Audiobook Review: The People of Sparks by Jeanne Duprau

Buy from the Book Depository

Title: The People of Sparks
Author: Jeanne DuPrau
Narrator: Wendy Dillon
Publisher: Listening Library
Duration: 7 hours, 55 minutes
Series: Ember, Book 2
Summary: (taken from Goodreads)

"It is green here and very big. Light comes from the sky...."

When Lina and Doon lead their people up from the underground city of Ember, they discover a surface world of color and life. The people of a small village called Sparks agree to help the Emberites, but the villagers have never had to share their world before. Soon differences between the two groups escalate, and it's up to Lina and Doon to find a way to avoid war!

Overall Rating: 3/5

The Ember series is about a post-apocalyptic world, where a war destroyed civilization as we know it. In the first book, we are introduced to people in an underground city who find out that they are underground and escape to the outside world. The People of Sparks continues their adventures, with Lina and Doon remaining as main characters. They come across a village called Sparks, and the people reluctantly take in the Emberites, promising to teach them how to live in the outside world. However, this strains their resources and arguments take place, gradually escalating into the beginnings of a war.

I love that DuPrau is able to depict a dystopia that middle-grade readers can understand, without losing much complexity. She doesn't hold back, and the stories of how the world became ruined are horrifying in their simplicity and realism. War. That's all it comes down to -- people engaging in war and ruining each other. Now, everyone must start from scratch and learn how to survive all over again by growing their own food, and learning how to live without modern-day conveniences such as electricity and plumbing.

Lina is still my favorite character. Unlike Doon in this book, who loses sight of his values for a little bit, Lina never forgets who she is. She's adventurous and will stop at nothing to get what she wants. I liked that she travels outside of Sparks, because seeing the destroyed cities and freeways through her eyes is at once devastating and kind of cool. I was able to get a better idea of how trashed their world really is.

The thing that prevented me from completely falling in love with this novel is that all the conflict arose from such petty arguments. Sparks people were reluctant to share food, Emberites were tired of working, etc. I really just wanted everyone to suck it up and put themselves in the others' shoes. While I understand that the pettiness was there to show readers how quickly petty arguments can escalate, what it came down to for me was how believable it all was. In a post-apocalyptic world, I would expect many more people than the two or three that were against all the bad decisions to be more intelligent and generous.

I listened to the audiobook version of this, and it has sound effects for some parts; I was not a fan of most of them. The ones with the riot scene, as well as the very last scene worked incredibly well and I really enjoyed them. As for the rest, I thought they were awkward and distracted from the scene rather than added to it. However, I usually don't like sound effects, so for pro-sound effect people, I don't think this will be a problem.

Dillon is an average narrator. Not bad, but not overly fantastic. I like narrators who make the story come to life and make me forget that it's an audiobook. That didn't happen for me in this one -- I felt like I was being read a story. This isn't a bad thing, but it's nothing that I would go out of my way to recommend. I think print may be better for this one.

I think this series is a great introduction to dystopia for young readers. It's straightforward, easy to understand, and has a good message.

Book Review: Flight of Blue by A.E. Howard

Enter the Goodreads Giveaway!

Title: Flight of Blue

Author: A.E. Howard
Publisher: Elder Tree Books
Series: Keeper of the Keys Chronicles, Book 1
Summary: (taken from Goodreads)

A cursed traffic light. A rip in the fabric of the world. A possum sorcerer injured on a quest for revenge. 

Kai and Ellie embark on a journey to return the sorcerer to his home. Entangled in events that could destroy the world, Kai must choose whether to accept the role he was born to play, but isn’t sure he wants.

Overall Rating: 3/5

Flight of Blue is about a boy who finds out that his parents are both Guardians. They seal up tears that could allow the Realm of Darkness to enter and destroy the world. In a chance meeting with a talking opossum sorcerer and a messenger that can turn herself from bird to human, Kai finds himself in a world he never could have dreamed of. What's more, he finds out that they're all relying on him to help a rip in the world, because he may be the person prophecised to save the world. With his best friend Ellie and his dog Sebastian, Kai takes on the responsibility of saving the world from the Realm of Darkness.

This novel is action-packed and takes turns with being serious and funny, which I greatly appreciated. No kid's book can be great without humor. I loved the relationship between Kai and Ellie; it seemed very real to me, and I knew they always had each other's backs. I also enjoyed how Howard is able to keep an adult presence throughout the story, but leaves it to the kids to fight the major battles. In most middle-grade novels, the adults are either completely absent or too present, but the author found a balance between both.

I would have liked the pacing the be a little slower. On the one hand, I liked how things just happen one right after another, and the reader is thrown in the situation along with Kai. Like Kai, we're unable to get our bearings or think straight because crazy things keep happening. However, I do think that there should have been a few pauses during the conflicts so we can absorb the severity of the situation. It also would have been a good chance to get out of Kai's head and explore the world a little bit more. I'm also not a fan of dialogue-heavy novels where most plot points are revealed through conversation, and Flight of Blue is that. Aside from those two things, it was thoroughly enjoyable.

