What do you think?
Rate this book
Project F
From the bestselling author of The City of Ember comes a post-apocalyptic story set hundreds of years in the future, where life is simple and modern conveniences are a thing of the past until a boy enchanted by technology is forced to choose between doing the right thing for his community and pursuing his dreams of adventure.
WELCOME TO THE FUTURE.
There are no cars, planes, television, or smart phones. Climate change wreaked havoc on Earth hundreds of years ago, and now people live a simpler life.
Then thirteen-year-old Keith uncovers a secret. It’s a mysterious mission known only as Project F. It’s advanced, it’s scientific, and it’s going to change the world. It’s exactly the kind of adventure Keith has always longed to be a part of.
And what is adventure without a little danger, right? But how much danger is Keith willing to risk? For himself? For his family? For his community? For the entire world…?
Jeanne DuPrau's The City of Ember was an instant hit when it arrived on bookshelves. It has become a modern classic beloved by readers selling hundreds of thousands of copies a year! In her latest novel, she explores timely questions about the Earth and our use of its resources. A bold novel, Project F asks how much you are willing to risk to save the future.
WELCOME TO THE FUTURE.
There are no cars, planes, television, or smart phones. Climate change wreaked havoc on Earth hundreds of years ago, and now people live a simpler life.
Then thirteen-year-old Keith uncovers a secret. It’s a mysterious mission known only as Project F. It’s advanced, it’s scientific, and it’s going to change the world. It’s exactly the kind of adventure Keith has always longed to be a part of.
And what is adventure without a little danger, right? But how much danger is Keith willing to risk? For himself? For his family? For his community? For the entire world…?
Jeanne DuPrau's The City of Ember was an instant hit when it arrived on bookshelves. It has become a modern classic beloved by readers selling hundreds of thousands of copies a year! In her latest novel, she explores timely questions about the Earth and our use of its resources. A bold novel, Project F asks how much you are willing to risk to save the future.
204 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 10, 2023
41 people are currently reading
562 people want to read
About the author
Jeanne DuPrau
17 books1,905 followersJeanne DuPrau is an American writer, best known for The Books of Ember, a series of science fiction novels for young people. She lives in Menlo Park, California.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 176 reviews
October 10, 2023
Pains me to do this because I adored the City of Ember series but this book was just a preachy kids’ book about climate change. It didn’t have the magic and adventure of the author’s other series.
I realize that this is a middle grade novel, but overall it doesn't have any real character development. It is set in the future, after some big event occurs and people are living in a more basic society without the use of fossil fuels. Our main character, thirteen-year-old Keith, is tasked with taking the train to fetch his cousin Lulu whose parents have died while they were on vacation. There is a mix up with some bags on the train and Keith stumbles upon a secret--Project F.
This is a heavy handed, in your face book about the evils of fossil fuels and how virtuous this new society is that they don't use them. There's even an awful rewriting of the Christian doxology at the end praising the earth and "holy green". I was going to give this book 2 stars until that happened, and then nope, that deserves one less star just for that travesty.
If you want to smash your kids over the head with the message that fossil fuels are bad, then by all means get this book. If you want characters you will care about and a fun adventure story, go revisit the City of Ember series.
I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book, all opinions are my own.
I realize that this is a middle grade novel, but overall it doesn't have any real character development. It is set in the future, after some big event occurs and people are living in a more basic society without the use of fossil fuels. Our main character, thirteen-year-old Keith, is tasked with taking the train to fetch his cousin Lulu whose parents have died while they were on vacation. There is a mix up with some bags on the train and Keith stumbles upon a secret--Project F.
This is a heavy handed, in your face book about the evils of fossil fuels and how virtuous this new society is that they don't use them. There's even an awful rewriting of the Christian doxology at the end praising the earth and "holy green". I was going to give this book 2 stars until that happened, and then nope, that deserves one less star just for that travesty.
If you want to smash your kids over the head with the message that fossil fuels are bad, then by all means get this book. If you want characters you will care about and a fun adventure story, go revisit the City of Ember series.
I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book, all opinions are my own.
June 7, 2023
I was very excited to read this, as I loved City of Ember. And I did appreciate getting to read an advance copy. However, I'm very sorry to say, though, that I won't be recommending this or purchasing it for my library. The kernel of a good story is there, but this whole book felt more like an outline. Nothing about the story or characters was well developed. Some characters didn't even seem to ever connect with other characters and I wondered what their purpose was. At times I wondered if it was meant to be more like a novella? a parable? There was nothing very mysterious about everything that was revealed and I couldn't decide if that was because the target audience might not get fossil fuels=bad, greedy people can't put common good first, or because it was heavy handed and didactic. The ending felt rushed and tidy. There were so many interesting things about this future world that could have been explored and weren't, even right from the beginning when they received word that the sister and brother in law have perished and Keith, a child, is sent to fetch the resulting orphan. And when he comes home two days past when he was expected it takes a while for his parents to say "hey where were you?" And some things, like Lulu's second secret, seemed unnecessary-it didn't add value to the story or the character.
I did like the idea that this was a story about one imagined way that the word moved on after fossil fuels.
I did like the idea that this was a story about one imagined way that the word moved on after fossil fuels.
April 19, 2024
I had several issues with this book on different levels. Many of the issues have been stated in other reviews, but one that has not is the secret keeping involving adults. Keith and Lulu are asked to do something by a group of adult strangers then demanded to keep it a secret. I am deeply concerned about the modeling this has for middle grade readers that unknown adults can force you to do something (granted Keith was excited but knew it to be “wrong” and Lulu didn’t feel comfortable at all) then made to sign an agreement not to tell their trusted adults.
There are many other issues such in undeveloped plot lines, unnecessary plot lines, and an ended that had me thinking why didn’t they bring up an object from the pond that ended the book with hope - but instead the object retrieved left me thinking society was doomed to repeat itself…
There are many other issues such in undeveloped plot lines, unnecessary plot lines, and an ended that had me thinking why didn’t they bring up an object from the pond that ended the book with hope - but instead the object retrieved left me thinking society was doomed to repeat itself…
May 3, 2023
I received an ARC from the publisher, because I am a librarian and librarians are awesome. Easy to read, but was expecting more - the whole premise was didactic and underbuilt, even for middle grade. No City of Ember.
