Another book whose source I don't remember, though probably in a discussion of the ghettoization of books, because children read all genres. I have never seen a library separate its children's fiction into genre, as all but the smallest libraries do with their adult fiction, but that also has to do with size of collection. The large print books are seldom separated into genre either.
Anyway. City of Ember. Good story. Physical set-up totally impossible. A dash of "Logan's Run," a generous portion of The Giver, a dab of Gathering Blue, and quite a bit of whatever marketing ploy that is where the sequel is built right the fuck in, as in Witch Child.
Formulas are fun in formulaic setpieces, like "Pirates of the Caribbean," which I'll stop talking about eventually. The Hidden Manuscript That Reveals All, in this and Witch Child, is tiresome.
I refuse to consider that I just don't like children's books anymore. The Giver satisfied its less sophisticated, or should I say less experienced, readers; it did not satisfy me however compelling its story. I hope that children reading J.K. Rowling will one day learn to appreciate edited prose and internally consistent settings, the lack of which in HPs 4 and 5 turns me off.
City of Ember is a great story, but I could not suspend my disbelief enough for it to work. It did have a nice Sarah, Plain and Tall touch that I appreciated.