Marshmallow reviewed The City of Ember by Jeanne DuPrau a few weeks ago. Soon after, Caramel reviewed the second book in the series, The People of Sparks. Today, he talks to Sprinkles about The Diamond of Darkhold, the 2008 sequel to The People of Sparks.
Caramel reviews The Diamond of Darkhold by Jeanne DuPrau.
Sprinkles: So Caramel, you began reading this book recently, right?
S: Does the story simply continue on from where that book left off?
C: Yes. It is now winter and the people of Sparks and the people of Ember are all people of Sparks now. It is actually quite cool.
S: I agree. I really liked the end of that book. So what happens in this book?
C: Lina and Doon meet a roamer who comes to Sparks and they get a few pages of a book from him that is dedicated to the people of Em. The rest of the word is gone but Lina and Doon are sure it means Ember. So they try to figure out what was in the book. And they start traveling because they think that there is something valuable in Ember that they should bring to the surface.
S: I see. So there is a puzzle that they need to solve like there was in the first book, right?
C: Yes. And I like puzzles. So that was cool.
S: Do we learn what the valuable thing is?
C: Not immediately. It takes more or less the whole book. So I won’t tell.
S: Okay. We don’t want too many spoilers.
Caramel is reading The Diamond of Darkhold by Jeanne DuPrau.
S: So how did you like the book?
C: I think it was fun to read. It reads like an adventure book. The second book was more about how it is difficult for different people to live together and such big things. but this is more like the first book and there is a lot of adventure and excitement and I liked it.
S: That sounds like fun. I liked both of the first two books and I agree with you that the second was a bit more philosophical, in a way, and the first one felt more like an adventure. So you are saying this feels more like the first than the second.
C: Yes. And Lina and Doon are trying to figure things out together again, which is also good. They were always separated in the second book. I didn’t really like that too much.
S: They do make a good team.
C: Well, it seems they will make more than that but I won’t say more.
S: Hmm, I’m intrigued. Maybe I should read this book, too.
C: Yes, Sprinkles, you definitely should.
S: Alright. Let us wrap up this review this book then. What would you like to tell our readers?
C: Stay tuned for more book bunny reviews!
Caramel enjoyed reading The Diamond of Darkhold by Jeanne DuPrau and recommends it to all the bunnies who enjoyed the first two books in the series.
Today Caramel reviews The People of Sparks by Jeanne DuPrau, the second book in the author’s City of Ember series, published in 2004. As usual, Sprinkles is taking notes and asking questions.
Readers may recall that Marshmallow has already reviewed the first book, City of Ember.
Caramel reviews The People of Sparks by Jeanne DuPrau.
Sprinkles: So Caramel, can you tell us a bit about what this book is about?
Caramel: The people of Ember come up to the surface and settle down in a town named Sparks.
S: Wait. Tell us a bit more about Ember. It is the city from the first book, City of Ember, right?
C: Yes. But at the end of that book, most of the people from that city ran away because their generator was failing and the city would soon be uninhabitable.
S: That is a big word, Caramel!
C: Yes, but it is the right word. It would be too dark without the generator, and it would be unlivable for people. And for bunnies of course. Because we like light too.
S: Sure we do. So okay, I remember that the first book had two main heroes, named Lina and Doon. Are they also in this book?
C: Yes, in fact they are again the heroes.
S: Okay, so what is the conflict of this book then? They are out and found a place to live.
C: Yes but the new place Sparks is not big enough or rich enough for all the people living there plus the new people from Ember.
S: I see. So there is some conflict between the two groups?
C: Yep.
S: Hmm, so in some sense it is a bit about immigration and refugees finding a new home but not feeling terribly welcome.
C: Kind of. But also Sparks people do not even have electricity. They do not know about it.
S: Hmm, that is interesting. I remember that in Ember, they had electricity even though they did not understand fully how it worked. So you are saying that they do not even have that much here in Sparks?
C: Yes.
S: So do the Ember folks try to teach them about electricity?
C: Well, only in the end. Doon finally figures it out.
S: Hmm, is that getting too close to spoiler territory?
C: Perhaps.
S: Okay so let us stop here with the plot then.
Caramel is reading The People of Sparks by Jeanne DuPrau.
S: Tell me about Doon and Lina next. Are they any different in this book?
C: They are about the same. This book starts quite soon after the other book ends. So they are more or less the same people. They are curious and sometimes make mistakes, but they are trying to help their people.
S: I see. That sounds good. Are there any new characters that appear in this book that you liked?