(Also, maybe after this comes out I will update this review to nitpick what annoyed me about this, but by then I will PROBABLY have forgotten most of the things about it. So. There's that.)
(Also, maybe after this comes out I will update this review to nitpick what annoyed me about this, but by then I will PROBABLY have forgotten most of the things about it. So. There's that.)
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 31, 2023
Project F is written with middle-grade students in mind. As such, it could be used to promote discussions about fossil fuels and global warming. However, as an adult, I found it rather simplistic and didactic. I was hoping for a futuristic sci-fi novel along the lines of City of Ember, a novel I truly enjoyed by Jeanne DuPrau.
2.5 stars rounded up to 3 stars.
Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Children's, Random House Books for Young Readers for a free ARC in exchange for an honest review.
2.5 stars rounded up to 3 stars.
Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Children's, Random House Books for Young Readers for a free ARC in exchange for an honest review.
November 28, 2023
Yeah, what the other reviewers have said.
It's disappointing to get a story this clunky and preachy from such a good writer. In this thought experiment, after humanity has ruined the earth through climate change, it stops using fossil fuels cold turkey and makes a society in which people simply choose better.
It's so unrealistic that it's useless--even destructive--as a thought experiment.
Filled with platitudes such as "if given a chance, people will be kind," it shows a humanity that happily abandons innovation, ambition, freedom, and drive because it's the right thing to do for the planet. The ignorant tween protagonist is tempted by a villain who wants to (gasp) use coal to power new technology. Never mind that burning wood is arguably dirtier and produces more emissions that burning coal.
For all that, I might have given this book merely two stars. The loss of the final star came with theft of the great Christian doxology and its conversion to a hymn to the planet. You want to preach your own religion? Fine. That's your right. But don't also steal and sully mine.
It's disappointing to get a story this clunky and preachy from such a good writer. In this thought experiment, after humanity has ruined the earth through climate change, it stops using fossil fuels cold turkey and makes a society in which people simply choose better.
It's so unrealistic that it's useless--even destructive--as a thought experiment.
Filled with platitudes such as "if given a chance, people will be kind," it shows a humanity that happily abandons innovation, ambition, freedom, and drive because it's the right thing to do for the planet. The ignorant tween protagonist is tempted by a villain who wants to (gasp) use coal to power new technology. Never mind that burning wood is arguably dirtier and produces more emissions that burning coal.
For all that, I might have given this book merely two stars. The loss of the final star came with theft of the great Christian doxology and its conversion to a hymn to the planet. You want to preach your own religion? Fine. That's your right. But don't also steal and sully mine.
September 25, 2023
I really enjoyed Jeanne DuPrau’s Books of Ember series so I was excited to see she’d written another novel.
In Project F, a boy discovers a secret that causes him to question the society he lives in.
This one definitely had a different feel from the fast-paced City of Ember and the mystery and storyline also felt less urgent. I didn’t really mind this though.
The spare writing style and slower pace matched the simple and peaceful vibe I got from this post-fossil fuel society.
Even when problems arose, it seemed like they weren’t that big of a threat. People were mellow and I never felt on edge.
Perhaps the author’s tone was a bit didactic in explaining the dangers of fossil fuels, but I don’t think her target audience will be as bothered by that as many of the adult reviewers seem to be🤷🏽♀️
Those portions of the book served to explain how that society came to be and were written from the perspective of someone who had seen the culmination of those dangers first hand, so the tone made sense to me, even if it did feel a bit preachy.
The author’s note at the end explains how she became interested in this topic and goes into more detail about how complex the situation is, as renewable resources are not without their own problems.
I’d recommend this to those who enjoy post-apocalyptic stories and don’t mind a bit of a slower pace. It would also be a good choice for younger readers since it’s a fairly mild society, being set many years after the turmoil that created it. Maybe a sensitive child could become concerned about our use of fossil fuels and what that might mean for the future. And that is likely her intent. As they say, “Today’s readers are tomorrow’s leaders.”
If you’re looking for something more exciting, perhaps she’ll follow this up with a prequel that’s set at the time of the collapse. 😊
In Project F, a boy discovers a secret that causes him to question the society he lives in.
This one definitely had a different feel from the fast-paced City of Ember and the mystery and storyline also felt less urgent. I didn’t really mind this though.
The spare writing style and slower pace matched the simple and peaceful vibe I got from this post-fossil fuel society.
Even when problems arose, it seemed like they weren’t that big of a threat. People were mellow and I never felt on edge.
Perhaps the author’s tone was a bit didactic in explaining the dangers of fossil fuels, but I don’t think her target audience will be as bothered by that as many of the adult reviewers seem to be🤷🏽♀️
Those portions of the book served to explain how that society came to be and were written from the perspective of someone who had seen the culmination of those dangers first hand, so the tone made sense to me, even if it did feel a bit preachy.
The author’s note at the end explains how she became interested in this topic and goes into more detail about how complex the situation is, as renewable resources are not without their own problems.
I’d recommend this to those who enjoy post-apocalyptic stories and don’t mind a bit of a slower pace. It would also be a good choice for younger readers since it’s a fairly mild society, being set many years after the turmoil that created it. Maybe a sensitive child could become concerned about our use of fossil fuels and what that might mean for the future. And that is likely her intent. As they say, “Today’s readers are tomorrow’s leaders.”
If you’re looking for something more exciting, perhaps she’ll follow this up with a prequel that’s set at the time of the collapse. 😊
October 31, 2023
Hey kids, do you like didactic lectures?
September 4, 2023
Welcome to the new world, one without fossil fuels. The world was dying because greenhouse gasses were killing it so the worlds leaders came together and set a stop date and, on that day, there was no more gas, oil, fuel. Over time cities changed and now there were buses, and trains that could run off of steam and wood burning, solar, and hydroelectric. But when Keith stumbles across a new form of power that allows him to fly, Project F, what will he risk to fly more.
This was a very good book with a very strong message. I really liked most of the characters, there are a few meanies and they get theirs for the most part. But to think if our leaders did that to us right now what would happen would be catastrophic and I would think there would be lots of deaths. This is a good book that should keep even reluctant readers interest.
