Search - The Diamond of Darkhold (Books of Ember, Bk 4)

Once again this is another marvelous book by DuPrau, about the citizens of Ember, specifically Lina and Doon. This time Lina and Doon come across a book written for the Emberlites that talks about a mysterious diamond and how it will change everything. It is then that they travel back to Ember where they make some shocking discoveries. This was a wonderful conclusion, but I was sad to be done with it all.

Much better than the previous two books, yet not quite capturing the spirit of the first, I enjoyed the continuing story of Lina and Doon. There leaves little to no room for another sequel, which is probably just as well, as DuPrau has become a little preachy.

Despite the obstacles they face, Lina and Doon persevere and end up the town heroes once again (as expected). There are no surprises here, but if you've finished the first three in the series and you're like me, you need to know how the series wraps up.

Reviewed by Andrew S. Cohen for TeensReadToo.com

In the fourth book of Ember, we enter with the newly unified town of Sparks preparing for the winter, a few months after the city of Ember's emergence from underground. Supplies are growing sparse and sickness becomes abundant in this town, as they question their sustainability for the harsh cold of wintertime.

Protagonists Doon and Lina set off on another adventure, based on a prophecy from a book stating their is something left "for the people of Ember" that will aid them through the winter. They venture back to their old town of Ember to seek out supplies that their old community has left behind, where they meet an unlikely foe and seek out this mysterious, perhaps magical device to "bring light to a dark world."

Through the motif of hope, DuPrau illustrates an exciting page-turner that had me up all night so I could finish. Though lacking as much thought and depth as the initial book in the series, the author creates an interesting storyline along with introducing peculiar side characters such as Washton Trogg.

The end of the book seems a bit anticlimactic, as their adventure ends sort of to a nothingness, with DuPrau feeling a look to the future as sufficient hope for the success of mankind and their moral triumphs. Otherwise, THE DIAMOND OF DARKHOLD should not disappoint avid readers of the series. In order to grasp full meaning of the story, I would highly suggest reading at least books one and two (three is a prequel to the first and has little overlap).

Overall, Duprau succeeds in this installment and I would recommend it to those who have enjoyed the first of her books.