C: Well, there is a whole new town of people, but I liked only Maddy. She is nice.
S: Who is she?
C: She is the traveling partner of Casper.
S: Who is Casper?
C: He is a person looking around in old ruins and finds things and brings them back to Sparks to trade them for other stuff.
S: So they are not quite from Sparks.
C: No. There seem to be a lot of small settlements all around, and some are abandoned.
S: I see. So this is some sort of a post-apocalyptic world.
C: Yes. It seems like this is a world after a World War Three.
S: Hmm, this reminds me of a quote by Albert Einstein: “I know not with what weapons World War III will be fought, but World War IV will be fought with sticks and stones.”
C: Yes, that is essentially what is happening in this world. I mean, they are not going to start another big war, but they lost almost all of the modern technology of today and the knowledge behind it.
S: That is interesting. And sobering at the same time. Alright, let us get back to the book. Did you enjoy reading it? Do you think you will read the next book in the series?
C: Yes. And yes.
S: I wonder if Marshmallow will read the third book before you so she can review it.
C: We can wait and see.
S: Alright. Let us do that. So before we wrap up this review, can you describe the book in three words?
C: Happy ending page-turner.
S: Hmm, that is a good description. I might need to read it before Marshmallow gets her paws on it.
C: You probably will.
S: Alright. What do you want to tell our readers?
C: Stay tuned for more book bunny reviews!
Caramel enjoyed reading The People of Sparks by Jeanne DuPrau and is keen to read the next book in the series to learn about what happens next to the people of Ember and Sparks.
Marshmallow has already reviewed Shatter Me and Unravel Me, the first two books of Tahereh Mafi’s Shatter Me trilogy. Today she talks about the third and last book of the series, Ignite Me, published first in 2014. As Sprinkles finds this series interesting, she is asking questions and taking notes.
(The author wrote a handful of short novellas later within the same story world, that were interspersed into the timeline of the three original books. Then she wrote three more books to continue the main story line. But when Ignite Me was published, it was presented as the end of the series.)
Marshmallow reviews Ignite Me by Tahereh Mafi.
Sprinkles: So Marshmallow, you are finally done with the third book in the series. How do you feel?
Marshmallow: Relieved.
S: Yes, some of the conflicts and the main problems of the series have finally been resolved, right?
M: Yes, mostly.
S: So can you tell us a bit about the main plot?
M: This book starts about when the second book, Unravel Me, ended. So Juliette and Warner are going to take on the Reestablishment. And Omega Point, where Juliette’s friends in the resistance were living, is now destroyed. So Juliette is really angry and wants revenge.
S: I can understand that.
M: It turns out that her friends are not all dead, but the destruction was pretty extensive. But the main thrust of the book is about how Juliette and Warner figure out how they will take down the Reestablishment.
S: So wait, perhaps we should say that people should read the first two books if they want to get anything out of this book.
M: Yes, definitely. I expect that the two novellas would also be useful, but I have not read those yet, and so they are not as necessary.
S: Okay. From what I understand, Destroy Me and Fracture Me mainly complemented the stories told in the other books. But of course since we have not read them, we cannot say for sure what we are missing.
M: Yes. But I felt like diving into this book after Unravel Me felt alright.
S: Okay. So now we know that the author wrote several other books after this one, but when this one was published, it was promoted as the end of the Shatter Me books. Did it feel that way to you?
M: In a way, maybe a not totally satisfying way, but it was an end. I mean, the main conflict is resolved. And when the book ends, Juliette and her friends are at the beginning of a new world, in some sense. But there is a lot to do. How are they going to save the world?
S: So in some sense, the author was probably right to write a few more books to tell us those stories too, no?
M: I suppose. I mean, in a lot of books, it is like, there is a big struggle, and eventually the bad guys are dead and gone, and then what? I think the next books probably tell that part of the story. The then what part.
S: Yes, that seems to be the case, from what I am understanding when I read things on the web about the other books in the series.
M: So it is in that sense not quite an ending.
S: Maybe a good place to pause.
M: Yes, one could say that.
Marshmallow is reading Ignite Me by Tahereh Mafi.
S: I know you felt very strongly about the main character Juliette.
M: Yes, I actually disliked her, especially in this book. And I know that there are a lot of readers who love her and think she is so vulnerable and compassionate despite all that has happened to her, but to me she does not really feel very compassionate, especially in this book. She seems quite self-absorbed and not very empathetic. She cannot understand how other people might be in pain. For example, after the destruction of Omega Point, she is all angry and wants revenge, but she does not seem to register how her friends are in pain and mourning and so broken.