This was a very good book with a very strong message. I really liked most of the characters, there are a few meanies and they get theirs for the most part. But to think if our leaders did that to us right now what would happen would be catastrophic and I would think there would be lots of deaths. This is a good book that should keep even reluctant readers interest.
August 25, 2023
I was excited to read this book because I know DuPrau is capable of telling a great story, but this let me down in almost every way. The premise - what the world may look like after stopping the use of fossil fuels - was intriguing and the only interesting part of the book. Characters were underdeveloped. Events felt rushed, the ending too neat. I found myself bored and trudging through the story in hopes of finding something that would make me say, “Okay, yes!” It never happened.
Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the eARC of this title.
Publication date: 9 Oct 2023
Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the eARC of this title.
Publication date: 9 Oct 2023
October 21, 2023
2.5
DuPrau’s latest novel takes us to a post-apocalyptic world set in the future, where there are 7 main cities all within a two-days train ride from each other, and where civilians live in a simplistic world without cars, tv, etc.
When the daughter of Keith’s aunt suddenly becomes an orphan, he takes it upon himself to travel by train to retrieve her since his parents are unable to currently go themselves.
Keith’s seatmate on the train is headed out to Graves Mountain to work on an engineering project called Project F.
When their bags accidentally get swapped, Keith must make a detour on the way back with his cousin Lulu to return it, which turns into an unexpected adventure of sorts.
Fossil fuels and climate change are the major themes here and are a vital topic to discuss, though I’m not sure if middle graders will grasp the full complexities and importance through this novel to be able to apply it to the world we live in today.
DuPrau’s latest novel takes us to a post-apocalyptic world set in the future, where there are 7 main cities all within a two-days train ride from each other, and where civilians live in a simplistic world without cars, tv, etc.
When the daughter of Keith’s aunt suddenly becomes an orphan, he takes it upon himself to travel by train to retrieve her since his parents are unable to currently go themselves.
Keith’s seatmate on the train is headed out to Graves Mountain to work on an engineering project called Project F.
When their bags accidentally get swapped, Keith must make a detour on the way back with his cousin Lulu to return it, which turns into an unexpected adventure of sorts.
Fossil fuels and climate change are the major themes here and are a vital topic to discuss, though I’m not sure if middle graders will grasp the full complexities and importance through this novel to be able to apply it to the world we live in today.
December 20, 2023
Let me start by saying that I loved "City of Ember" and was very much looking forward to this book. "Project F" was a huge disappointment for me. I did not care for the main character's lying and encouraging his cousin to keep secrets (and to lie) to his parents for starters. I also did not care for the preachiness of the message. The fourteen year old main character does not seem to grow or develop throughout the story--he thinks everyone will be thrilled to see his end performance despite knowing information about it that they will not like.
The main topics in this book are climate change and the evils of fossil fuels which I could get on board with if the story were told differently. The writing itself was good and I would still read this author in the future.
The main topics in this book are climate change and the evils of fossil fuels which I could get on board with if the story were told differently. The writing itself was good and I would still read this author in the future.
November 24, 2023
“But what is more important? Doing what you want or doing what’s right?”
I finished this on audiobook in 3 hours. Set in a post apocalyptic world, hundreds of years after “The Sudden Rise, The Sudden Fall” where the world is pretty much back to where we were before cars, electronics, etc, mainly everything that uses fossil fuels.
It’s a very good book to read about the aftermath of climate change, and I know this should be talked about in school especially.
It is preachy, AS IT SHOULD BE.
Very good read.
I finished this on audiobook in 3 hours. Set in a post apocalyptic world, hundreds of years after “The Sudden Rise, The Sudden Fall” where the world is pretty much back to where we were before cars, electronics, etc, mainly everything that uses fossil fuels.
It’s a very good book to read about the aftermath of climate change, and I know this should be talked about in school especially.
It is preachy, AS IT SHOULD BE.
Very good read.
October 8, 2023
Genre: Middle Grade Science Fiction
Synopsis:
A futuristic world but without cars, technology, etc. A boy finds a secret project that will unveil what the past was like.
Ok, so I rarely give a book below 3 stars but this to me was just a political mouth piece against the use of fossil fuels and not the fun adventure story it should have been. This is nothing like City of Ember. I want to read books to escape reality and not have an agenda forced on me. ☹️
Synopsis:
A futuristic world but without cars, technology, etc. A boy finds a secret project that will unveil what the past was like.
Ok, so I rarely give a book below 3 stars but this to me was just a political mouth piece against the use of fossil fuels and not the fun adventure story it should have been. This is nothing like City of Ember. I want to read books to escape reality and not have an agenda forced on me. ☹️
November 26, 2023
Thank you NetGalley and Random House Children's for a free digital copy in exchange for an honest review. Project F is a middle-grade story set in a dystopian future where fossil fuels are prohibited. Keith travels to get his cousin, Lulu, after a tragedy strikes. On his way, he encounters a strange man, Malcom, and discovers a secret called Project F. I thought parts of this story were great and made me want to discover more about the mystery. However, some just drug and did not feel like they compelled the ultimate part of the story along. The writing is well done, and I think children would probably enjoy it.
November 29, 2023
I loved the way DuPrau sets up the story and gets the reader wondering about Keith's world. Keith's chance encounter with Malcolm seems to upend his world, and readers will be eager to find out more about the mysterious Project F. While not all of the side characters were perfectly blended into the plot, the whole book has a classic feel that made me pine for the craft of narrative structure that I find often lacking in current middle grade books.
November 15, 2024
This story was interesting. It is hundreds of years into the future after global warming brought humanity to the brink of extinction. Now the people don't have anything run on fossil fuels. There are no cars, no planes, phones - nothing.
A family tragedy causes a boy, Keith (early teens?) to be sent to collect his younger cousin (I think I have that right) and on the way a chance encounter leads him to get sidetracked, which, as you might expect, is when the trouble starts.
Now, Keith has an opportunity to do something no one has for hundreds of years. He doesn't question it and he doesn't pick up on any bad vibes from the guy with the plan.
I thought the ending was a little weak but overall I think this could be a really interesting book to discuss with kids.
A family tragedy causes a boy, Keith (early teens?) to be sent to collect his younger cousin (I think I have that right) and on the way a chance encounter leads him to get sidetracked, which, as you might expect, is when the trouble starts.
