The Prophet of Yonwood (Books of Ember) | Jeanne Duprau

The Prophet of Yonwood (Books of Ember) | Jeanne Duprau | Not what I expected

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The Prophet of Yon...

	The Prophet of Yonwood (Books of Ember) Jeanne Duprau Yearling, 2007 - 304 pages average customer review:based on 72 reviews view larger image
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It?s 50 years before the settlement of the city of Ember, and the world is in crisis. War looms on the horizon as 11-year-old Nickie and her aunt travel to the small town of Yonwood, North Carolina. There, one of the town?s respected citizens has had a terrible vision of fire and destruction. Her garbled words are taken as prophetic instruction on how to avoid the coming disaster. If only they can be interpreted correctly. . . .

As the people of Yonwood scramble to make sense of the woman?s mysterious utterances, Nickie explores the oddities she finds around town?her great-grandfather?s peculiar journals and papers, a reclusive neighbor who studies the heavens, a strange boy who is fascinated with snakes?all while keeping an eye out for ways to help the world. Is this vision her chance? Or is it already too late to avoid a devastating war?

In this prequel to the acclaimed The City of Ember and The People of Sparks, Jeanne DuPrau investigates how, in a world that seems out of control, hope and comfort can be found in the strangest of places.

From the Hardcover edition.

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Clever, clever, clever

This is a thoughtful book about the dangers of blind belief. I would say its Author is Buddhist rather than a right-wing Evangelical. It helps make the leap from today to 200 years in the future. Good writing, good story. I enjoyed it.

Not what I expected

I thought City of Ember was an interesting and clever read. It (and all the sequels) are indeed written for young adults but as is the case for so many fine books in that category, City of Ember offered a great deal for adults as well.

Unfortunately, I cannot say the same thing for The Prophet of Yonwood. The book has only a tenuous connection to City of Ember (at best). There is so much potential to enrich the story of Ember via a prequel, but it's all squandered on a vague morality play about foolish people and god.

Even though the book is written for young adults, it's prose and message are weak and put forth in a manner than even the target audience would find obvious and simplistic.

One can hope that the author's next story brings back some of the magic and excellence she has previously demonstrated.

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