I read this because I'd read the first two books in the City of Ember series and enjoyed them; this is the 3rd book and a prequel to the events in Ember, so I expected a good story about why the city of Ember was built and how it all began. Instead, this book introduced eleven-year-old Nicki, who moves to her great-grandfather's old mansion in the city of Yonwood and discovers there is a woman regarded as a prophet living there, whose words are interpreted by another woman and the city follows her instructions accordingly, trying to be so "good" that "evil" wont come to their town. The writing in the book is about the same as it was in the previous books - that is to say, it is light, easy, and has a good tone. I liked Nicki as the main character and I sympathized with her wanting to be good and do good. I even thought the plot was decent: the country may be on the brink of war, and everyone hopes that by following the prophet, they will be saved from destruction. However, this book felt barely connected to the earlier two book in the Ember series. It's not until the last two pages of this book that we find out how Nicki and her story tie in to Lina and her story in Ember. In that regard, it's not much of an installment in the series. Rounding out my complaints about this book is the fact the some of the most interesting aspects of the story are not fully developed. For example, while exploring the mansion, Nicki finds old photographs and letters and even her great-grandfather's old notebook that he recorded strange observations in. These were interesting to read about, but we never get to find out their purpose or what, exactly, her great-grandfather was recording or who the person he mentions in his writings is. I wondered, what was the point of even mentioning these things if they go nowhere? Just to pad the book and add another layer of "charm" about the mansion and area? Futhermore, while I thought the story itself was decent, it was almost too much of a parable about religion and politics at times, and I hate reading fiction that the author uses as a venue to project his/her political views, no matter what the view are (unless, of course, these views are seamlessly intertwined with the narration and serve only to strengthen it - which is not the case here). The author's views are certainly present in The People of Sparks, but I overlooked it there in favor of the good story it encompassed. In The Prophet of Yonwood, it is almost too much, and I was not able to get lost in the story enough to ignore it. So, that was pretty irritating too. One more complaint: Nicki goes to Yonwood with one of her goals being to fall in love. What?!? She's 11! I kinda rolled my eyes every time this was mentioned. Overall, this was a decent installment in the "series" (and I use that word lightly because, as I mentioned earlier, it barely ties in to the other books...) but nowhere near as enthralling as Ember or even Sparks. If you're a fan of the series and want to keep reading, go into this book not expecting its plot to really coincide with the others. This would have been so much better if it'd focused on the events right before people went to Ember (this book takes place 50 years earlier!) or even focused on the first people who went into Ember and how they coped. This book ends (in the epilogue) where it should have begun...
The Prophet of Yonwood Book Review t‘The Prophet of Yonwood’, by Jeanne Duprau is a very enticing story. It’s full of friendship and love, as well as oddities and dilemmas. The genre is science fiction for people who don’t like science fiction. I would recommend this book to anyone, but not if you’re looking for a fast-paced action novel. This book is also the third in it’s series and you should probably read the first two if you want to understand it. Although this book has different characters than the first two, it ties together with a very surprising ending in the end. tThis book is about an 11-year old girl named Nickie and her trip to Yonwood, North Carolina. When she and her aunt go there to fix up and sell her dead great-grandfather’s old mansion, Greenhaven, she has no idea what’s in store for her. t While she’s there, Nickie sets three goals for herself: 1. Keep Greenhaven 2. Fall in love 3. Help the world. Trying to fulfill number three, Nickie learns about a strange old woman, who is in a coma, supposively delivering massages from God. The town calls her a prophet, and tries to be good to avoid an oncoming disaster. Nickie also attempts this, resulting in meeting new and strange friends. tOne of my favorite characters in this book is Nickie’s new found dog, Otis. She keeps him in secret from her aunt for one of her new friends, Amanda. Over the time they spend together, Otis captures Nickie’s heart and will capture yours, too. But, when the prophet’s directions get out of hand, Nickie faces decisions and challenges that will affect Otis and her. tJeanne Duprau’s writing style is very interesting and descriptive. Most of the time it is serious, but sometimes funny. Here is a quote from the book: “It was a blustery morning. Big heaps of cloud rushed across the sky and the wind was chilly. A few dead leaves skittered along the sidewalk.” tAs you can see, ‘The Prophet of Yonwood’ is a very touching and enjoyable story. I loved this book a lot and think it was one of the best out of the series. I would highly recommend this book to anyone.
What do You think about The Prophet Of Yonwood (2007)?
I was hoping for a book about the people who built Ember and why they decided to not teach them any technology or nation rebuilding skills. This isn't that book. This is the author's treatise on why the Iraq war is a big mistake and how religion only makes people fight. There is more hope in science and studying the stars than in saying prayers. The story was engaging, but I'm getting tired of the religious being treated as zealots and mindless sheep looking for any type of leader. This book was a disappointment.
—Steven
I enjoyed this story, although at times I found it a bit slow.I think it put the dangers of blind acceptance and obedience to a self-proclaimed prophet, forced adherence of others to those who claim to speak for God, (and how not everyone who claims to speak for God actually does), in terms a child could easily relate to.I think this could give kids good food for thought in a world where there are places where people live under this kind of religious tyranny today, even in some communities in the West, and there are those who strive to place the rest of us under it. And about the importance of thinking things through for yourself.I am a conservative, and a Christian - so that you'll know I'm not just speaking here from a liberal and/or anti-Christian bias. The author may have been, I don't know. But I see much here that would be good for conservatives and Christians also to discuss with their children. And not only about false prophets, religious tyranny, but other totalitarian efforts as well, such as Nazism, etc.
—Auntie J