Now, Keith has an opportunity to do something no one has for hundreds of years. He doesn't question it and he doesn't pick up on any bad vibes from the guy with the plan.
I thought the ending was a little weak but overall I think this could be a really interesting book to discuss with kids.
December 21, 2023
This was good. There's not a lot of sci-fi out there for kids, and most of it deals with Aliens. I liked the realistic future this book painted. Also, despite the serious topic, this truly felt like a children's book and not a bordering YA book that a lot of middle grade does right now.
February 7, 2024
A book for teenagers. Smooth, and great idea, but still, so simple and direct.
June 21, 2024
I care deeply about the taking care of the Earth, but even to me this came across as preachy and heavy handed.
July 1, 2024
Was I expecting too much? Or was it just not compelling? Hard to know, but this one was a disappointment.
Grades 6 and up.
Grades 6 and up.
October 10, 2023
#FirstLine ~ All was going well in our country at the time this story begins, which is several hundred years in the future from the time you’re reading it.
This novel is not just an adventure; it's a thought-provoking exploration of ethics and the choices we make in a world forever changed by climate upheaval. 'Project F' promises to be a modern classic, inviting readers of all ages to ponder how much they are willing to risk to safeguard the future. DuPrau's latest work is a testament to her storytelling mastery and her ability to tackle pressing issues within the framework of a thrilling and imaginative narrative. A must read!!!
This novel is not just an adventure; it's a thought-provoking exploration of ethics and the choices we make in a world forever changed by climate upheaval. 'Project F' promises to be a modern classic, inviting readers of all ages to ponder how much they are willing to risk to safeguard the future. DuPrau's latest work is a testament to her storytelling mastery and her ability to tackle pressing issues within the framework of a thrilling and imaginative narrative. A must read!!!
January 3, 2024
A pleasant enough, mild-mannered, odd duck of a book that didn’t seem written for children, to whom I will not recommend it. The main storyline concerning fossil fuels is straightforward. The interspersed chapters here and there about a group of girls and their highly ritualized play, and others about a woman who may be a bit of a hoarder but is happy and whose neighbors take it upon themselves to lure her out of her apartment so they can go in and get rid of most of her stuff…I’m left wondering about those. Why in this book? What connections am I not immediately seeing? This strangeness, and the tone of much of the writing, made me feel like I was reading a book in translation.
December 8, 2023
Spoilers, I guess?
Kid meets guy who has invented a jet pack.
Town discovers jet pack runs on fossil fuels, which are no longer allowed in this future world.
Jet pack man goes away.
That's it.
Kid meets guy who has invented a jet pack.
Town discovers jet pack runs on fossil fuels, which are no longer allowed in this future world.
Jet pack man goes away.
That's it.
June 23, 2023
ARC provided by the Publisher
Keith Arlo lives in Cliff River City, in a future where there are onlky seven fairly small cities, since there are no fossil fuels being used at all. There are trains, horse carts, and a society where sustainable environmental practices are encouraged so that the world doesn't devolve into the chaos that existed before the Sudden Fall. When Keith's aunt and uncle are swept out to see in their new home of Sandwater City, they leave behind his young cousin, Lulu. She's being held in a children't home, and Keither father is too busy with his battery shop to go and get her. His mother, who designs doorways for municipal buildings, has just broken her ankle. It only makes sense that Keith, who is 14, will get on the train with a note and bring her home. Unfortunately, he managed to switch his blue knapsack for the one belonging to Malcolm, a stranger who mentioned he is working on a secret project at Graves Mountain. Keith reads some of the papers, hoping to find some contact information, and decides to stop by Malcolm's facility after retrieving Lulu, because he wants to bask in the gratitude of returning the important papers. Malcom is grateful, but he's also not happy that the security was compromised. Despite this, because Keith is lighter than the men working on the project, he is asked to test pilot it. The deep secret is that Project F is bringing back a coal powered jet pack that will give people more freedom than they currently have. It's awesome to fly, but Keith soon has to get Lulu home. He also has concerns about the legalities of the creation, but doesn't think too hard about what the "black powder" fuel is. He also hasn't paid very close attention to the history of the Sudden Fall, but forgets to return a book Malcolm had that details the history of this time. Lulu settles in, with understandable sadness about returning to her former home city without her parents. When Malcolm contacts Keith and says that his group is going to come to Cliff River City and debut the new technology, Keith is somewhat conflicted. Is it illegal? What might be the consequences of this new techology if it does invovle reintroducing fossil fuels?
Strengths: There have been so many dystopian books written, including this author's The City of Ember, and I often wonder why there aren't more eutopias. The answer is, of course, is that a lack of conflict makes for a boring story. Since Project F details a working endaxitopia (resorting to modern Greek to form this!), it makes sense that while things are pretty good, the conflict comes from a threat to the society. The beginning gets off to a good start, with Keith being entrusted to retrieve his cousin, and getting the opportunity to fly. Perhaps it was the fact that there was some technology (trains, apartment buildings) but no planes of cars, that gave this an early 1900s feel to it. Cliff River City seemed like something set almost during the Great Depression, and was fairly rich with outdoor spaces that are gorgeously described. Keith is a fairly typical 14 year old, who is a bit self absorbed but willing to learn about the world around him, and his feelings about the possibility of flight are realistic.
Weaknesses: This became extremely didactic about fossil fuels, and I would have been okay with that if I had felt for a moment that Malcolm and his Project F were any sort of real threat. Instead, he seemed like a slightly off kilter inventor with little support whose project didn't seem to be a threat at all. The launch was not a success; Malcolm crashes and ends up being banished, but just to another city, which shows that even the government didn't find him threatening. His operation is easily closed down, and no one seemed that interested in it at all. Keith doesn't really get to save the day, which I would have enjoyed more. I also didn't see the point of the scenes with Amity, a girl from his apartment building, at all.
What I really think: I feel like I understand what DuPrau was trying to do here. I feel like this was meant to be written in a way similar to 1950s science fiction books, sort of like a middle grade Asteroid City. (Which I haven't seen, but whose trailers look rather fun.) It's a cautionary tale to be sure, but also involve jet packs. As I said, some of the writing is gorgeous, but the plot was sacrificed a bit to the message. I'm going to hand this one to a fifth grade neighbor and see what he thinks.
