User Profile

This story was so good! The world building was excellent and Matt was the best character. This would be a 5-star book for me, but it ends at the climax of the story!

Just when we find out what's really going on and things start really happening, the book just ends. We're given information about what's wrong, and then it ends. No resolution, no fulfillment!, no nothing! There isn't even any indication that there might be a continuation, not even a cliffhanger(!), and that's heartbreaking. Fortunately I live in a time long after this book was published, so I know that the next book continues at least Matt's story. But dang!

Anyway, I really like what Lowry did with this story. Rather than continuing from The Giver (which had a solid ending, in my opinion), she imagines the world from a different point of view entirely. A different village with a different culture, but all believably set in some post-apocalyptic world that only serves as the backdrop and reason for this particular culture's existence. I really like the mystery, but I really wish that it was developed more in this book. I'm really hoping that the next one gives me the answers and resolutions I need!

This was a very entertaining story with an interesting premise! This review does have allusive spoilers, so don't read it unless 1) you don't care about spoiling the surprise or 2) you already know. :)

This is the first post apocalyptic-style story I've read that isn't just gritty and hopeless. The people of ember lead normal lives in their strange, broken-down city, and I thought the way everything was approached was very well done! Only the bare minimum of the circumstances are explained, which was kind of annoying to me, and the backstory of the city isn't even touched on until the end of the book. Lina and Doon were alright as characters, but the city itself and it's reason for existing we're far more interesting to me.

One problem I had with the story is that none of the problems are resolved at the end. All that happens is that basically the city is reaching its inevitable collapse, and Lina and Doon escape. That's it. I would have loved to see more about the kids' reactions to the outside world, and even see how the rest of the city reacted to the true situation of Ember, but there's really not much of that.

I don't know if there is a sequel (or prequel) or anything like that, but I'd really love to learn more about the world these characters live in more than I really care about the characters themselves!

Ok so I liked the concepts in this story. I liked how the world worked and how they approach magic and some of the magic stuff that happens. But I hated the (main) characters and all the stupid stuff they did, which is kind of a problem because they're kind of the focus of the story. They're kind of funny, but they're all hateable (except maybe Alice). I don't know. I was super torn the whole time. I was enjoying it at some moments and wishing it would just be over at others, and the whole book was kind of just a roller coaster repeatedly moving between those two extremes.

Even the ending wasn't satisfying. Maybe that was the point since one of the themes was not being happy even though you have everything? But I don't know, nor do I really care.

I liked some parts of this book, but I think I disliked a lot more.

Listened to the audiobook version of the 10th anniversary edition, which is labeled the "Author's Preferred Text" and is supposedly longer than the original, and the voice acting was excellent! The story itself was really interesting and was definitely the kind of concept I enjoy to no end. The way Gaiman weaves the gods into everyday life was wonderful, and the descriptions of the supernatural were just as difficult to follow and interesting as they should be.

The only things I didn't like were the supernatural sex scenes. I don't like sex scenes in books very much (especially audiobooks) because I don't really want someone to describe it to me—too uncomfortable. Other than that, though, this story was super interesting and exciting! But I will say that I enjoyed Anansi Boys (Gaiman's other book following the same sort of concept on a smaller scale) much more. American Gods: super interesting concept and great story, Anansi Boys: fun and interesting story well told.