The City of Ember (The City of Ember Book 1)
Ember is the only light in a dark world. But when its lamps begin to flicker, two friends must race to escape the dark. This highly acclaimed adventure series is a modern-day classic—with over 4 MILLION copies sold!
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 dim. When Lina finds part of an ancient message, she’s sure it holds a secret that will save the city. Now, she and her friend Doon must race to figure out the clues to keep the lights on. If they succeed, they will have to convince everyone to follow them into danger. But if they fail? The lights will burn out and the darkness will close in forever.
Nominated to 28 State Award Lists!
An American Library Association Notable Children’s Book
A New York Public Library 100 Titles for Reading and Sharing Selection
A Kirkus Reviews Editors’ Choice
A Child Magazine Best Children’s Book
A Mark Twain Award Winner
A William Allen White Children’s Book Award Winner
“A realistic post-apocalyptic world. DuPrau’s book leaves Doon and Lina on the verge of undiscovered country and readers wanting more.” —USA Today
“An electric debut.” —Publishers Weekly, Starred
“While Ember is colorless and dark, the book itself is rich with description.” —VOYA, Starred
“A harrowing journey into the unknown, and cryptic messages for readers to decipher.” —Kirkus Reviews, Starred
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 dim. When Lina finds part of an ancient message, she’s sure it holds a secret that will save the city. Now, she and her friend Doon must race to figure out the clues to keep the lights on. If they succeed, they will have to convince everyone to follow them into danger. But if they fail? The lights will burn out and the darkness will close in forever.
Nominated to 28 State Award Lists!
An American Library Association Notable Children’s Book
A New York Public Library 100 Titles for Reading and Sharing Selection
A Kirkus Reviews Editors’ Choice
A Child Magazine Best Children’s Book
A Mark Twain Award Winner
A William Allen White Children’s Book Award Winner
“A realistic post-apocalyptic world. DuPrau’s book leaves Doon and Lina on the verge of undiscovered country and readers wanting more.” —USA Today
“An electric debut.” —Publishers Weekly, Starred
“While Ember is colorless and dark, the book itself is rich with description.” —VOYA, Starred
“A harrowing journey into the unknown, and cryptic messages for readers to decipher.” —Kirkus Reviews, Starred
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Community Reviews
Brillian. Lina and Doon struggle against the authorities to prove there has to be a way out. Doon works in the pipeline and Lina as a messenger. Her bestie Lizzie has stolen food and her so call boyfriend Looper is the mayor's food and luxuary hustler. While all if Ember is suffering, the Mayor, his loyal guards and Looper are indulging. Lina finds an old paper that Poppy chewed up but Lina saves in time. She deciphers it and shows it to Doon. Together they figure it out and so into the pipe works and find the exit. They try to be glorified heros and bask in the "the moment the town finds out" but it backfires and they leave the city that they love into the unknown in the pipeworks. They are chased by the mayor and his guards. It turns out, they not only get out, but they discover if they look into a very deep hole, they can see above their city. It turns out, they were living underground all this time. They bundle a message up and throw it down the hole where the person who adopts Lina and Poppy find it.
Onto the People of Sparks.
Onto the People of Sparks.
Beautiful. Reminiscent of The Giver, The City of Ember was recommended to me two years ago to a student on the last real day of school. We sat around and all the kids got to recommend one book that they thought everyone else should read during the summer and I wrote all the titles on the board. She recommended this one. It may have taken me two years, but I've finally read it and I'm so glad. Yes, I could see where this story was headed, but I didn't mind because I so thoroughly enjoyed it. I think I really like underground books, because I was getting some of the same feelings as when I read Gregor the Overlander for the first time. A sense of wonderment. I read this so fast. I didn't want to -- I wanted to savor it -- but I couldn't slow down. There's at least one more. I don't know how I feel about this. I think it ended perfectly, and I've been bitten by sequels recently. All I know is this book provoked feelings of enchantment and excitement and intrigue and I really enjoyed it, to the point that I even thought about doing it in my class. We'll have to see how I feel come next August. Regardless, this is a book well worth reading.
2020:
Reread it and appreciated the little town details a little more. Plus makes a good quarantine read with the obsession on running out of canned goods. I feel you Emberites!
2017:
It was a good story, but a little slow for me. Based on the ending, I'm interested in what happens next in the series though, so I'll probably read the next one.
Reread it and appreciated the little town details a little more. Plus makes a good quarantine read with the obsession on running out of canned goods. I feel you Emberites!
2017:
It was a good story, but a little slow for me. Based on the ending, I'm interested in what happens next in the series though, so I'll probably read the next one.
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