Keith Arlo lives in Cliff River City, in a future where there are onlky seven fairly small cities, since there are no fossil fuels being used at all. There are trains, horse carts, and a society where sustainable environmental practices are encouraged so that the world doesn't devolve into the chaos that existed before the Sudden Fall. When Keith's aunt and uncle are swept out to see in their new home of Sandwater City, they leave behind his young cousin, Lulu. She's being held in a children't home, and Keither father is too busy with his battery shop to go and get her. His mother, who designs doorways for municipal buildings, has just broken her ankle. It only makes sense that Keith, who is 14, will get on the train with a note and bring her home. Unfortunately, he managed to switch his blue knapsack for the one belonging to Malcolm, a stranger who mentioned he is working on a secret project at Graves Mountain. Keith reads some of the papers, hoping to find some contact information, and decides to stop by Malcolm's facility after retrieving Lulu, because he wants to bask in the gratitude of returning the important papers. Malcom is grateful, but he's also not happy that the security was compromised. Despite this, because Keith is lighter than the men working on the project, he is asked to test pilot it. The deep secret is that Project F is bringing back a coal powered jet pack that will give people more freedom than they currently have. It's awesome to fly, but Keith soon has to get Lulu home. He also has concerns about the legalities of the creation, but doesn't think too hard about what the "black powder" fuel is. He also hasn't paid very close attention to the history of the Sudden Fall, but forgets to return a book Malcolm had that details the history of this time. Lulu settles in, with understandable sadness about returning to her former home city without her parents. When Malcolm contacts Keith and says that his group is going to come to Cliff River City and debut the new technology, Keith is somewhat conflicted. Is it illegal? What might be the consequences of this new techology if it does invovle reintroducing fossil fuels?
Strengths: There have been so many dystopian books written, including this author's The City of Ember, and I often wonder why there aren't more eutopias. The answer is, of course, is that a lack of conflict makes for a boring story. Since Project F details a working endaxitopia (resorting to modern Greek to form this!), it makes sense that while things are pretty good, the conflict comes from a threat to the society. The beginning gets off to a good start, with Keith being entrusted to retrieve his cousin, and getting the opportunity to fly. Perhaps it was the fact that there was some technology (trains, apartment buildings) but no planes of cars, that gave this an early 1900s feel to it. Cliff River City seemed like something set almost during the Great Depression, and was fairly rich with outdoor spaces that are gorgeously described. Keith is a fairly typical 14 year old, who is a bit self absorbed but willing to learn about the world around him, and his feelings about the possibility of flight are realistic.
Weaknesses: This became extremely didactic about fossil fuels, and I would have been okay with that if I had felt for a moment that Malcolm and his Project F were any sort of real threat. Instead, he seemed like a slightly off kilter inventor with little support whose project didn't seem to be a threat at all. The launch was not a success; Malcolm crashes and ends up being banished, but just to another city, which shows that even the government didn't find him threatening. His operation is easily closed down, and no one seemed that interested in it at all. Keith doesn't really get to save the day, which I would have enjoyed more. I also didn't see the point of the scenes with Amity, a girl from his apartment building, at all.
What I really think: I feel like I understand what DuPrau was trying to do here. I feel like this was meant to be written in a way similar to 1950s science fiction books, sort of like a middle grade Asteroid City. (Which I haven't seen, but whose trailers look rather fun.) It's a cautionary tale to be sure, but also involve jet packs. As I said, some of the writing is gorgeous, but the plot was sacrificed a bit to the message. I'm going to hand this one to a fifth grade neighbor and see what he thinks.
May 3, 2023
First sentence: All was going well in our country at the time this story begins, which is several hundred years in the future from the time you're reading it. There were no wars, few wildfires and floods, no famines.
Premise/plot: Looking for a children's book written with a hammer instead of a pen? Not literally, I suppose, since I imagine almost all writers type instead of write by hand. But this may be one of the most heavy-handed books I've read in my life--definitely the most obnoxiously didactic I've read in 2023. So what is the premise? DuPrau has created a perfectly perfect utopia set several hundred years after a terrible/horrible/disastrous fall. No fossil fuels are used at all. At all. And though the world's population is much smaller, civilization less advanced, and technology frozen at a socially-acceptable place, everything is just about perfect--in a self-righteous way. (The characters are so SMUG.)
Keith Arlo, our protagonist, hasn't been paying close enough attention to history lectures about the evilly-evil monsters of the past. So he's gullible and falls prey to adventure. It starts with a train ride. He is going to collect his newly-orphaned cousin, Lulu. But Malcolm, the passenger sitting close to him, is working on Project F. He tells just enough to make Keith super curious. When the two passenger's bags are mixed up--Keith takes Malcolm, Malcolm takes Keith, Keith's fate is nearly-sealed. He MUST return Malcolm's bag; he must explore all the secret documents and drawings; he must read the HISTORY OF THE TWENTIETH CENTURY, a book in his suitcase.
The fate of the world may just rest on Keith's young shoulders and because he's not great at researching the evil-monsters of the past at the library OR great at listening in history class, then utopia is threatened.
So what is Project F? Well, it's MODEL F. F for Freedom? F for Fossil Fuels? F for Fun? Model F stands in opposition to everything this new utopia stands for. And Keith is tempted to have fun and experience freedom. Will the world collapse a second time?
My thoughts: I suppose I blended some of my thoughts in the premise/plot summary. I couldn't help it. It's rare I'm so incredibly disappointed by a book. I would say that City of Ember is one of my all time favorite-favorite-favorite books to reread. I adore that book SO MUCH. It's like one of my go-to books that I love to recommend to anyone/everyone. It's just a fantastic adventure. This book is the complete opposite. The character development is horrible. Unless the goal was to create characters that are so incredibly self-righteous, smug, proud, condescending, that you can't help but to hate them. The story is weak/thin--in my opinion. The writing is horrible. All tell, no show. I think the biggest annoyance was that whole pages of this one are just excerpts from a book HISTORY OF THE TWENTIETH CENTURY. These excerpts are literally just over-the-top lectures. As if the main narrative thread wasn't didactic enough.
