54-56. The Books of Ember

The City of Ember
The People of Sparks
The Prophet of Yonwood

By: Jeanne Deprau

These books are apparently the big hit of the 'young adult' fantasy world right now, and the first book is currently being made into a movie with Bill Murray. Our fourth graders are reading the first one as a class as part of their curriculum this year.

The City of Ember exists alone in an empty world. Outside the walls of the city is just darkness, and daylight is provided by large electric lamps that click on and off at prescribed times. The city is stocked with canned goods and other necessary items, but nothing new is created (with the exception of some withered greenhouse vegetables). In the city is a box, and the box has a key that will save the people from darkness when the time comes. Only the box has been lost, and its existence forgotten.

The first book creates a world that is at once unique and original as well as a dark shadow of our own. Its powerful stuff for young readers who can appreciate its implications. Unfortunately, while the second two books continue to explore the theme, the world they exist in is not nearly as unique, and the message thus falls somewhat flat. The People of Sparks continues the story of the people of Ember, and is mildly satisfying as a follow-up, although cannot hold a candle to its predecessor. The third book The Propet of Yonwood is not very satisfying as a prequel- its obvious and slow; however, it does raise interesting issues for young readers about the difference between faith and fear, and for that it can be worth reading. However, without its two predecessors, theres not too much to support it.

The Book of Ember though, is an engaging read for any age even if the secret of ember becomes quite clear for adults much quicker than it will for kids.

53. Deepsix

By: Jack Mc Devitt

Deepsix is the second in the "Academy" novels by Jack McDevitt. Although similar in style and action to its predicessor The Engines of God, it pales in comparison. EoG is a gripping story of archeological expiditions in the near future on other planets that uses a good deal of action and adventure to 'up the stakes'. Deepsix on the other hand, is more of an action/adventure novel, using the archeology bit as a backdrop for setting the stage.

While this dynamic doesn't 'fail', it is no where near as interesting. In the first book, the archaeologists are in a race against time to solve a 10,000 year old mystery before the planet they are working on becomes terraformed, and failure in the terraforming or unraveling of the mystery may each spell the end of the human race. However, that whole tension is dropped in the second novel.

Deepsix finds our EoG protagonist, pilot Priscilla Hutchins on a mission to examine recently discovered artifacts on a planet beforei t gets obliterated in a major cosmological event. She lands on the planet with plenty of time to spare, but of course she and her compatriots become stranded, and rescue looks impossible. The archeology of the new planet provides none of the mystery that was present in EoG and serves mostly as an explanation as to why they'd be on the planet in the first place (as well as an almost literal) Deux Ex Machina for getting them off.

Perhaps the book isn't as bad as all that, but compared to its predecessor, it doesn't live up. I'll continue with his series though- I've read he picks up some of the threads he dropped in later books. We'll see!