Jeanne DuPrau’s City of Ember is one of those books you can imagine kids staying up all night to read, then going to the library the next day asking “Where’s the next City of Ember book?” After reading the first few pages, it’s easy to understand why.
I don’t want to give away too much, but I will tell you that Ember is a city of darkness, lit only by electric light, although the populace is largely ignorant of what makes it work. The city experiences a series of black-outs, yet the government assures the people that everything is just fine, despite rising prices and escalating shortages of food and non-perishable goods. (Sound familiar?)
Even before her school’s Assignment Day, in which children’s careers are determined literally by drawing from a hat, Lina senses that something is wrong in Ember. After just a few days working as a messenger, Lina knows that the situation is growing critical, despite the mayor’s “All is well” speeches. Lina finds a cryptic message and enlists the help of Doon, a boy whose new career as a pipeworker may help them discover the secret behind Ember.
Many questions are unanswered in City of Ember, questions about the origins of the city, it’s structure, it’s science and technology (or lack of it) and more. Perhaps those questions are answered in the sequel The People of Sparks. Regardless, I was captivated by DuPrau’s story and in particular the lessons that Lina learns along the way. It’s clear there’s much more to learn, not only about Ember, but about herself.
The movie version of City of Ember opens nationwide tomorrow. I’m not very impressed with the trailer, so play it safe: read the book first!
***UPDATE***
Roger Ebert's review of the film confirms what I'd suspected. Stick with the book.
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