S: I can see you really do not find her a very compelling character.
M: I would not say that. I would say “likeable”. I do think she is compelling, I want to learn what she is going through, I want to continue to read her story, but I do not think I like her, you know?
S: I see.
M: I am also quite upset about her relationships with Adam and Warner.
S: I know you said this book is even mushier than the other two books. Is that what you mean?
M: Well, not just that. I felt like Adam and Juliette had a relationship that seemed more based on human qualities and emotions and affection, while Warner and Juliette seem to simply be physically attracted to one another. I mean, Juliette tries to rationalize things by saying that Adam was holding her back from her power, and fulfilling her potential, and how Warner was actually a good person but he had been deeply wounded by his father, but I am not sure I buy all of that.
S: Okay, I did not read this third book just yet, but I do agree with you that her relationship with Warner seemed almost purely physical to me, too, from the start. Then again, to me, Juliette does not seem to be much of a thinking and feeling character.
M: Wait, she is a very feeling character! She has a lot of emotions!
S: I agree. What I meant was that she had only strong passions, not really affection, care, sympathy, empathy, and so on.
M: Okay, something like that. She does not strike me as a nice person really. In the dystopian world the book is set in, everyone has suffered so much. Juliette herself was locked up by herself for over two hundred days. However, she sometimes seems to forget that everyone else in the story has also suffered as much as her.
Juliette annoys me somewhat in the same way that Sophie from the School for Good and Evil books did. But then again Sophie at some point decides to be a villain and she is a good villain. Juliette is a hero, but her romantic life is so much at the center of everything that her heroic development is not really fulfilled.
S: Well, this is supposed to be a romance.
M: Yes, I understand the author is writing a romance here, but I really really wished that she would focus more on the world falling apart and these young people trying to put it back together. I really found the world-building and the plot to be very compelling, but maybe I am not the right reader for a romance. I felt the characters were not developed enough, other than romantically.
S: I can totally see that. I think the author’s writing voice is fluid, and she uses a very emphatic and evocative language.
M: Yes, I agree with that. I think her writing is really beautiful. But I really wished the plot and character development were more front and center rather than the romance …
S: You wanted a full-blown dystopian novel, nothing mushy!
M: I think I can handle some mushy, and actually, I think that romantic relationships in books, especially in series where the protagonists are growing up, can add a lot to the character development and can be really meaningful. For example, in the Harry Potter books, I think the romantic parts were not bad but made the characters more realistic and more endearing. In the Percy Jackson books, some of the romantic moments are really cute and show what a healthy relationship between young people could look like. In these cases, I think that these romantic relationships are not just beneficial to the characters and the plot, but almost necessary for the sake of realism and make the entire series / book more enjoyable and memorable. However, in this book series, I felt like the romantic aspect invaded the entire plot of the story, putting any character development or plot line in the back seat. When I started reading this series, I was expecting an epic saga about a group of brave teenagers facing down an unjust government while confronting their inner demons and trauma with a side serving of romantic relationships. I was unhappy to find that the romantic side of the story took over the entire series, with more than half of the book being spent on Juliette’s romantic life. The romance part could have been important for character development, but I felt like it was not. And it stole away time from other aspects and made the plot and resolution of the book series feel like an afterthought.
S: I think I get it. So I am guessing your rating for this book will not be 100%.
M: No. In fact, I’d rather not rate it. I think I was not the right reader for this book. I did not expect the romance to so much overwhelm the main dystopian plot line. The plot had a lot of potential and I felt like the romance stunted it. So if a reader is looking for teen romance with a strong serving of teen angst in the middle of a catastrophic environmental breakdown of the world order, maybe this is the book for them.
S: Fair enough. I think I will read the book, too, so I can make up my own mind about it.
M: Yes, I hope you do so we can talk more about the book together.
S: Sounds like a plan. So maybe we can wrap up this review. What would you tell our readers?
M: Stay tuned for more amazing reviews from the book bunnies!
Marshmallow is posing once again with her copy of Ignite Me by Tahereh Mafi.
Today Marshmallow reviews Our Missing Hearts, a novel by Celeste Ng, first published in 2022. Sprinkles has also read the book and is asking her questions, while also taking notes.
Marshmallow reviews Our Missing Hearts by Celeste Ng.
Sprinkles: So Marshmallow let us start at the beginning. In your reviews, you always start by telling us who this book would be good for. So go ahead.
