YA for the Wise

This book was so interesting, I didn't even mind reading it again for the purpose of this blog. Plus, in reading again from the beginning I caught foreshadowings of what was to come that I didn't see before.

I thought this book landed somewhere between a Wise rating and Use Discernment, but after examining my notes I am giving it the better Wise rating, I'll explain in my review.

This is the first book in a series of what is so far four books. I'll review all of them to make sure that the series doesn't slip into a less than Wise rating.

Let me make a suggestion: There is a movie out based on this book. As with most movies-based-on-books, the book is better. The movie takes some really big creative license, so, if you must see the movie-- read the book first.

The City of Ember
by Jeanne DuPrau

Age 9-12

270 pages

Library of congress summary: In the year 241, 12-year-old Lina trades jobs on Assignment Day to be a messenger, to run to new places in her beloved but decaying city, perhaps even to glimpse Unknown Regions.

FOUL LANGUAGE: ZERO occurrences.

SOFT LANGUAGE: ZERO occurrences.

SEXUAL CONTENT: ZERO occurrences.

BLASPHEMIES: ZERO occurrences.

DRUG USE: ZERO occurrences.

REFERENCES TO AND GENERAL ATTITUDE TOWARD GOD: God is not mentioned, but in a couple scenes a character asks Lina several questions which would best be answered with "God". For instance, in the Greenhouse on page 67, Lina's old family friend Clary asks: "Look, something in this seed knows how to make a bean plant. How does it know that?"

Answer: God.

And then, "It knows because it has life in it, but where does life come from?"

Answer: God.

On the next page, she goes on, "They say the Builders made the city. But who made the Builders? Who made us?"

Answer: God.

But these questions just hang, without the characters receiving an answer, for the remainder of the book.

I will say, I'm not sure if this was the author's intent or not, but, at the end of the book it's obvious that nature- as God designed it- is vastly superior to what man could come up with.

Can I get an Amen?