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.

My enjoyment of Project F was definitely not on the same level as it was for the "City of Ember" series, but Project F was still a fun read. Kids plus a secret equals adventure. While the premise was interesting, the novel didn't have the pull I was anticipating to give it a higher rating. I liked this one ok and will definitely read future Jeanne DuPrau novels.

I was so excited to see a new offering from DuPrau as I loved her other books in the "City of Ember" series. Unfortunately, I was very disappointed in this effort. Although the character of Keith was well drawn and his youthful decisions understandable, The rest of the book and the various story lines just didn't gel into one cohesive story. I found that I was pushing myself to finish the book instead of eagerly turning the pages. The heavy message of environmental awareness could have been handled with a bit more finesse. I'm not sure the middle grades readers this is aimed at will fully embrace the preachy message. Overall a disappointing effort.

I have a mixed bag of thoughts and emotions about this book. Keith is a good character who struggles with making the right decision. In a way, he made a decision based on his own gratification at first. He weighed his emotions and rights before the needs of his community. He got sucked into things that were not good. Without giving spoilers, he turned that decision around when he decided to tell the truth. I like this element of the storyline. I like that he turned around his bad decision and did something right. However, I don't know if the environmental message on this level is appropriate for middle school students. Yes, there is a need for responsibilities to take care of nature and what was given to us. I think this book hit the message a little too hard. All the world's woes do not point to the environment. There should be a balance. There could have been an alternative solution like finding a source of renewable power.

As far as the other characters and the side stories, they left me lacking enough details. I also wish the story of LuLu's secret was told more in-depth or sooner. I love the girls' Tuesday outings, but it is was vague tie-in with the main storyline. Besides random paths crossed and the ending, they had little to do with Keith's plot. Then when we get to the end and discover what is the pond, it is like Amity was honoring it. She didn't know what to do it with it, and decorated it. Wasn't this part of the problem that caused the environmental decline?

This was a well written story on a topical subject but I had mixed feelings while reading, and they continue to trouble me now that I’ve finished the book.
DuPrau has constructed an interesting world 300 years in the future when what is left of humanity has picked up the pieces after reliance on fossil fuels has destroyed the world as we know it. There are a few of the old conveniences still available — limited electric power, some medications, sedately moving steam powered trains, to name a few. But all fossil fuels are banned so of course no cars or planes. Society is now strictly urban with the land beyond the cities preserved and protected for plants and animals. Forests have returned. The air is clear. Life is good.
There are, however a few dreamers and schemers who want to push for change. A young teen is caught in the middle, knowing the laws are in place to protect the world while feeling a curiosity to test the limits.
It is no secret how the author feels about this quandary. She paints the tech crowd as being motivated by greed and power. Certainly we see in our society this is frequently the case, but there are also those who are driven by the quest for knowledge and even altruism.
It also bothered me that the rest of the population was so docile. Removing fossil fuels will not automatically make people kind. There were plenty of wars when men rode horses and carried swords.
Another aspect that I found very disturbing was the way world leaders implemented the ban on fossil fuels with little thought on planning or implementing a transition. A Middle School book may not have the space or the interest in addressing that failure, but it was so glaring, I would imagine readers would be appalled. The topic cries out for elaboration.
This story will certainly initiate discussions on a serious topic, but I think it could have been far more if it had been more even handed.

DNF @ 40%

I was excited to read this since I LOVED City of Ember, but wow this was a huge disappointment. I made it 40% of the way through the book and yet none of the story had really been revealed. I was so bored and didn't feel motivated to finish it or even care to find out how it ended.

I received an ARC from NetGalley. However, all opinions are my own.

My students and I love the "City of Ember" series, so I was excited to get an advanced digital copy of PROJECT F. Unfortunately, the book was missing something for me. Although I found parts of the future interesting, I think there were so many interesting things about this future (like how the world moved on after fossil fuels) that could have been explored. The same thing could be said about what was destroying the world. I feel like there were missed opportunities to make connections between fossil fuels and how they were destroying the world. I was also confused with some of the characters. I'm not sure why Lulu's story and her secret was included? What did the death of her parents add to the story? There was also the next door (or downstairs) neighbor that seemed out of place. Thank you to NetGalley for this advanced digital copy.

I really enjoyed this book. Following Keith was great and lulu added a nice depth to the story. It focused on the struggle between what you want to do and doing what is right. I believe it is very relatable and I would want my kids to read it.

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.

I have mixed feelings regarding this book. I found the concept, message and the children's adventure intriguing. However, the writing is flat and the characters lack depth. I had much bigger expectations for DePrau because I love her Ember Series. I was hoping for more of the thrills and character development that can be found there. Sadly, it simply never quite made it. This book has been described as more like an outline than a novel. I agree. There was potential for a far more interesting and enjoyable book. Simply put, it wasn't as good as it could have been. A solid 3 out of 5 stars.

I stopped after chapter 1 (9%), but this book is incredibly readable and should go over well with the middle grade set. It definitely reads for the demographic.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Children's for the ARC.

City of Ember is and remains one of my favorite dystopian books, and I was looking forward to reading this new book based on that and the description. Sadly, while it is a fast read (and does offer food for discussion) it needs significantly more work to reach the potential it does have. The protagonist’s character arc is almost nonexistent, and a secondary plot point falls flat as well. Worthwhile and timely topic, but the execution is lacking — I do not see myself spending budget money on this version of the story.

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.)

Each time I've talked about this book, I've started with, "Its a dystopian future kind of novel....except the future doesn't seem all that dystopian, just very different. Imagine if all the world leaders said that tomorrow we would all stop using fossil fuels. Then fast forward through the decades of dystopia and you meet a boy taking a train trip alone to pick up his newly orphaned cousin. A suitcase mixup leaves him with some perplexing secret plans on his hands. I love the worlds crafted by this author and this one was enjoyable as well.

Loved The City of Ember, so I was eager to read this book. I struggled reading this book. I felt it was slow and just hard to get into and read. Unfortunately, I can say this book is not for me.

This book was so good! I loved how you get pieces of information slowly and it all comes together in the end! I also enjoyed the small plot twist at the end. Once again, Jeanne DuPrau has not let us down!

Thank you NetGalley for providing this Advanced Reading Copy in exchange for an honest review.
Jeanne DuPrau wrote the best-selling book The City of Ember, so I was excited to be awarded an advanced copy of her latest book to review. I think the author used this very short book as a way to express her opinions on the cautionary use of fossil fuels. Honestly, I am so disappointed and still shaking my head after what I just read or what I think I read. What did I just read?! (Slaps palm to forehead). My understanding is this story is supposed to be geared towards children, but I don't have a clue what she meant to do with it. I can only imagine she was so focused on making her point that she completely forgot she was writing a book to be enjoyably read. Sadly, one star.

Project F is an imagined future without fossil fuels. This story was short and more plot driven than character driven. I can see it appealing to younger middle grade because of the pacing and simplicity of the story.

I was very excited to read this, as I loved City of Ember. 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.

Project F imagines a world that is coming back from near human extinction due to climate change. Civilization has been rearranged and reorganized and now must adhere to what some feel are strict rules. Fossil fuels have been banned for years, limiting travel.

When Keith stumbles across a mysterious project named Project F, he can't help but get involved. His curiosity leads him to discover that a group of scientists are trying to create a tool to make man fly again. Keith wants so badly to be a part of this, but is it the right thing to do?