it before it goes to far. Choosing good is hard and even harder when we are physically or emotionally hurt by someone else. It made me think about making the right choices in tough situations. It's nice that you learn small bits about the "disaster" but that is not the focus of the book. I liked the way Lina and Doon both carried on through this book. They went there separate ways and came b...more

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Jan 12, 2009 Karin rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: juvenile-fiction, moral-dilemmas, future, science-fiction, borrowed-from-the-library

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Lina and Doon’s note reaches the Emberites and they gradually emerge from the City of Ember in the same way that Lina and Doon made their escape at the end of The City of Ember. The Emberites begin walking toward something on the horizon and eventually arrive in Sparks, a small town and farming community. Although there are over 400 refugees and many fewer citizens of Sparks, the leaders of Sparks attempt to assist the Emberites by feeding and housing them – taking some in to their own homes and...more Lina and Doon’s note reaches the Emberites and they gradually emerge from the City of Ember in the same way that Lina and Doon made their escape at the end of The City of Ember. The Emberites begin walking toward something on the horizon and eventually arrive in Sparks, a small town and farming community. Although there are over 400 refugees and many fewer citizens of Sparks, the leaders of Sparks attempt to assist the Emberites by feeding and housing them – taking some in to their own homes and families. It is decided that the Emberites will work for their room and board and as they work they will learn what they need to know to build their own settlement. They are given 6 months to acclimate and then they will have to leave Sparks. The arrangement seems agreeable at first, but gradually both Emberites and people of Sparks become unhappy. It’s taking the Emberites a long time to adjust and the people of Sparks see them as lazy and stupid – instead of making allowances or correcting their ignorance, they just treat them badly. As tensions grow between the peoples, one of the Emberites – Tick – attempts to make war. He is almost successful, too, except that one of the leaders of Sparks accidentally sets the town on fire when they try to retaliate. Lina leads the Emberites into the fire to help salvage the town and it brings everyone together.

This was a decent continuation of The City of Ember – the moral dilemma was rather interesting (what would you do if your city was suddenly overrun by refugees and there was nowhere else for them to go? Would you feed them and risk your own people’s health and safety, or send them out knowing they were ill-prepared and that you’d be sending them to their deaths?), but there were a few irritations. I was frustrated (in that people can’t see Snuffalufagus way) that there was seemingly no way for the Emberites to prove to the people of Sparks that they’d come from underground. And once they’d all formed opinions of one another, people had a hard time seeing beyond those first impressions. All of their problems stemmed from poor communication between the two peoples, and they’d end up on opposite sides of their respective plazas yelling at one another. Once again, it was the kids who were able to make them see/act differently. It was a bit convenient that once again Lina and Doon were the heroes of the day. It could easily have taken a different turn. Maybe through working together (instead of in these slave teams that DuPrau set up) the peoples could have started to understand one another better – valued one another’s different knowledge and skill sets. But they didn’t. I wish there had been more admirable characters – there were so many people (Emberites and people of Sparks) that I just didn’t like, both adults and children. That, more than anything, made this a more difficult read.(less)

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Dec 07, 2008 Rachel rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Feb 10, 2013 E. Newby rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

A superb follow-up to "The City of Ember", we take off from where the last book left off as the people of the underground city begin exploring the world above ground. They stumble upon a small but thriving town called Sparks, and here the story takes place. The people of Sparks take them in, conditionally. The remainder of the story is dedicated to the two populations learning how to exist around each other, and ultimately deciding the fate of the Emberites. There is a large learning curve for t...more

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Jan 28, 2013 Craig rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

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...more

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Dec 16, 2012 Peter rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Amazon.com Review

When teenagers Lina Mayfleet and Doon Harrow lead their people up out of the Earth, fleeing their dying underground city of Ember, everything is new and a little frightening to the refugees--the sun and the moon, birds, trees, fire…and the people of Ember are strange to the 322 citizens of Sparks, one of the few towns on Earth to survive the time of The Disaster. How can they feed and house the 400 Emberites, the leaders of Sparks wonder, when they have just begun to be able t