It is my opinion that even GOOD messages (or GREAT messages) can be incredibly annoying if used as a hammer. No opinion is made better by being used as a weapon, a hammer; you can't beat a belief into someone else's head. You can't. You just can't. But you can get it published apparently.
I also thought some of this one was blasphemous. Yes, I know not every reader will come from a Christian background, a religious background with Christian roots, but this futuristic "update" of sorts to the doxology was horrendous.
Praise Earth from whom all blessings flow.
Praise sky above and sea below.
Praise creatures great and small between.
Praise darkness, light, and holy green.
I don't love disliking a book. I don't. I was super excited to read her newest book. I had high hopes. I even moved it to the top of my list. I was eager to read this. I welcomed this. But I was disappointed.
Premise/plot: Looking for a children's book written with a hammer instead of a pen? Not literally, I suppose, since I imagine almost all writers type instead of write by hand. But this may be one of the most heavy-handed books I've read in my life--definitely the most obnoxiously didactic I've read in 2023. So what is the premise? DuPrau has created a perfectly perfect utopia set several hundred years after a terrible/horrible/disastrous fall. No fossil fuels are used at all. At all. And though the world's population is much smaller, civilization less advanced, and technology frozen at a socially-acceptable place, everything is just about perfect--in a self-righteous way. (The characters are so SMUG.)
Keith Arlo, our protagonist, hasn't been paying close enough attention to history lectures about the evilly-evil monsters of the past. So he's gullible and falls prey to adventure. It starts with a train ride. He is going to collect his newly-orphaned cousin, Lulu. But Malcolm, the passenger sitting close to him, is working on Project F. He tells just enough to make Keith super curious. When the two passenger's bags are mixed up--Keith takes Malcolm, Malcolm takes Keith, Keith's fate is nearly-sealed. He MUST return Malcolm's bag; he must explore all the secret documents and drawings; he must read the HISTORY OF THE TWENTIETH CENTURY, a book in his suitcase.
The fate of the world may just rest on Keith's young shoulders and because he's not great at researching the evil-monsters of the past at the library OR great at listening in history class, then utopia is threatened.
So what is Project F? Well, it's MODEL F. F for Freedom? F for Fossil Fuels? F for Fun? Model F stands in opposition to everything this new utopia stands for. And Keith is tempted to have fun and experience freedom. Will the world collapse a second time?
My thoughts: I suppose I blended some of my thoughts in the premise/plot summary. I couldn't help it. It's rare I'm so incredibly disappointed by a book. I would say that City of Ember is one of my all time favorite-favorite-favorite books to reread. I adore that book SO MUCH. It's like one of my go-to books that I love to recommend to anyone/everyone. It's just a fantastic adventure. This book is the complete opposite. The character development is horrible. Unless the goal was to create characters that are so incredibly self-righteous, smug, proud, condescending, that you can't help but to hate them. The story is weak/thin--in my opinion. The writing is horrible. All tell, no show. I think the biggest annoyance was that whole pages of this one are just excerpts from a book HISTORY OF THE TWENTIETH CENTURY. These excerpts are literally just over-the-top lectures. As if the main narrative thread wasn't didactic enough.
It is my opinion that even GOOD messages (or GREAT messages) can be incredibly annoying if used as a hammer. No opinion is made better by being used as a weapon, a hammer; you can't beat a belief into someone else's head. You can't. You just can't. But you can get it published apparently.
I also thought some of this one was blasphemous. Yes, I know not every reader will come from a Christian background, a religious background with Christian roots, but this futuristic "update" of sorts to the doxology was horrendous.
Praise Earth from whom all blessings flow.
Praise sky above and sea below.
Praise creatures great and small between.
Praise darkness, light, and holy green.
I don't love disliking a book. I don't. I was super excited to read her newest book. I had high hopes. I even moved it to the top of my list. I was eager to read this. I welcomed this. But I was disappointed.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 26, 2025
Read as my first book of Dewey's 24 Hour Readathon on April 26, 2025! Listened to the audiobook and finished in roughly 5 hours, all told (had to take a couple breaks here and there to deal with real life stuff, ugh).
This one's been on my TBR for a while now, ever since I saw it had released. I remember really liking The City of Ember as a kid, so much so that I think I read it multiple times, and so I was curious to see what else she had written after so many years. Unfortunately, I was rather underwhelmed and didn't really enjoy it all that much. It wasn't terrible, but that's hardly what you want to hear about a book.
Most of all, I felt it was trying wayyy too hard to be didactic. "Well you see, kids, fossil fuels are Evil and thus they led to the downfall of human civilization. So we outlawed them completely because Cars Are Bad and now we have horses and bikes and trains. Also don't forget that fossil fuels are bad." It really felt like I was reading some sort of school assigned reading for elementary kids, the way it was emphasized. The story felt like it was built around the morals she wanted to endorse rather than letting the story that needed to be told be written and then edit it once the themes were apparent.
It's crazy, because like... I agree. Fossil fuels are bad. I frequently joke that we should bring back horse-drawn carriages (but I'm not really joking. I'd love it). But it just felt so in-your-face about it that I had a hard time taking it seriously.
I also found the extra little plot threads kind of unnecessary? Amity's little group of friends was cute, sure, but again, their interactions felt like there was an ulterior motive to it all. Especially that one girl's cousin who Plus the weird inclusion of their neighbour Gloria who is there to... be a hoarder? And then she's not really addressed until the end. And Lulu's "other secret" that was soooo predictable.
I mean, I get that it's a book for kids. You have to be a little more obvious about foreshadowing and whatnot. But it still felt incredibly heavy-handed and like it couldn't decide what it wanted to do with the side characters. I do remember now that some folks said the Ember series fell off after the first book (which I never read past) so I'm disappointed to see that it's carried into this world too.
But I guess they can't all be winners. I've got a bunch more books waiting for me to get through, and I'm aiming for 3-4 books total by the end of the day so I better get cracking!
(Side note: Not gonna start with an audiobook next time. I thought I was so smart, because I could start listening while I was in bed... but then I predictably kept dozing off and had to rewind a billion times. Lesson learned!)
This one's been on my TBR for a while now, ever since I saw it had released. I remember really liking The City of Ember as a kid, so much so that I think I read it multiple times, and so I was curious to see what else she had written after so many years. Unfortunately, I was rather underwhelmed and didn't really enjoy it all that much. It wasn't terrible, but that's hardly what you want to hear about a book.
