The City of Ember (Books of Ember) – Imaginative Science Fiction for Young Readers
Jeanne DuPrau tells the story of the great, underground city of Ember, an apparent haven for the human race in a time of great turmoil. After several centuries, food has become scarce and the great generator has begun to fail causing the lights begin to go out, threatening to leave this small pocket of civilization in permanent darkness. We follow two teens, Lina and Doon, as they begin to piece together fragments of an ancient parchment that may hold the key to salvation from Ember left by the ancient Builders. The teens’ desire to escape has grown from the fact that they have never known anything but the amber artificial light of their small subterranean city and feel trapped like rats. What will happen when the generator finally fails and what awaits them in the forbidden and great Unknown beyond?
Though the dialogue is at time a little thin and the plot rather straightforward, City of Ember introduces some very intriguing and imaginative settings not seen elsewhere, and concludes with a very positive and thought provoking message.
In 2008, City of Ember was released as a major motion picture starring Bill Murray, Tim Robbins, Martin Landau, Saoirse Ronan, and Harry Treadaway. The clockwork, Steampunk aesthetic and quirky characters make for a highly entertaining and unique adventure story. Of course, we always recommend reading the book first, or at the very least, afterwards so as to participate in the original author’s stylistic and thematic intent. This tie-in edition of The City of Ember features a movie-art cover and an 8-page photo insert.
- Reading level: Young Adult
- Paperback: 288 pages
- Publisher: Yearling; Reprint edition (August 26, 2008)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 0385736282
- ISBN-13: 978-0385736282