...more

Amazon.com Review

When teenagers Lina Mayfleet and Doon Harrow lead their people up out of the Earth, fleeing their dying underground city of Ember, everything is new and a little frightening to the refugees--the sun and the moon, birds, trees, fire…and the people of Ember are strange to the 322 citizens of Sparks, one of the few towns on Earth to survive the time of The Disaster. How can they feed and house the 400 Emberites, the leaders of Sparks wonder, when they have just begun to be able to feed themselves comfortably? But if they don’t, these underground people with no survival skills will surely die in the wastelands. They take them in as best they can, but grumbling and bad feeling grows on both sides. Lina returns from a failed search for her persistent vision of a city of light to find the town, egged on by the power-hungry young thug Tick, once again at the point of war, forgetting how the Earth has been destroyed before. But Lina has seen the devastation left by The Disaster, and so she risks a brave move of reconciliation, and when Doon exposes Tick’s trickery, the two sides join as the new people of Sparks.

In this exciting and solidly constructed sequel to __, Jeanne DuPrau moves the story on entrancingly, bringing along her cast of characters from underground and adding new dimensions and relationships as the action escalates to a satisfying conclusion that still allows for further volumes in this fine fantasy. (Ages 10 to 14) --Patty Campbell

From School Library Journal

Grade 4 9-In this sequel to The City of Ember (Random, 2003), DuPrau continues the adventures of Lina and Doon, who have led the 400 residents from the underground city of Ember to the unfamiliar world above. The refugees are tentatively welcomed, housed, and fed by the people of Sparks, located near the wasteland left by the long-ago Disaster that destroyed most of civilization. Conflicts arise between the two groups, mainly due to the differences between the sheltered, electric-powered life in Ember and the low-tech, farming-based existence in Sparks. As conflicts and violence escalate, Lina explores the wasteland and Doon finds himself caught up in the rhetoric of the militaristic and charismatic Tick. A dramatic conclusion brings the characters together and gives hope for the future of both groups, resolving the current conflicts but leaving room for future adventures. While remaining true to her characters and the building tension of the story, DuPrau clearly explores themes of nonviolence and when to stand up for oneself. The text smoothly involves new readers and fans of the first story, creating a range of three-dimensional characters in both the Ember and Sparks groups. While less gritty and mechanical than Philip Reeve's Mortal Engines (HarperCollins, 2003), and more interpersonal than Lois Lowry's The Giver (1993) and Gathering Blue (2000, both Houghton), this title will hold a similar appeal for readers who enjoy speculative fiction. This novel will make them stop and think, and its immediacy and drive make it a good choice for even reluctant readers.
Beth L. Meister, Yeshiva of Central Queens, Flushing, NY
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

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Oct 30, 2012 Felita rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: dystopia, fantasy-thriller, intrik2, young-adult

suatu hari penduduk desa Sparks menerima kejutan
empat ratus orang datang berduyun-duyun dari arah bukit
penduduk desa tahu, selain warga mereka sendiri
tidak ada kota lain di daerah mereka
siapa orang-orang ini yang kelihatan aneh ?

dari gerombolan orang aneh itu, sesosok anak muda memperkenalkan diri
" Kami datang dari Kota Ember. Kami pergi dari sana karena kota kami sekarat. Kami perlu bantuan. "

Doon dan Lina bersama warga kota Ember berhasil keluar
Dunia asing di mana terlihat tanah tandus dan met...more

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Oct 10, 2012 Faraaz rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

A) sci-fi and fantasy
B) 338
C) The People of Sparks is the 2nd book to Ember series. It is about when the people of ember finally escape the underground city of ember. They took a river tunnel and climbed long stares to get above ground. They are very confused since they lived underground for their whole lives. They were confused about why the sky was blue? What are all the creatures that live here? Are they the only humans here? Many more questions were in their heads that could not be answered....more

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Oct 06, 2012 Amy Snyder rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. This book was a disappointment. It continues the adventures of Doon and Lina as they have left the city of Ember, come out from underground, and find the Town of Sparks. It has been realized by Emberites that humans were not completely destroyed after the great wars and disasters, and the people of Sparks have rebuilt some semblance of a life, though they do not have electricity as they did in Ember. At first the people of Sparks are kind to the Emberites, and provide them with food and shelter,...more

