In
The Diamond of Darkhold
, the fourth in the books of Ember series, Lina and Doon find a ruined book that they believe points to something meant for the citizens of Ember. Both looking for some adventure, they decide to return to Ember and see if this
something can be found.
I thought this book was really lacking in the excitement and good plot that were really only found in the first book (see reviews for the
first three books)
. While parts of it are interesting and entertaining, it really doesn't seem to have the same quality as the first one.
RATINGS:
s-factor: none.
mrg-factor: none.v-factor: none.May have some parts scarier for younger children.
Overall rating: ***
The Prophet of Yonwood
takes place in the time before the City of Ember even existed. The world is facing wars and imminent destruction, when a young girl visits the town of Yonwood. A respected woman in the community has a vision predicting the destruction of the world.
I thought this prequel was disjointed and simply strange. It didn't seem to have a cohesive storyline and wasn't as well-crafted as her other two books set in this world (see reviews
here and
here). I was actually pretty disappointed.
s-factor: none (that I remember)
mrg-factor: none
v-factor: ->Some frightening events.
Overall rating: ***
The People of Sparks
continues the story of Lina and Doon and the rest of the Ember-ites. After coming above ground and discovering a whole new world with sun and sky and weather, the people find it not terribly easy to adjust to so many new things. The people of the town of Sparks, where the Ember-ites settled, find it also hard to share during the hard winter.
I didn't think this sequel was as enchanting and well-plotted as the first (reviewed
here). But, I thought it was great to develop how the people would adjust to this new life and how those above-grounders would accept the newcomers. It is an interesting look at these conflicts. Still a pretty good read.
s-factor: none
mrg-factor: none
v-factor: ->Some mild conflicts.
Overall rating: ****
The City of Embertells the story of the people of Ember through the eyes of two young and curious adventurers: Lina and Doon. Ember is a dying city where the electricity that everyone depends on for light and heat and pretty much everything is becoming less reliable. When Lina finds a mysterious box with clues hinting at an exit from Ember, she and Doon decide to solve the clues and find the way out of Ember.
I really enjoyed this imaginative and exciting book. I thought the ideas were really clever and I am sure kids will love to try and solve the clues along with Lina and Doon. Easy to read and interesting enough to keep me turning the pages.
RATINGS:
s-factor: none
mrg-factor: none
v-factor: none
Overall rating: *****
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