Most of all, I felt it was trying wayyy too hard to be didactic. "Well you see, kids, fossil fuels are Evil and thus they led to the downfall of human civilization. So we outlawed them completely because Cars Are Bad and now we have horses and bikes and trains. Also don't forget that fossil fuels are bad." It really felt like I was reading some sort of school assigned reading for elementary kids, the way it was emphasized. The story felt like it was built around the morals she wanted to endorse rather than letting the story that needed to be told be written and then edit it once the themes were apparent.
It's crazy, because like... I agree. Fossil fuels are bad. I frequently joke that we should bring back horse-drawn carriages (but I'm not really joking. I'd love it). But it just felt so in-your-face about it that I had a hard time taking it seriously.
I also found the extra little plot threads kind of unnecessary? Amity's little group of friends was cute, sure, but again, their interactions felt like there was an ulterior motive to it all. Especially that one girl's cousin who Plus the weird inclusion of their neighbour Gloria who is there to... be a hoarder? And then she's not really addressed until the end. And Lulu's "other secret" that was soooo predictable.
I mean, I get that it's a book for kids. You have to be a little more obvious about foreshadowing and whatnot. But it still felt incredibly heavy-handed and like it couldn't decide what it wanted to do with the side characters. I do remember now that some folks said the Ember series fell off after the first book (which I never read past) so I'm disappointed to see that it's carried into this world too.
But I guess they can't all be winners. I've got a bunch more books waiting for me to get through, and I'm aiming for 3-4 books total by the end of the day so I better get cracking!
(Side note: Not gonna start with an audiobook next time. I thought I was so smart, because I could start listening while I was in bed... but then I predictably kept dozing off and had to rewind a billion times. Lesson learned!)
September 13, 2023
What worked:
The author creates a novel vision of a future world that follows an environmental crisis on Earth. Coal apparently has the worst reputation of all energy sources as no one would dare use it today. Electricity is one common thread between past and present as it was deemed too important for the survival of humanity. The plot has the feel of a society wiped out and starting over with bits of saved technology thrown in. It’s interesting to see what inventions are kept from life centuries before. The characters travel by steam engine because it’s the fastest form of transportation but they use horse-drawn carriages around town. However, they have electric lights and use telephones to make calls across the country. Characters have vague impressions of the previous world without any specific examples.
Keith is the main character and he has an insatiable taste for adventure. Before a train ride across the country, he tells his father he won’t get involved in anything that’s not his business but that’s not Keith’s personality. It won’t surprise anyone when he doesn’t turn a lost bag into lost and found and decides to track down the owner on his own. He ends up in the middle of an exciting opportunity even though he has doubts about whether it’s legal. Even worse, he drags his six-year-old cousin Lulu into it and makes her promise to keep a secret. Lulu’s already dealing with the sudden death of her parents so withholding the truth from others and telling small lies creates an emotional dilemma.
The message underscoring the story concerns environmental issues and how they may ultimately make Earth uninhabitable. Characters in the story don’t typically experience the negative effects of pollution and the callous treatment people have toward flora and fauna. However, they’ve been taught horror stories of how animals, plants, and resources were eliminated to critical levels. The sensitivity to nature is exemplified when a group of girls are appalled that another girl kills a butterfly for no reason. It’s just a bug, right? The new laws don’t allow humans to do anything that might harm wildlife. The book’s conflict emerges when readers discover some characters have a radically different and dangerous outlook on their future.
What didn’t work as well:
The revelation of Project F is a bit anticlimactic but the energy source is what’s significant. The plot and characters could be more developed and some parts of the story feel disjointed. A subplot involving a group of girls is related to the narrative but it feels like something totally separate. It doesn’t add much to the book.
The Final Verdict:
The book presents a dystopian view of a world that survived the environmental emergency we currently face. Keith and Lulu’s participation in Project F allows young readers to connect with the characters and generates important questions for consideration. Overall, this book is a quick read that will be enjoyed by lovers of nature and adventure.
The author creates a novel vision of a future world that follows an environmental crisis on Earth. Coal apparently has the worst reputation of all energy sources as no one would dare use it today. Electricity is one common thread between past and present as it was deemed too important for the survival of humanity. The plot has the feel of a society wiped out and starting over with bits of saved technology thrown in. It’s interesting to see what inventions are kept from life centuries before. The characters travel by steam engine because it’s the fastest form of transportation but they use horse-drawn carriages around town. However, they have electric lights and use telephones to make calls across the country. Characters have vague impressions of the previous world without any specific examples.
Keith is the main character and he has an insatiable taste for adventure. Before a train ride across the country, he tells his father he won’t get involved in anything that’s not his business but that’s not Keith’s personality. It won’t surprise anyone when he doesn’t turn a lost bag into lost and found and decides to track down the owner on his own. He ends up in the middle of an exciting opportunity even though he has doubts about whether it’s legal. Even worse, he drags his six-year-old cousin Lulu into it and makes her promise to keep a secret. Lulu’s already dealing with the sudden death of her parents so withholding the truth from others and telling small lies creates an emotional dilemma.
The message underscoring the story concerns environmental issues and how they may ultimately make Earth uninhabitable. Characters in the story don’t typically experience the negative effects of pollution and the callous treatment people have toward flora and fauna. However, they’ve been taught horror stories of how animals, plants, and resources were eliminated to critical levels. The sensitivity to nature is exemplified when a group of girls are appalled that another girl kills a butterfly for no reason. It’s just a bug, right? The new laws don’t allow humans to do anything that might harm wildlife. The book’s conflict emerges when readers discover some characters have a radically different and dangerous outlook on their future.
What didn’t work as well:
The revelation of Project F is a bit anticlimactic but the energy source is what’s significant. The plot and characters could be more developed and some parts of the story feel disjointed. A subplot involving a group of girls is related to the narrative but it feels like something totally separate. It doesn’t add much to the book.
The Final Verdict:
The book presents a dystopian view of a world that survived the environmental emergency we currently face. Keith and Lulu’s participation in Project F allows young readers to connect with the characters and generates important questions for consideration. Overall, this book is a quick read that will be enjoyed by lovers of nature and adventure.
