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Caramel reviews The People of Sparks by Jeanne DuPrau

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.

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. — 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. — 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.

Caramel reviews Best Nerds Forever by James Patterson and Chris Grabenstein

A couple months ago, Annie Bunny, a friend of the book bunnies blog, recommended that the bunnies check out Best Nerds Forever by James Patterson and Chris Grabenstein. They obliged. Each of the bunnies ended up reading the book over their summer break, and today Caramel is talking it over with Sprinkles.

Sprinkles: So Caramel, tell us about this book a bit. What is it about?

Caramel: The book is about a boy named Finn, who just dies at the very beginning.

S: So the book starts with the main character dying?

C: Yes. And he is also the narrator, so it is kind of weird to be reading a book from a ghost’s perspective.

S: Totally.

C: And it is sad. Finn is only twelve, finishing middle school, and he dies! It is not fair!

S: I can see how you would feel that way. I agree, it is always hard with young people dying. But Finn is pretty lively as a narrator, don’t you think?

C: Yes, he is actually quite funny. But he is dead, and his family and friends are very sad, so the book is very sad, too. And you know I don’t like sad books.

S: I do, but this is kind of like an adventure. Finn wants to figure out what happened to him, and why he died. And he meets a new friend in the afterlife, too. Right?

C: Yes, he meets another kid from his school who also apparently died that year. Her name is Isabella. So he is not alone or lonely. And he can do some strange and fun things, like go through walls or go through people. When he goes through people, they get chills, without understanding why. It is kind of funny actually.

Caramel is reading Best Nerds Forever by James Patterson and Chris Grabenstein.

S: Before we started the post, you told me that the end is your favorite part of the book, because it is a happy ending of sorts. Can you say more?

C: Yes, I’d say it is a happy ending of sorts. It is probably the best ending that could happen because —

S: Okay, that is probably already good enough, we should not be giving too many spoilers…

C: I guess so. Okay. But the end is happy, so I can say that at least.

S: Yes, you sure can. What else would you like to say about the book? Can you give me three words to describe it?

C: I want to say confusing, because I did not really understand the end at first.

S: But then we talked about it, right?

C: Yes, and now I do understand it, and I like the end. My other word would be funny, of course.

S: I definitely agree.

C: And ghostly! Because you know, Finn and Isabella are ghosts!

S: That works for me! Okay, so why is the title “best nerds forever”?

C: Well I think it is because Finn and his friends are big nerds, you know, and they are best friends, so best friends forever, but nerdy, too.

S: Maybe the forever is also referring to him being a ghost now, starting his eternal life.

C: Maybe. People have BFFs, like best friends forever, so if you and your friend are both ghosts and will live forever, you can really be BFFs!

S: Right! All in all, we enjoyed reading this book, right?

C: Yep. I know Marshmallow enjoyed it too.

S: And it was fun to receive a recommendation from a reader bunny, right?

C: Yep. I always like to meet new bunnies! Hi Annie Bunny!

S: I agree. Thank you Annie Bunny!

C: Yes, thank you!

S: Okay, so time to wrap things up. What would you like to tell our readers?

C: Stay tuned for more book bunny reviews!

Caramel enjoyed reading Best Nerds Forever by James Patterson and Chris Grabenstein, especially the end!

Marshmallow reviews The City of Ember by Jeanne DuPrau

As her first review for the new season, Marshmallow chose to talk about the first book of Jeanne DuPrau’s Books of Ember series: The City of Ember (2008). Sprinkles also read the book and enjoyed it so much that she is asking questions and taking notes.

Sprinkles: Welcome back Marshmallow!

Marshmallow: It is good to be back!

S: So let us dive right in. Please tell us a bit about this book.

M: This book is about a girl named Lina and a boy named Doon who live in a city named Ember, which is lit by artificial means. There are no suns, stars, or moons. The city has city lights which go off at night, and so it becomes completely dark.

S: At the end of the book, we learn why this is so, of course.

M: Right, but we are not giving away any spoilers today!

S: Sure. So tell me about the girl and the boy.

M: They are eleven, and the book starts right about the time they are finishing school and being assigned their jobs for life.

S: So they go to school only till they are eleven or so and then they are assigned a job for life. Do you like that idea?

M: Well, not particularly. Plus you don’t even get to choose your job. You can switch around in a year or so, but it is still kind of limiting. But these people do not know anything different. So maybe they do not feel it is a bad thing.

S: Makes sense to me.

M: Unfortunately schooling is so short and everyone gets trained on the job. They also do not know a lot. I mean, the city has a system that generates electricity that works the lights and so on, but they do not know or understand fire, electricity, or the inner workings of the generator. So when the generator begins to malfunction, they are at a loss.

S: Reminds me of the Star Trek Next Generation episode When the Bough Breaks.

M: It does have similarities actually! There too you have a society that does not understand how their planetary computer system is sustaining them, and then the system starts to fail. Though in The City of Ember, there are no computers.

S: Sure. So Lina and Doon try to figure out how to solve their city’s big problem, right?

M: Well, Lina kind of stumbles into it, but Doon has been thinking of trying to save his city for a while now. But yes, they are trying to figure out things.

S: I think that is a good overview of the plot Marshmallow.

