review 1: Eleanor Glewwe’s SPARKERS is set in a world divided by racial prejudice and intolerance. The city-state Ashara is ruled by the kasiri, who are powerful magicians, able to shoot sparks of magic from their hands. The “halani,” on the other hand, are non-magical, and are thus scorned and ridiculed – the kasiri call the halini “Sparkers,” an ironic slur meant to highlight their lack of magical ability. In this society, the kasiri hold all the power – they make up the ruling Assembly, they hold all the good jobs, and they make all the money. The halini are relegated to crowded slums where they struggle to make a life for their families. Fourteen-year-old Marah Levi is halani – she loves to decipher languages, including ancient ones that have become lost to ... moreher people. She’s also a violin virtuoso with dreams of winning a place at a coveted music school. When Marah assists a young kasiri girl who is lost in the market, she meets the girl’s family, including her brother Azariah (who’s also into ancient languages). When a deadly plague breaks out, affecting kasiri and halani alike, the only hope for a cure might lie in a rare book that only Marah and Azariah know exists. Can they decipher the book in time to save Ashara, or will racism and bigotry doom them all?This is a rather somber book, with a very heavy message. The political structure of Ashara can be compared to any number of real-life racial conflicts, including whites and blacks in America, Jews and gentiles in the mid-twentieth century, and even Israelis and Palestinians today. Azariah’s family, while kasiri and thus magical, are also “liberal” in their belief that a better relationship between kasiri and halani would be beneficial for Ashara – they favor integrated schools, and even the possibility of a halani role in government. But, as Marah comes to realize, “It’s not enough to have liberal-minded kasiri on our side. We need out own voice.” And it’s that voice that she and Azariah are fighting for as they work to find the cure for the plague. Unfortunately, while Azariah’s family is sympathetic, many more powerful kasiri are not. Marah and Azariah are threats to the racial purity the kasiri value above all else, and thus their search for the cure is very dangerous. SPARKERS is being marketed as a Middle Grade book, aimed at readers aged 10-14. While the prose is appropriate for that age group, I do wonder whether the tone and pace of the story would appeal to young readers. There’s absolutely no humor in this novel, and little emotional content. Marah and Azariah, both fourteen, do become friends, but there’s little hint of either romance or real affection between them. Marah does love her brother, Caleb, and her best friend Leah, but neither relationship is particularly well developed. This is definitely a plot-driven novel, with its dark and sobering message coming through loud and clear – as Marah puts it, “we sit in the semidarkness, contemplating the unfathomable depths of the world’s injustice.” That’s exactly what this novel is all about – “the unfathomable depths of the world’s injustice” – and we are all in “semidarkness,” Glewwe suggests, until that injustice can be conquered.Another problem for young readers might be the role of magic in this novel. While it sounds exciting that the kasiri are all magicians, able to cast spells and shoot sparks from their fingers, this is no Harry Potter! Glewwe is not much interested in the magical aspects of her story – yes, Azariah and his family can cast spells, but this is such a small part of the story that it’s easy to forget it’s even there. Magic is used here primarily as a means of dividing the kasiri and the halani, and since the kasiri (for the most part) are the bad guys, their magic is never shown as fantastical or exciting. And that’s too bad.I admire Glewwe’s message here, and as an adult I appreciate the extent to which she explores the evils of racism and intolerance. I just never felt particularly close to any of the characters, and it was a bit of a stretch for me to accept two teenagers as the only ones who could find the cure to a mysterious and deadly disease. There is a “twist” at the end of the novel, revealed only in its final act, that attempts to make this part of the plot plausible; it’s only partially successful. Bottom line, SPARKERS is a well-written Middle Grade novel with a very serious message. Had Glewwe spent a little more time developing her characters, and added some much-needed humor, I would have liked it better. As it is, it’s a good book with something important to say to young readers. And in that light, I do recommend it.[Please note: I was provided a copy of this novel for review; the opinions expressed here are my own.] review 2: Mara Levi, who lives in a city where magic is in the hands of a pitiless ruling class, is caught in a plague that turns its victims eyes dark. She and her unlikely friend Azariah stumble across the cure in an ancient book in a forgotten language and spark a revolution when they insists on distributing it equally to all the afflicted. Love the characters and enjoy the world. Good insight into how social norms can cause people to act without kindness, even when they have a better self.Advanced reader copy provided by edelweiss. less
