Jeanne DuPrau

In the year 241, twelve-year-old Lina trades jobs on Assignment Day to be a Messenger to run to new places in her decaying but beloved city, perhaps even to glimpse Unknown Regions.

The City of Ember

The City of Ember (The First Book of Ember)

This honestly holds up very well so many years later. I read this when I was 7, so I recall enjoying it but had none of the details memorized. I found myself enthralled by the world building and the mystery of the city. Obviously, it reads as quite “young”, but I appreciate that it still managed to be interesting with complex themes while easily digestible for the intended demographic. There was definitely a reason little dystopian-lover me loved this series.

Nik ✨

Crystal L

**This was a re-read for Reading Glasses 2020 Challenge** 

I first read this book years ago and still vividly remembered the story as I reread this time. DuPrau does a wonderful job of building a dystopian future that you could imagine. The world she created is vivid, the characters have diverse personalities, and the story is fast-paced. 

A city made to save humanity is now failing, the citizens have no idea about their history, the outside world, or the rationale behind their town. Although the Builders left behind a note, it has long since been forgotten and now and there is no way to know how much longer Ember will be able to survive as the power grid starts to fail, as supplies are depleted, and the harsh reality of their situation is hidden from them. 

I've already added the next three books in the series to my library holds and I'm excited to see what happens next.

Caterina P.

Jeanne DuPrau displays human curiosity and emotion truly throughout her novel. DuPrau's writing is amazing, her novel flows extremely well. 
“The great lights of Ember have kept the endless darkness that surrounds the city at bay. But now the lights are starting to flicker…” (Jeanne DuPrau) In a dying city, electricity is treasured and used sparingly, food is running out, people are living on the edge. Upon graduating school the students draw their jobs at random. The generator of Ember is located deep underground through a maze of tunnels and pipes, Doon is desperate to get to the generator. He believes he has the solution, he believes he can fix it. Upon finding a mysterious, decrepit, letter in the box hidden in Lina’s family’s closet Doon and Lina discover there is something much greater going on in Ember: something beyond the generator, something beyond the endless darkness, something greater and more immense than Ember itself.

"*Film Opens in NZ on Jan 22nd across 40 screens nationwide* Many hundreds of years ago, the city of Ember was created by the Builders to contain everything needed for human survival. It worked - but now the storerooms are almost out of food, crops are blighted, corruption is spreading through the city and worst of all - the lights are failing. Soon Ember could be engulfed by darkness-But when two children, Lina and Doon, discover fragments of an ancient parchment, they begin to wonder if there could be a way out of Ember. Can they decipher the words from long ago and find a new future for everyone? Will the people of Ember listen to them?"

Sian Wadey

** spoiler alert **
           
The City of Ember by Jeanne Du Prau

I made the mistake of seeing the film first when it came to this book. Unlike the majority of other cases I actually enjoyed the film more than the book. Despite that, I did like the book. It had 'the pull' that kept you turning page after page. The characters of Lina, Doon and their respective guardians were well written and I'm glad that the author didn't create a romantic storyline for them. It was an easy read, which was just what I was looking for. However, there were several downsides in relation to the film. The one think I remembered about the movie was the clever mechanism with the boats and how they got into the water. It was a bit of a disappointment for them to just pick up the boats and put them in the river. I felt like the instructions were a bit of a disappointment. It was simply, find the hole and climb into it rather than working anything out. 
Overall, I gave it three stars because it did entertain and if I come across the rest of the books I will read them. The idea itself is also brilliant. But I actually would've preferred a novelised version of the film!

Callie Anna

It was a good story, but it was written for younger children. I love children's stories, but this was just...simple. *shrugs*

Kaley Catron

I love this book. I always will. It’s just all around a good story and I love the idea and the characters. And honestly just the nostalgia that comes with it 🥰

Kathryn 

This book was really interesting! I wasnt like incredibly invested in the characters or anything but it was a really quick read and it definitely had me wondering what was going to happen through the entire thing!

Caroline Lewicki

I thought this was a fine book. The concept is interesting and there's definitely a good amount of mystery and suspense. I didn't really care for the characters - I thought some deeper character development could have helped and maybe made me want to continue the series, but I just didn't feel connected to them at all. A good book for late elementary, early middle grader readers who like mysteries or sci-fi.

chloe g

Beautiful story. Would recommend this to anybody. So much changes from what you thought you knew in the story, and you discover it right along with the characters.