Marshmallow is reading The City of Ember by Jeanne DuPrau. — Marshmallow is reading *The City of Ember* by Jeanne DuPrau.

S: So now tell me a bit about the characters. Did you find them compelling?

M: Yes. I thought the most compelling character is Lina, and she tries to make sure her baby sister is safe. Lina’s life and that of her sister is more precarious than some of the other folks in town, and she is very caring of the little baby. They have been orphans for a while, but now their grandmother who is taking care of them is also starting to have health problems.

S: Doon also does not seem to have a mother, right?

M: True, both of the main characters are coming from families where at least one parent is missing. But they are both self-reliant and also want to help all the others.

S: Still they make some mistakes…

M: Yes, but unlike in all the Harry Potter books where Harry and Ron and Hermione make all kinds of mistakes, these two feel remorse that they did not consult with or confide in the caring adults in their lives. So in some sense, Lina and Doon are a lot more responsible.

S: I can see that. So overall, did you enjoy reading this book?

M: Yep.

S: I liked it too. I read it in one sitting.

M: And I want to read the next book in the series. Though it will likely be quite different.

S: For reasons we cannot quite divulge, of course.

M: Of course.

S: So let us wrap up this review then. How would you rate the book Marshmallow?

M: I’d rate it 100%.

S: Sounds fair to me. What do you want to tell our readers?

M: Stay tuned for more amazing reviews from the book bunnies!

Marshmallow rates The City of Ember by Jeanne DuPrau 100%. — Marshmallow rates *The City of Ember* by Jeanne DuPrau 100%.

Marshmallow reviews The Serpent’s Shadow (Book Three of The Kane Chronicles series) by Rick Riordan

Marshmallow has already reviewed The Red Pyramid and The Throne of Fire, the first two books of Rick Riordan‘s Kane Chronicles series. Today she reviews the third and last book, The Serpent’s Shadow, first published in 2012. Having read the first two books herself, Sprinkles was curious about this third one, and so she is asking questions and taking notes.

Sprinkles: So Marshmallow, tell us a bit about this book.

Marshmallow: Well, things end conveniently for Sadie! Though it is a bit unrealistic…

S: I’m guessing you are talking about her romantic pursuits.

M: Yes. Oh and the world does not get destroyed.

S: Well, I could guess that because the author wrote several more books after this one, and in some, the Kane siblings themselves show up.

M: Yes. And some of those stories are published along with these books. In the first book, The Red Pyramid, there was a story titled “The Son of Sobek”, which featured Carter Kane and Percy Jackson. In the second book, The Throne of Fire, there was a story titled “The Staff of Serapis”with Annabeth and Sadie. In this third book, there is a story titled “The Crown of Ptolemy” and all four of these characters work together. These three stories all apparently happen after the three books of the Kane Chronicles. So yes, there were some clues about the world not ending.

S: And I thought the stories were really neat, but the first one told me a bit more than I knew about, for example, about the kids training with Carter and Sadie, and the second one kind of gave away the resolution of Sadie’s love triangle dilemma. So maybe people should not read the stories if they do not want any spoilers.

M: You are right. The spoilers are not terribly explicit, and they just give you some hints. But they are there, and if you want no spoilers, then you should hold off on them. But maybe we should talk about the actual book itself.

S: Yes, I am quite eager to learn more about what is going to happen, but you need to promise me: no spoilers!

M: I’ll try.

Marshmallow is reading The Serpent's Shadow (Book Three of The Kane Chronicles series) by Rick Riordan. — Marshmallow is reading *The Serpent’s Shadow* (Book Three of The Kane Chronicles series) by Rick Riordan.

S: So, how would you describe the plot without giving away too much?

M: Hmm, well, the serpent in the title is Apophis, as you could imagine, the snake of Chaos, who has been trying to take over the world.

S: Okay.

M: Carter and Sadie need to find a way to stop him, and remember in the previous book, they had already woken up Ra, but he was old and more or less senile. So in this book, they have to figure out how to handle that situation, too. And the solution involves souls and magic and deep Egyptian mythology stuff like that.

S: Okay, maybe this is enough, because I can see you struggling not to give away anything.

M: Yes. I want to tell you everything and talk about them. But I know you don’t want to just yet. You just have to read the book Sprinkles.

S: Okay, I will read the book, I want to, but I am curious, did you like how Riordan tied things up in the end?

M: Yes. I think he is very good at this. I’m not a huge fan of the very last sentence but the resolution is very good.

S: And of course, there is an open door for more adventures, I am assuming?

M: Yes, some minor plots are unresolved, but the ending still feels pretty complete. And yet you want to know more about these characters and their worlds. All in all a very satisfying reading experience.

S: So let us wrap this up so I can get the book and start reading.

M: Sure.

S: So how would you rate this book then?

M: I’d rate it 100%. It is a satisfying finish to a really neat trilogy.

S: Sounds good. So what do you want to tell our readers?

M: Stay tuned for more amazing reviews from the book bunnies! We will be back in August!

Marshmallow rates The Serpent's Shadow (Book Three of The Kane Chronicles series) by Rick Riordan 100%. — Marshmallow rates *The Serpent’s Shadow* (Book Three of The Kane Chronicles series) by Rick Riordan 100%.