The City of Ember

“The little bag was made of faded green material, gathered at the top with a black string. Lina hesitated a moment, then put her hand inside and fingered the bits of paper. Feeling as if she were stepping off a high building, she picked one. Messenger.” –The City of Ember by Jeanne DuPrau

Lina Mayfleet knew that Assignment Day was going to be the biggest day of her life; lo and behold that piece of paper would decide her fate and eventually the fate of another world in which the people of Ember were completely oblivious to. Together with Doon Harrow, Lina embarked on a journey to find the secret of their city’s past in a letter written by a previous mayor some two hundred years ago. The lights were beginning to flicker so they knew there wasn’t much time left…

This week’s read was light on the emotional side of things and heavy on the imaginative, a science fiction, which was a good change of pace for me. I found myself in a 10 year old state of mind while reading this book because there was a fantasy that involved saving people in the nick of time, the discovery of something not previously known, and sprinklings of family values as well.

I was not all that impressed with the diction of this book; however it was probably written for an audience less my age. Despite the fact that I flew through this book, it was thoroughly engaging and had my mind working right along with Lina and Doon in their adventures within the city. The style was more elementary than I had expected but there was continual suspense and curiosity that would propel me into the next chapter.

The light bulb was a very significant symbol in this story because the city of Ember relied on electricity to survive. The great lights of Ember had kept the darkness out for hundreds of years and then all of the sudden the destiny of the city was in the hands of the electricians, literally. The light bulb was their source of life, prosperity, and normalcy. But obviously the city was saved, and the discovery of a new and brighter world changed the Emberians forever. 

Dirty Liar

I decided to take a break from the feminine side of literature and delved into a book written by a male author this week. Dirty Liar by Brian James was different in the sense that the choice in words was so powerful that it made my skin crawl. The overall plot was a different experience for me as a reader. The main character, Benji, is a teenage boy in the midst of a troubled life. He has an alcoholic mom, disapproving father, only a few close friends who really understand him, and a cold view of the world, which is basically the recipe for disaster. The set up in this novel was similar to Stolen because it is first person point of view with a constant stream of thought that was by no means bowdlerized. Benji communicates his troubles with a set up like a diary in Dirty Liar with entries like Monday 2:08 pm within chapters. I enjoyed taking on a male perspective for once because I always seem to gravitate toward the popular, romantic, happy-ever-after type of books and this one was just the opposite. It gave me another perspective on the troubles that people cope with and encounter every day. James is careful in the delivery of darkness, violence, and helplessness while also creating a microcosm of paradise in Benji’s life with the aid of a female, Rianna, at the same time. Yes life is not fair, and, believe it or not, there are ways to overcome obstacles. Life isn’t all about the destination, it’s about the journey and experiences that mold us and shape us into who we are. 

Stolen

This week one thing is for sure, Lucy Christopher stole my attention with her novel, Stolen. This book is a complete 180 from The Lost Songs I read last week. It’s not that I didn’t like reading about a girl in the south and her musical heritage problems, but this type of read was ten times more interesting. So here’s the basics, Gemma was in the Bangkok airport with her family and was kidnapped by a mysterious man named Ty. He drugged her and changed her into someone else with a new outfit, passport, the whole kit and caboodle. Gemma woke up in the desert, surrounded by nothing but sand. Turns out, they are in Australia in Ty’s secret hideout/house. Gemma tried to escape, but there was no trace of society for thousands of miles. Eventually she finds a way back to her family, and there’s even some romance involved. Oh and there’s also a lot of violence, drugs, profanity… quite entertaining.

Christopher’s style is what drew me in the most. Complete perfection. This was a first person narrative which also helped me get into it quicker than I had before. The pages flew by- it was amazing. Something interesting was the fact that the whole time Gemma was narrating, she addressed Ty as “you.” “You glanced down at your glass. It looked like you wanted to wander off again to get some more. I don’t know why exactly, but suddenly I wanted to keep talking to you.” It created a person versus person conflict that was filled with hatred but also a hint of appreciation. Christopher also did not write within chapters. Sections were separated by a neat little ~*~ type figure every so often to divide Gemma’s thoughts and dialogue.  Christopher’s descriptions were concise and yet incredibly detailed I could envision myself being held captive where Gemma was.

                “I’m sorry I broke Mum’s favorite vase.

                I’m sorry you caught me drunk that day.

                I’m sorry we were arguing in the airport.

                I’m sorry I got abducted.

                I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m  sorry. . .”

               

Plain and simple, my life would be ruined forever if I was taken from my family and put in a place where escaping was near impossible. This book made me think about how unsafe the world can be in public places, like the airport Gemma was taken from. We’d like to put trust into the idea that most people are humane and would never steal another person to keep them locked away, stored in the middle of nowhere, but sadly, we live in a world where this type of action occurs unnoticed and uncorrected. Why?

On another thought, can people force one another into love? What constitutes real love?  Gemma and Ty certainly did not have it in the first stages of their relationship. But somehow, it sort of (kind of) worked out. Christopher interludes scandalous scenes throughout the novel that keep the reader wondering, does this guy really have a thing for her or am I delusional because of all the heat and sand around here?

Long story short, try not to get abducted while in an airport by a crazy man by the name of Ty. But if you do, please be prepared for a difficult journey home through love, hate, and a plethora of Australian sand!