Marshmallow: This book would be a good choice for readers who enjoy realistic fiction. Or if you are interested in possible near-futures in the United States, especially dystopian ones, this might be the book for you.
S: Okay, I think that is a good start. Can you give us a brief summary of the plot?
M: Sure. So there is this kid whose mother ran away after her poem was used in controversial protests about this law called PACT.
S: Okay, so maybe let us stop there a bit. Tell us about the setting, and of course, PACT.
M: PACT stands for Protecting American Culture and Traditions Act. This law was, in the book, passed about ten years before the story starts. And it essentially allows the government to do things that are supposedly in the interest of preserving American culture. In reality, it is used to take children away from their families, if the families are not “American” enough. In this world, the law specifically targets Asian Americans, due to a fear of China.
S: The author may have been somewhat inspired by the USA PATRIOT Act that was passed after 9/11, and it was very controversial too, because many argue that it cut into people’s civil liberties. This PACT Act was passed after a different but very impactful crisis, right?
M: Yes, and in fact, in the book that crisis was called The Crisis. That left everyone very susceptible to xenophobia, and some people blamed China for all that went wrong, and then of course that distrust of China translated into a distrust of Chinese Americans and then spread all over to a distrust of all Asian Americans. So when the government began to remove children from the homes of some Asian American families, most of the other people remained quiet, believing that there should be a reason for the removal. And most people did not even know how many children were being taken away. The numbers and the full impact of the removals were downplayed by the media, and the families who dared to speak out were demonized.
S: But still there were some protests against the law and these removals, right?
M: Yes, and those are my favorite part of the book actually.
S: So tell us about them.
M: I liked the protests because they were so creative. For example, one involved a bunch of trees which were wrapped up with red yarn and small dolls representing the stolen children. And they were mainly emotional and only subtly political, so people would be more intrigued by them rather than immediately dismiss the message.
S: And that is where the title of the book comes in, right?
M: Yes. The poem that the main character’s mom wrote is called “Our Missing Hearts,” and the protestors took that as their motto, that they wanted their missing hearts to be brought back.
S: Okay, so let us get back to the main character and the plot then.
M: Yes, the main character is a twelve-year-old boy named Bird. Actually his legal name is Noah Gardner, but his mom Margaret Miu always called him Bird, but since she left, people are calling him Noah again. And she left because her poem became too visible with the protests, and Bird’s parents were worried that the government would take Bird away. The mother left so that Bird would at least be able to continue to live with his dad.
S: So the book starts with Bird getting a message which he believes is from his mom.
M: And it is full of cat drawings. And it triggers some memories, Bird is not sure why he knows it is from his mom, but he is sure it is from her. And that part is also very neat. but I cannot say more without spoilers.
S: I guess that is fair. Let us stop with the plot then.
Marshmallow is reading Our Missing Hearts by Celeste Ng.
S: Tell us a bit about the characters.
M: Well, there is Bird, who is the boy who is looking for his mom. And there is Sadie, a half-black girl who was removed from her family because they spoke out against PACT. The law is mainly targeting Asian Americans, but anyone who speaks up against it is also in danger. So Bird meets her at school, where she is sort of an outcast. Sadie is braver than Bird, and she becomes his friend. And then we also meet Bird’s parents. Margaret plays a big role in a large part of the book; she tells her story and we learn about the Crisis a bit more from her. But anyways, Margaret is maybe more timid than Sadie and her parents, and she ran away instead of fighting, but then again, running away meant that maybe her child would be able to stay with his dad, and it could also be seen as a brave sacrifice.
S: Agreed. So did you feel like you connected with these characters? Did you like any of them a lot? Did any of them make you angry or feel something strongly? Did they feel like real people?
M: I think they were all pretty well developed. I thought reading Bird’s perspective felt like I was seeing the world through his eyes, it was a pretty bad place, but anyways, very realistic. And when Margaret told her story, you could also hear her voice very clearly. So I think the author was very successful in creating very compelling and very realistic characters.
S: I agree with you, again. Okay, so I am guessing you liked this book? I certainly did, and that is why I suggested you read it, too.
M: Yea. I really liked it. I’d rate it 100%.
S: That is high praise coming from you, Marshmallow.
M: Yes, I think Our Missing Hearts is a really good book.
S: Okay, so how do we finish this review? What would you like to tell our readers?
M: Stay tuned for more amazing book reviews from the book bunnies!
Marshmallow rates Our Missing Hearts by Celeste Ng 100%.
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