“There is so much darkness in Ember, Lina. It’s not just outside, it’s inside us too. Everyone has some darkness inside. It’s like a hungry creature. It wants and wants and wants with a terrible power. And the more you give it, the bigger and hungrier it gets,” (DuPrau 168).
Hundreds of years ago, the city of Ember was created by the Builders to ensure that humanity lived on in a world of crisis. Food and medical supplies were stocked, crops were planted, and lightbulbs kept the city bright and shining. But now Ember is suffering. The crops are blighted, the shelves in the storeroom emptying, and rolling blackouts across the city panic many Emberites into wondering if one day they will be plunged into darkness forever. When twelve-year-olds Lina and Doon find ancient parchment that could be a clue to saving Ember they try to get the adults around them to listen and help, but will they be able to figure out what the Builders had in store for them? And do the people of Ember really want to listen?
I remember when The City of Ember got big when I was a kid and was shocked to learn that it still holds the interest of a lot of young readers nowadays. I can understand why, it feels very much like The Giver and there are also very few dystopian novels for kids. I think this genre excites kids because these books feature regular children becoming aware of injustices around them and standing up for what is right, and it would be great to see more dystopian middle grade books out there.
The City of Ember is a good read. I liked reading following both Lina and Doon and I think DuPrau does an excellent job balancing their perspectives while also giving them great motivations for why they want to fight for Ember. But I do think some things are a little vague. The Builders remain mysterious characters, despite mentions of a book about Ember’s creation it is never explained why the city was made. But this might be a blessing. The City of Ember is a series of four books and while I have no intention of reading the books for myself I did search some summaries to get an idea of how the series go and let me tell you it truly takes some bizarre turns. Still though, there were a bit too many conveniences in the very last chapter.
But it’s a good story, and I understand why kids are still reading it so many years later. The City of Ember holds up as an engaging and inspiring story and I hope there are some middle grade children’s authors taking note of what their young readers are looking for in their next book.
Publication: May 13 2003
Publisher: Random House Books for Young Readers
Pages: 270 pages (Hardcover)
Source: Library
Genre: Fiction, Dystopian, Middle Grade
My Rating: ⛤⛤⛤⛤
Summary:
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?
Sarah O'Connor 