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Apr 10, 2012 Aaron rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I though City of Ember was a simple story because it was told by a 12 year old girl. This book is also told by the same 12 year old girl, but it's a really stupid story. The people of ember emerge from their city to the above-ground world and immediately encounter a town of people living almost right above them (who have never, in all of their years there, managed to find find the caves that led to Ember). The two groups settle into an uneasy life together that ends up with them fighting each ot...more

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Mar 21, 2012 Justin rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Everybody

In the beginning of my book the people of Sparks, it starts with a young boy named Torren who sees many odd people coming over the hill towards his village. When the odd people finally get over the hill Torren and his village find out that they are people from the City of Ember. The people from Ember are hungry and some are sick, so the village of Sparks lets them stay in their village for six months if they work for them before they have to leave.
After a few days in Sparks the people of Embe...more In the beginning of my book the people of Sparks, it starts with a young boy named Torren who sees many odd people coming over the hill towards his village. When the odd people finally get over the hill Torren and his village find out that they are people from the City of Ember. The people from Ember are hungry and some are sick, so the village of Sparks lets them stay in their village for six months if they work for them before they have to leave.
After a few days in Sparks the people of Ember are moved into the pioneer hotel where they will live for the next few months.
Just after a few weeks Torren’s older brother Casper comes back from roaming in the empty lands. Since Torren really wants to go roaming with his brother Casper he asked a lot of times for him to go roaming with Casper, but Casper said no I already have a roaming partner named Maddy, and that he wasn’t old enough yet.
Later that day Lina who is one of the people who found the way out of Ember, heard that Casper and Maddy were going to the city because Casper thought that there was treasure buried there, when she heard that she decided that she would sneak into the back of their truck at night when they can’t see her because she wants to see the city. The truck which are now tugged by oxen because there is no more gasoline and the engine is broken down move much slower.
Early the next morning Lina got on the truck and left with Casper and Maddy not knowing that she was in the truck with them.
When Torren found out about Lina going secretly to the city with Casper and Maddy he got so mad he stormed out of the house and went to the tomato baskets where he threw tomatoes at a shed until two whole crates were gone.
The next morning when Dune, the other person that helped find the way out of ember, was working, his work instructor Chugger was muttering about who he thought threw the tomatoes.
But just that second Torren came over and screamed “He threw the tomatoes, He threw them!” So from now on Dune was known as the boy who threw the tomatoes. So now wherever he went he was thought of as the tomato thrower. After the tomato throwing another event happened someone wrote GO BACK TO WHERE YOU CAME FROM.
Then after that event another thing happened to the people of ember. Someone put a pile of weeds blocking the door so they had to dig it up using their hands and they put it in the river. When they went to work that day anyone who helped in the clean up got a rash on there arms that itched a lot. After that the people of Ember got very mad after they found out the weeds were poison ivy. At that moment Tick who was a cart puller in Ember decided to get the people angry so they would fight because he thought there was a war coming.
The next event to happen was some graphite on the wall that said GO BACK TO YOUR CAVE GO BACK TO YOUR CAVE GO BACK TO YOUR CAVE GO BACK TO YOUR CAVE GO BACK TO YOUR CAVE....... over and over again. This made people very mad so they decided to arm themselves towards further attacks, with old metals pipes and poles, glass shards from the broken windows, and some tree branches.
Back with Casper and Maddy, Lina has just been found and Casper wants her gone but Maddy says she should stay because she can fit through small spaces in the city. When they were traveling Lina kept on getting more and more anxious to see the city. But when they finally got there she wanted to leave the city was just piles of rubble and some frames of massive buildings. Luckily Maddy had a plan to get away from the city they would ride away on bikes and find a roamer to take them to Sparks. When they found a roamer heading towards Sparks they asked if they could travel with him. on the way to Sparks they helped the roamer find things in the destroyed towns and houses, Lina found a magnet and a magnifying glass.
Back at the village of Sparks, the people of Ember are getting very mad at the villagers because of the graphite and poison oak. Since The people from Ember are getting mad the people of Sparks doesn’t want them there so they say, “You have one day to leave this village, or we use the weapon”. But everybody from Ember says “You have only one weapon we have many”. So now the people of Ember will fight instead of leaving tomorrow.
Back on the roamers truck Lina, Maddy, and the roamer are just coming into view of the village of Sparks. As they come into town the streets are empty, so Lina goes to the doctors house where Mrs.Murdo and Poppy are staying. Mrs.Murdo tells Lina about how the people of Sparks are going to kick them out of the village, and if the defend then they will take out the weapon.
As the next day begins Lina is worried about how they will live in the empty lands from nothing. But outside the people from Ember are grouped up ready to fight the people of Sparks. But as soon as they were about to fight Ben one of the town leaders came out with the weapon, it had a long tube out the front connected to a box thing on a tripod. As soon as Ben pressed the button on it, it made click sounds very fast. Nobody could see what it was doing, but Doon who was up in the watch tower saw holes appearing in the hotel. Just as soon as the weapon made noise it stopped making noise lit on fire lighting a nearby tree on fire so now the people of Sparks are putting as much water as they can on the tree to get the fire out but it is no use it is out of control. So Lina runs over and starts helping put out the fire. As she runs the town hall lights on fire, so then the people have to put that fire out as well but when Lina ran over almost all of the people of Ember came to help to so they were able to put the fire out. Since so many people helped put out the fire the three town leaders let them stay in village forever.