November 3, 2023
When Keith's aunt and uncle die in a tragic swimming accident, he is sent via train to bring his cousin Lulu back. On the journey, Keith's bag is accidentally switched with a fellow rider named Malcolm who got off at the Graves Mountain stop. In Malcolm's bag Keith finds intriguing diagrams for some kind of mechanical device. Since the Great Fall, the world hasn't had many mechanical devices. Fossil fuel use was banned, a horrible time happened, and now humanity just lives in a few simple villages connected by a train. Keith has a hunch what the diagrams are for and wants to see if he's right. Lulu is sad and just wants to get to her aunt and uncle, but Keith is determined to find out what Project F is about.
I found this a bit underwhelming. It was very simple, came off a bit preachy, and often felt disjointed. There were characters and some events that did not feel like they added anything to the story (like the hoarder lady in Keith's family's building, and even Keith's neighbor Amity and her friends...they didn't need the page time they got). And most of the characters felt pretty flat. It pretty much felt like a rough draft and needed a bit more work to get everything to come together cohesively. I wish the author's note in the back had been moved to the front in which DuPrau talks about how this is just one way she imagined things could go if we cut out all use of fossil fuels. It would help to know this is just one imagining, because at times I was incredulous that people didn't come up with any alternative energy sources to fossil fuels in 300 years except some small batteries (especially in the years immediately following the crisis when people would really want back the conveniences they lost, nothing like desperation to inspire invention). As an introductory dystopia for mid-Elementary, this could be good and that's the only reason I'm giving it 2.5 stars (rounded to 3). If you or someone you know is looking for a very safe dystopia that looks at what happens when wants vs needs are not kept in the proper perspective, or a cautionary tale about what could happen if we don't curb our use of fossil fuels, then pick this up. If you loved City of Ember and want more, you are likely to be disappointed.
Notes on content: No language issues. No sexual content. One person falls from a great height and breaks some bones. Lulu's parents die off page. Keith is keeping big secrets from his parents and making Lulu keep them too, but the truth does come out and the seriousness of how dangerous that can be is conveyed.
I found this a bit underwhelming. It was very simple, came off a bit preachy, and often felt disjointed. There were characters and some events that did not feel like they added anything to the story (like the hoarder lady in Keith's family's building, and even Keith's neighbor Amity and her friends...they didn't need the page time they got). And most of the characters felt pretty flat. It pretty much felt like a rough draft and needed a bit more work to get everything to come together cohesively. I wish the author's note in the back had been moved to the front in which DuPrau talks about how this is just one way she imagined things could go if we cut out all use of fossil fuels. It would help to know this is just one imagining, because at times I was incredulous that people didn't come up with any alternative energy sources to fossil fuels in 300 years except some small batteries (especially in the years immediately following the crisis when people would really want back the conveniences they lost, nothing like desperation to inspire invention). As an introductory dystopia for mid-Elementary, this could be good and that's the only reason I'm giving it 2.5 stars (rounded to 3). If you or someone you know is looking for a very safe dystopia that looks at what happens when wants vs needs are not kept in the proper perspective, or a cautionary tale about what could happen if we don't curb our use of fossil fuels, then pick this up. If you loved City of Ember and want more, you are likely to be disappointed.
Notes on content: No language issues. No sexual content. One person falls from a great height and breaks some bones. Lulu's parents die off page. Keith is keeping big secrets from his parents and making Lulu keep them too, but the truth does come out and the seriousness of how dangerous that can be is conveyed.
October 5, 2023
Several hundred years in the future, the Earth looks dramatically different from the present day. Most humans live in a few planned cities, and trains are the most frequent means of traveling from one city to the next. Thirteen-year-old Keith Arlo has been tasked with retrieving his recently orphaned cousin from her seaside home, and this is Keith’s most independent undertaking to date. Along the way, Keith meets a mysterious passenger and when their bags are accidentally switched, Keith is introduced to a top-secret world he never knew existed. As the truth comes to light, Keith and the reader discover exactly what happened to bring the world to Keith’s present, and what might be done to encourage a positive future in the reader’s reality, as well.
This contemplative narrative speaks directly to the reader through a third-person, somewhat distanced approach. Extensive descriptions with occasional historical explanations are found in the beginning in particular, which sets the foundation of the story up for the reader. While this can be slow moving, the setting is compelling enough to encourage readers to continue. And once the action begins to pick up, secrets and mysteries abound, and readers will enthusiastically continue to discover what happens next. Thanks to this intentional design, readers often feel as though they are watching a movie unfold, and in this way they may consider the possible ramifications of their actions in an unhurried and nonjudgmental manner.
Climate change is the catalyst for the behaviors that led to the world in which Keith resides, although it has been so long since these events occurred that Keith has very little understanding of them. Because these are contemporary issues for the reader, there is a much more immediate feel to climate choices and how they are impacting the world. Through this fictionalized tale, readers are invited to observe Keith’s world and how it has changed as a result of decisions made centuries before while considering what changes they themselves might make in the present. Fans of speculative fiction and upper middle grade adventure stories will appreciate this approach to a global crisis. This is a thought-provoking addition to library collections for young readers.
This contemplative narrative speaks directly to the reader through a third-person, somewhat distanced approach. Extensive descriptions with occasional historical explanations are found in the beginning in particular, which sets the foundation of the story up for the reader. While this can be slow moving, the setting is compelling enough to encourage readers to continue. And once the action begins to pick up, secrets and mysteries abound, and readers will enthusiastically continue to discover what happens next. Thanks to this intentional design, readers often feel as though they are watching a movie unfold, and in this way they may consider the possible ramifications of their actions in an unhurried and nonjudgmental manner.
Climate change is the catalyst for the behaviors that led to the world in which Keith resides, although it has been so long since these events occurred that Keith has very little understanding of them. Because these are contemporary issues for the reader, there is a much more immediate feel to climate choices and how they are impacting the world. Through this fictionalized tale, readers are invited to observe Keith’s world and how it has changed as a result of decisions made centuries before while considering what changes they themselves might make in the present. Fans of speculative fiction and upper middle grade adventure stories will appreciate this approach to a global crisis. This is a thought-provoking addition to library collections for young readers.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 176 reviews