The City of Ember: Summary and book reviews of The City of Ember by Jeanne DuPrau, plus links to an excerpt from The City of Ember and a biography of Jeanne DuPrau.
The City of Ember
by Jeanne DuPrau
Hardcover: May 2003,
288 pages.
Paperback: May 2004,
270 pages.
The city of Ember was built as a last refuge for the human race. Two hundred years later, the great lamps that light the city are beginning to flicker. When Lina finds part of an ancient message, she's sure it holds a secret that will save the city. She and her friend Doon must decipher the message before the lights go out on Ember forever! This stunning debut novel offers refreshingly clear writing and fascinating, original characters.
BOOK REVIEWS
Media Reviews
School Library Journal - John Peters
Gr 4-7. The setting may not be so ingeniously envisioned as those of, say, Joan Aiken's Is Underground (Turtleback, 1995) and Lois Lowry's The Giver (Houghton, 1993), but the quick pace and the uncomplicated characters and situations will keep voracious fans of the genre engaged.
Kirkus Reviews
The setting is well-realized with the constraints of life in the city intriguingly detailed. The likable protagonists are not only courageous but also believably flawed by human pride, their weaknesses often complementing each other in interesting ways. The cliffhanger ending will leave readers clamoring for the next installment. Ages 9-13.
USA Today
DuPrau's first foray into fiction creates a realistic post-apocalyptic world where everyone has lived underground for so long that they assume it has always been that way. . . . Reminiscent of post-apocalypse fiction like Robert O'Brien's Z for Zachariah, DuPrau's book leaves Doon and Lina on the verge of the undiscovered country and readers wanting more.
VOYA
Starred Review. While Ember is colorless and dark, the book itself is rich with description. . . . Part mystery, part adventure story, this novel provides science fiction for those who do not like science fiction.
Recent Reader Reviews
Rated of 5
by Janice Thoroughly enjoyed, Recommend to anyone I thoroughly enjoyed reading The City of Ember. The storyline follows the standard tale of adolescent children who are brave and smart enough to try and solve their people’s problem. Even though the story has that same skeletal structure, the plot... Read More
Rated of 5
by Zach The city ofEmber One of the greatest books I have read, for ages 9-13.
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VOYA
of 5
by Janice
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