By Justin Davis(less)

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Jan 29, 2012 Liz rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: young-adult

Can't we all just get along? That's the theme of this book, and an extremely heavy-handed one at that. From the moment the refugees of Ember show up at the town of Sparks, all the way to the clichéd ending, it feels like we're beaten about the head with the age-old aphorism of "Do unto others...." Not that it's wrong in any way or a bad message, it just gets old and tired when it's repeated again and again page after page. No excuses about it being a "kids" book, either; kids aren't stupid and t...more

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Jan 15, 2012 Stephanie rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: middle-grade

The guide and I entered by that hidden path, to return to the clear world: and, not caring to rest, we climbed up, he first, and I second, until, through a round opening, I saw the beautiful things that the sky holds: and we issued out, from there, to see, again, the stars.

So says Dante in the final canto of the Inferno. And this is how Jeanne DuPrau’s The People of Sparks begins as well. Having emerged, blinking into the light after hundreds of years of living below the earth’s surface, the peo...more

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Jan 02, 2012 Robotbee rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: important

*This review is somewhat dependent on my review of the City of Ember. Incidentally, the entirety of the review below is also stuck to the bottom of my review of the City of Ember, if you would rather read them together*

This book addresses similar issues of desperation in the face of deprivation, as well as some interesting group psychology and the idea of "otherness." In The People of Sparks, the people of Ember join the people of Sparks, a town of fellow Disaster survivors.

(There is an interes...more *This review is somewhat dependent on my review of the City of Ember. Incidentally, the entirety of the review below is also stuck to the bottom of my review of the City of Ember, if you would rather read them together*

This book addresses similar issues of desperation in the face of deprivation, as well as some interesting group psychology and the idea of "otherness." In The People of Sparks, the people of Ember join the people of Sparks, a town of fellow Disaster survivors.

(There is an interesting implication about the people of Ember that is never directly addressed, that they are the Chosen ones, hidden away in the Earth until it was safe to come out, laden with prophecy and myth, not left to survive by chance on the surface. Whether that was intended by the author, or just one of those universal themes that found its way into the story through the author's subconscious mind, remains to be seen.)

While the people of Sparks accept the people of Ember, there is a current of fear and distrust between them. Some even doubt the veracity of their story, finding it hard to believe that people lived underground. The idea that people with running water and electricity are afraid of fire is inexplicable to the people of Sparks. They are also surprised at the people of Ember's complete ignorance of such commonplace things as plants and animals. It is a really excellent way to convey to young people the unfairness of attributing stupidity or a lack of intellect to a people based on what they have been exposed to. This book is has lots of simplified and accessible commentary on cultural relativism, a subject I have rarely seen explored in young adult literature.

