Failure to launch...or even spark.
Written: Oct 08 '09 (Updated Oct 08 '09)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Solid themes, easy writing style
Cons: Flat, (mostly) unrealistic characters
The Bottom Line: If the world were being destroyed, I'd make sure not to bring this book. There are far worse things to read during an apocalypse--but there are also far better.
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| imagine_stars's Full Review: Jeanne Duprau - The People of Sparks |
All this time, the people of Sparks had no idea what was right underneath them. Years before--centuries, even--some intelligent (and perhaps overly cautious) people decided to move a good chunk of the human race underground. That way, when The Catastrophe came, be it flood, famine, or war, survival would be guaranteed. As they planned out the city named Ember, they thought nothing could go wrong. Ember would be self-sufficient. Ember would operate on its own electricity. And, when the resources began to run out, Ember would follow the instructions passed down from mayor to mayor, and its inhabitants could slowly make their way back into the sunlight.
But...one of the mayors was slacking. And Ember began to die.
At the end of The City of Ember, two clever kids (Lina and Doon) made their way out of the city, experiencing, for the first time, life above ground. Grass! Sunlight! Trees! And as The People of Sparks opens, we find them in an entirely new sort of struggle.
Now that Doon and Lina have managed to lead 400-some Emberites into the upper realm, where on earth will they stay? Well, of course, in the relatively new city of Sparks! It seems that the Emberites are not the only ones trying to find their place, as a recent apocalypse of sorts wiped out much of life on Earth. The founders of Sparks reluctantly take in the refugees, hoping they'll soon be on their way after some food and a few nights' rest. But the "cave people" don't seem like they have much hope of surviving winter--after all, they barely know important things like "clouds" or "sky"! The resentful people of Sparks begin to nurse some major hostitility, right along with a superior attitude, and the whole situation devolves into one big tangle of rumors and retaliation. Can two very different types of people learn to get along? Or will the Emberites forever be alone in their struggle to survive?
Okay, I know I said I wasn't going to read The People of Sparks, especially since Ember wasn't especially my cup of tea. Two of my roommates (both big fans of fantasy and children's lit.) were more appreciative of Jeanne Duprau's first novel, and I did feel that maybe I should cut Ms. Duprau some slack.
But then I read this.
Let me make a disclaimer first. I'm in the minority. I know that. I am one of few people I know who doesn't enjoy the Ember series, and I'm probably going to come across as this literary Scrooge who can't let herself just enjoy a decent kid's book. I confess it ahead of time. I want a book to reach out and grab my heart, and this didn't. It just didn't. But I don't want to chop it to pieces, either, 'cause a lot of not-great books have won awards and changed lives.
So let's start with the good stuff. First of all, Duprau keeps it simple. The writing is simple and easy to understand, perfect for the crowd it's marketed toward (ages 9-12). Her style flows well, a steady prose that says exactly what it needs to. It can be hard to create a post-apocalyptic society that draws a child's attention without getting overly complicated. Bonus points to Duprau for focusing on a few main themes and not cluttering up the plot with fluff.
But...there's a big difference between "simple" and "simplistic," and that's where Sparks begins to go off-track. In fact, it might be almost too bare-bones.
Simple: Good, strong themes about loving others rather than fighting back.
Simplistic: The idea that out of hundreds of adults, Lina and Doon are apparently (and conveniently) the only ones with a lick of compassion or common sense.
Simple: The dilemma which is posed--if you were required to provide food and housing for a mysterious group of refugees, would you become embittered by the obligation, or would you desire to help?
Simplistic: The people of Sparks have a bad attitude from the start, the Emberites are astonishingly doormat-like, and it seems that the Discernment Fairy skipped over both groups of people. Oh, yeah, and no one gets a personality, either.
The thing is, this isn't a horrible book. Like I said about Ember, if I had no idea what other books were out there, I would think this was a fine attempt. However, I know that this isn't the only dystopian society to ever cross an author's imagination, and it seems more like a cardboard replica of stories past than a sparkling and creative restructuring of an old plotline. The idea gets stuck too early.
My main disappointment is that the messages are sooo good, so profound--but they're paired with lackluster characters and events. When Ember and Sparks clash, Lina and Doon (and the reader) see how fighting back only creates more fights, how problems are so often based on miscommunication. This could have been explored more fully, more deeply, but instead, the truths stay right on the surface--where most good themes go to die.
When I was in seventh grade, I was assigned an essay called "Five Things." We had to write about the five things we'd take with us if the world were about to end (which, when you think about it, makes no sense--if the world's ending, where exactly am I headed with my five things?!). The boys in my class all wrote about bringing power generators, which was pretty ingenious of them. Then this girl in my class copied their idea, but with a twist: not only was she going to bring a generator, she was going to bring a hairdryer to plug into it. The world is ending, and you want to make sure you have a power supply for your hairdryer? (I promise this story has a point.)
The point: Sparks lost my attention when the characters began to--figuratively--sit around blow-drying their hair. I mean, these people have survived starvation and major destruction and tons of bad life experiences, and suddenly, they turn crabby and petty. The world has ended, and you want to make sure your supply of potatoes doesn't go to feed strangers? Well, that sounds legit. But it loses credibility when it the question becomes You want to make sure your supply of potatoes doesn't feed strangers--so instead of taking any constructive measures, hundreds of you just whine and mope around like cranky toddlers?
Yes, tragedy takes its toll and people do get crabby, but again, the simple truth was made too simplistic. Another case in point: The Emberites stumble around, gaping, "Car? What is a car? What is a plant?" These people are savvy enough to run their own businesses and lives--but in a new environment, they are taken completely off-guard and treated as beings with little intelligence. Oh, Duprau, there's a wide-open door to talk about injustice, about wrong impressions, about value, about find new places to belong! But the adult characters are mostly flat, cookie-cutter shapes who fail to compel, so I begin to believe--against my better judgment--that they really are utterly clueless and even annoying.
Wow, this is harsh. Ms. Duprau, if you ever read this, I'm very sorry, and you can even write me a note that says, Shar, the world around you really is falling apart, and you are spending your time criticizing my popular series?! Like I said before, I didn't think this was awful. Actually, if I knew a 3rd-7th grader who didn't really get into reading, this book would be a very clean, wholesome recommendation. I can see the appeal for kids, and even though it's not winning any awards in my book, my book isn't really the one that counts. :)
There are at least two more books in this series (and since I honestly don't plan on reading them, I can't tell you if more are in the works). If you are looking for a kid's book that's an easy read, has an interesting premise, and contains lots of solid truth with very little junk, then don't let me be the one to dissuade you. The People of Sparks might be right up your alley. It's only when your alley gets cluttered with literary nitpickiness that you have to worry (and in that case, I'd hand you a copy of Lois Lowry's The Giver, along with a hand-written apology note, saying, "Hey, I was an English major, too, and I still haven't discovered the cure.").
Also in this series:
The City of Ember
Recommended:
No
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imagine_stars
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Member: Shar
Location: North Dakota
Reviews written: 195
Trusted by: 43 members
About Me:
"Writing is seeing. It is paying attention." -Kate DiCamillo
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