[Review] Project F by Jeanne DuPrau

Solid writing with a good overarching message about the dangers of fossil fuels. There are valuable lessons in this book about making hard choices and about how our hedonistic desires can sometimes cloud our judgment. There are definitely good life lessons and messages in this book.

But, as much as I wanted to love this book, I had some issues with the plot structure. The first part of the book was tight and cohesive. The second half of the book rambled around a bit, with tertiary characters (a group of young girls) that kept popping up. Their random appearances were a distraction from the story, and really didn't contribute anything to the plot (they never even interacted with the MC until the last couple pages). I kept waiting for them to serve some sort of purpose. But, in the end, they were just an arbitrary and off-putting addition to the book.

A good read for its educational merit, but a bit lacking in structure.

Note: I received this book as an ARC. It is scheduled to be released Oct 10, 2023.

3 stars