Regardless, this is an imaginative story that any kid will love. Talking animals, magic, and a secret society living with us in the world, protecting us from the Realm of Darkness. This is the sort of fantasy book kids live for.

*I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.*

Audiobook Review: The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton

Buy from the Book Depository

Title: The Outsiders
Author: S.E. Hinton
Narrator: Jim Fyfe
Publisher: Listening Library
Edition: Unabridged
Duration: 5 hours, 27 minutes
Summary: (taken from Overdrive)

Ponyboy can count on his brothers. And on his friends. But no on much else besides trouble with the Socs, a vicious gang of rich kids whose idea of a good time is beating up "greasers" like Ponyboy. At least he knows what to expect - until the night someone takes things too far.

Overall Rating: 4/5

My favorite stories are ones about friendship and family. Those are two things that everyone can relate to, no matter what decade or place they may be in. Ultimately, that's what The Outsiders is about.

Ponyboy is just trying to find his place in the world. While the people who make up his family and friends are outsiders, he feels like an outsider himself. Unlike his "greaser" pals, he gets good grades and likes to read and watch sunsets. But he doesn't fit in with the other group either, since he's poor and lives a rough sort of life. The Outsiders is about Ponyboy realizing what's important to him in life. After going through some tough situations, he eventually comes to understand and appreciate his family and friends in a way he had never been able to before.

While this book has some action, it's mostly character-driven, which is what I like about it. Even though it's short, the characters are perfectly depicted, and you get to know a lot about them. I found myself relating to every single one of them and caring a lot for them by the end.

I can't even begin to tell you how awesome Jim Fyfe's narration is. While it's important that each character has his or her own voice, some of them tend to get weird if there are too many characters. Every different voice completely fits the character being portrayed. I was never confused as to who was speaking. Better yet, Fyfe isn't afraid to take his time with the narration. If the situation calls for the character to speak a slow drawl, or for the action to be taken down, he slows down the pace.

The Outsiders is such a good story, and the audiobook is well made so that I don't think it really matters which format you read it in. Hard copy works just as well as the audiobook. Either way, read it! It's intense, touching, heartfelt, and a truly great story.

 New motto for life: Stay gold.

Book Review: Blue Bloods by Melissa de la Cruz

Buy from the Book Depository

Title: Blue Bloods
Author: Melissa De La Cruz
Publisher: Hyperion
Series: Blue Bloods, Book 1
Paperback: 336 pages
Summary: (Taken from Goodreads)

When the Mayflower set sail in 1620, it carried on board the men and women who would shape America: Miles Standish; John Alden; Constance Hopkins. But some among the Pilgrims were not pure of heart; they were not escaping religious persecution. Indeed, they were not even human. They were vampires.The vampires assimilated quickly into the New World. Rising to levels of enormous power, wealth, and influence, they were the celebrated blue bloods of American society.

The Blue Bloods vowed that their immortal status would remain a closely guarded secret. And they kept that secret for centuries. But now, in New York City, the secret is seeping out. Schuyler Van Alen is a sophomore at a prestigious private school. She prefers baggy, vintage clothes instead of the Prada and pearls worn by her classmates, and she lives with her reclusive grandmother in a dilapated mansion. Schuyler is a loner...and happy that way. Suddenly, when she turns fifteen, there is a visible mosaic of blue veins on her arm. She starts to crave raw food and she is having flashbacks to ancient times. Then a popular girl from her school is found dead... drained of all her blood. Schuyler doesn't know what to think, but she wants to find out the secrets the Blue Bloods are keeping. But is she herself in danger?

Overall Rating: 4/5

I'm always up for a vampire novel, and I think Blue Bloods holds its own in the genre. This was a re-read for me, but it was still great. The idea is extremely creative and original, which is something I always look for. I like the idea of vampire reincarnation, and the connection to Plymouth and the last colony of Roanoke. For American history geeks like me, that's a huge plus. And instead of being filled with romance and angst right away (I know this comes in later books, though), this first book has a well-laid plot with intriguing mysteries.

There are some problems with this book. It does a lot of "telling" instead of showing; I wasn't ever wondering about the characters' thoughts and motivations, because it was all spelled out for me. I was also annoyed by all the designer/brand references. After the first dozen, I understood that they were rich and didn't need anything more. However, these are minor issues, I think. The story is good enough to counteract these problems, and I know the writing definitely improves later in the series.

I love the relationship between Schuyler and Oliver. They're kind of the perfect friends, and I like seeing them in more innocent times before all the big events have changed them. In fact, I enjoyed seeing all of the characters. They are all so different from where we are currently in the series, which just shows how great Melissa de la Cruz is at putting her characters in tough situations and making them grow.

Even though I've read all the books and am just waiting for the last one to be released (*excited squeal*) I still felt that rush of needing to know what happens next. Great characters, beautifully crafted story, and a lot of excitement. You can't go wrong with this book.