Many hundreds of years ago, the city of Ember was created by the Builders to contain everything needed for human survival. It worked - but now the storerooms are almost out of food, crops are blighted, corruption is spreading through the city and worst of all - the lights are failing. Soon Ember could be engulfed by darkness-But when two children, Lina and Doon, discover fragments of an ancient parchment, they begin to wonder if there could be a way out of Ember. Can they decipher the words from long ago and find a new future for everyone? Will the people of Ember listen to them?

nuha ✨️

I never imagined that something so complicated can be written in such a simple manner. It really blows my mind. I never thought I would enjoy juvenile fiction either, but it was so easy to get through. Lina and Doon are obviously 12, and it shows. But they were pretty interesting characters with such different personalities. Kind of made me reminisce about my 12-year-old days and how stupid I was.

Ellie Reed

Rereading a favorite childhood series. I don't remember what I loved about it but it's still a fun read for me. Theres a nice variety of characters that I like getting to know again.

Emily C Peterson

Bumping down on re-read because I'm older than the first time I read this book. Definitely still enjoyed it, and the audio is fantastic!

Book 1

Audrey

I read this a while ago definitely an easy read for me. 

Christina Hufford

I was really surprised to find how much I liked this book; the writing is really simple, as it is a children's book, but the story sucked me right in. I think I read this all in one night, actually. There's a good amount of suspense, and the entire idea of living in a city (that you don't know is underground) run on electricity that keeps failing, sending your entire world into pitch darkness ... that's a pretty scary thought. Some of the descriptions too were just great; I know a lot of people laugh at the cliché of authors describing sunrises but oh my GOD, the sunrise at the end of this book is a cathartic experience. 

(BTW 3 stars isn't meant to be disparaging; for me means it was a good read, I enjoyed it a lot, but I don't know if I'll read it again. In fact, this is the star system I'm going to start using on reviews:

Star system:
1 star: what the shit was this book
2 stars: I didn't like it, but it didn't make me MAD. 
3 stars: I liked it! But I probably won't read it again. 
4 stars: Such a good book. Would recommend. 
5 stars: THIS BOOK HAS REDUCED MY SOUL TO MELTED BUTTERY CRUMBS OF GOODNESS AND WARMTH (or maybe coldness and despair) AND HAS IRREVOCABLY CHANGED MY WORLDVIEW. Or it's a Harry Potter book. Those get 5 stars by default because hello. )

The Graphic Novel

Jessica Nottingham

Last month the library had a very large display of graphic novels that were adaptations of well-known stories. I honestly didn't realize, up until that point, that so many books have graphic novel counterparts! As soon as I saw The City of Ember, I had to pick it up. That book has fond memories for me. It was one of the first stories I used while I was a tutor in high school. I think it'd be safe to say that I have a bit of attachment to it.
 
I'll honestly say, this wasn't quite what I was hoping for. While it wasn't badly done, by any means, it just didn't put forth that same intriguing feeling that the book did. I suppose I should have been prepared for the panels to be very dark. After all, Ember is underground. Still, the darker palette of the panels made them hard for me to focus on. I had to go back more than once to pick up small details that I missed the first time around. The story lost some it's luster here as well. Obviously a lot had to be left out in order for it in graphic novel form. 
 
Long story short, I'll stick with the book. For this bookworm, it reigns supreme.

Lorien O'Brien

This book never interested me, but I'd heard the movie was good, and decided to watch it several years ago. I loved it and was dying to see what would happen next. When I found a copy in terrible condition at a library sale I purchased it to read. And I have.

It's much larger than the movie said, although the mole from the movie doesn't exist. I loved Doon and Lina, especially their curiosity. The mayor was much more than the movie portrayed, not just a coward and thief, but willing to hurt children to keep his secret.

I'm just as eager as before to continue the story and see what happens, as well as maybe watch the movie again and compare. I'm glad I decided to purchase the next book to continue on!

Erin 

Woah, I cannot tell you how much I loved this book, and how many times I reread it. It has such an interesting premise! I don't think I have heard anything even remotely similar. There are twists everywhere, and while not large, they are so entertaining and keep one grasping for more to find out what other things are not actually true.

I loved The City of Ember when I was in middle school, and I'm on a bit of a graphic novel kick at the moment, so this was a delightful discovery (yay libraries!). The art was cool and the story is just as impressively good. Definitely an underdog in the dystopian genre, and had a huge impact on my 13-year-old self.

The City of Ember

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