I find it very interesting that the people of Sparks and the people of Ember do not view their situation in terms of the survival of the species. We always assume that post-apocalyptic survivors would be all bent on perpetuating the human race, but there is almost none of that here, despite the fact that they understand, at least on some level, that they are among the last of their race. I suppose it is very easy to be philosophical about it when the apocalypse isn't upon us (I mean, who DOESN'T have a plan in place for the inevitable zombie apocalypse?) but I wonder how it would really play out. If your day-to-day survival was not a sure thing, would you even THINK about whether humanity would be around in two hundred years? Or would it mean MORE?

(less)

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Aug 28, 2011 Ival Crisp rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: favorites

The second installment of The Books of Ember series is a spectacular sequel to the first! I was completely hyped-up as I read it for the first time, but the second was even better. DuPrau adventures further into the realm of morals, leaving a satisfied reader with another clear message: War can bring nothing good and as easy as it is to achieve, it is hard to escape. I am absolutely fond of this book, zealous even. The People of Sparks is not just an awesome adventure, but a thought-provoking an...more

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May 16, 2011 Diane rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy-fiction, my-library, sci-fi

I remember I read the first book, City of Ember, in highschool and I loved it. It was the first dystopian novel that I read and I was amazed by the world that DuPrau has envisioned. An underground city that was built to preserve the human race from armageddon was so amazing to me that time that I obsessed about this sequel for weeks. I was really disappointed to know that my highschool library don't have this. A year ago, I found The People of Sparks in the Sale section of National Bookstore, ha...more I remember I read the first book, City of Ember, in highschool and I loved it. It was the first dystopian novel that I read and I was amazed by the world that DuPrau has envisioned. An underground city that was built to preserve the human race from armageddon was so amazing to me that time that I obsessed about this sequel for weeks. I was really disappointed to know that my highschool library don't have this. A year ago, I found The People of Sparks in the Sale section of National Bookstore, hardbound and only 99Php. I just have to have it.

I read this book last year but I only remembered I've read this and have a copy of this while I was sorting my goodreads bookshelf then I decided to write a review since I have nothing else to do. :P

Okay, this book was a sequel to the city of Ember (as we know) which is a dystopian novel (ditto), a dying underground city with no knowledge that a whole new world where there is light coming from the sky and a number of human survivors. When the people of Ember emerged form underground, the City of sparks did not want them because Sparks is a really poor community and they can't afford to take in hundreds of people but they eventually decided to take them in because that was the right thing to do and house them with different families. It was going well at first, they were all getting along well and teaching each other things that the other did not know then the problems of scarcity of supplies breaks them apart. Soon the Emberians found themselves at war with the people of Sparks.

The real review: looking back, I was amazed by the idea of dystopias that I want to read and see them all and I think I have seen a good number to say that this wasn't very different from the others and I wonder if this is what's gonna happen to our world. Its scary to think that people will be eaten by their selfishness and life wouldn't matter. The characters, Lina and Doon are still the stars of the book as they grow up, discover, learn and love things and keep the peace between two cities. They have a different set of problems now which makes it a great sequel. You don't read it because the first book was a cliffhanger that you HAVE to buy the next book (not in a good way). This book, you read because it has a very interesting plot, atleast, that's my reason for reading. The writing style was simple since this is more of a children's book. The pace, kind of slow and relaxed but wasn't dragging. The characters grow, like what I said, there are movements in the plot, and there is a beautiful lesson to be learned in the end, the perfect cherry to a beautiful children's book :)(less)

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topics	posts	views	last activity
The City of Ember: People of Sparks	1	1	Sep 08, 2012 11:40pm
is it as good as it sounds	11	60	Mar 11, 2012 08:00pm
almost done...anyone else read this series??	10	33	May 19, 2011 03:01pm
What IS the ruined city?	2	35	Apr 01, 2011 10:41am

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The People of Sparks (Book of Ember #2)

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