The City of Ember (The First Book of Ember)
by: Jeanne DuPrau
Price: $5.99
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Amazon.com Review:
It is always night in the city of Ember. But there is no moon, no stars. The only light during the regular twelve hours of "day" comes from floodlamps that cast a yellowish glow over the streets of the city. Beyond are the pitch-black Unknown Regions, which no one has ever explored because an understanding of fire and electricity has been lost, and with it the idea of a Moveable Light. "Besides," they tell each other, "there is nowhere but here" Among the many other things the people of Ember have forgotten is their past and a direction for their future. For 250 years they have lived pleasantly, because there has been plenty of everything in the vast storerooms. But now there are more and more empty shelves--and more and more times when the lights flicker and go out, leaving them in terrifying blackness for long minutes. What will happen when the generator finally fails?
Twelve-year-old Doon Harrow and Lina Mayfleet seem to be the only people who are worried. They have just been assigned their life jobs--Lina as a messenger, which leads her to knowledge of some unsettling secrets, and Doon as a Pipeworker, repairing the plumbing in the tunnels under the city where a river roars through the darkness. But when Lina finds a very old paper with enigmatic "Instructions for Egress," they use the advantages of their jobs to begin to puzzle out the frightening and dangerous way to the city of light of which Lina has dreamed. As they set out on their mission, the haunting setting and breathless action of this stunning first novel will have teens clamoring for a sequel. (Ages 10 to 14) --Patty Campbell
Product Description:
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.
From the Hardcover edition.
It is always night in the city of Ember. But there is no moon, no stars. The only light during the regular twelve hours of "day" comes from floodlamps that cast a yellowish glow over the streets of the city. Beyond are the pitch-black Unknown Regions, which no one has ever explored because an understanding of fire and electricity has been lost, and with it the idea of a Moveable Light. "Besides," they tell each other, "there is nowhere but here" Among the many other things the people of Ember have forgotten is their past and a direction for their future. For 250 years they have lived pleasantly, because there has been plenty of everything in the vast storerooms. But now there are more and more empty shelves--and more and more times when the lights flicker and go out, leaving them in terrifying blackness for long minutes. What will happen when the generator finally fails?
Twelve-year-old Doon Harrow and Lina Mayfleet seem to be the only people who are worried. They have just been assigned their life jobs--Lina as a messenger, which leads her to knowledge of some unsettling secrets, and Doon as a Pipeworker, repairing the plumbing in the tunnels under the city where a river roars through the darkness. But when Lina finds a very old paper with enigmatic "Instructions for Egress," they use the advantages of their jobs to begin to puzzle out the frightening and dangerous way to the city of light of which Lina has dreamed. As they set out on their mission, the haunting setting and breathless action of this stunning first novel will have teens clamoring for a sequel. (Ages 10 to 14) --Patty Campbell
Product Description:
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.
From the Hardcover edition.
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Customer Reviews
Average Rating:
Rating: 
- I Eagerly Recommend This Book!
The City of Ember is falling apart. The Builders designed the city generations ago, but only provided for its survival for 200 years. The secrets to saving the city have been lost, and now the citizens are in a panic as their provisions run low and confusion sweeps through the masses.
Enter 12 year old friends and recent school graduates Lina and Doon. They are both convinced that answers are within their reach, and when Lina finds an old, mysterious document - chewed up and partially ... Read More
Rating: 
- City of Ember at a cafe in my mind
I found this book to be quite an easy read. Keep in mind, the audience this book is aimed towards is kids though. The pictures were great, since I never watched any trailers for the movie, to fill my mind with images of the characters acting out the scenes before my very eyes. This is a great book to read with your children. Jeanne Duprau writes in such a way that allows any aged reader escape into this fictional broken down town. The immediate twist reminds me of Harry Potter when I was only a little ... Read More
Rating: - Seeing the Light
The City of Ember is an unusual place. It has no sun or moon; only floodlights alleviate the darkness. It has no history--the townspeople only know that it was constructed by "the Builders" a few hundred years ago. And the people do not produce their own goods--they rely on what the Builders left for them in storerooms. But Ember has fallen on hard times--walls crumble, resources run low, and food has become scarce. Worst of all, the electrical system is failing and threatening to plunge the entire city ... Read More
Rating: - Excellent read
The City Of Ember was a fantastic read, whether you are an adult or a child.The writing was at the level of a fourth grader, but once you get past that, the story captivates you.What would happen to humanity if a catastrophic event forced us underground?While you don't know what happened in the past, Ember gives an intriguing view of life not knowing anything about the outside world.I would definitley recommend adults and children read it, preferably together.
Rating: 
- Good beginning for the series
"City of Ember" is the children's version of anti-utopian fantasy. The protagonists - twelve-year old girl and boy - live in the gloomy underground city Ember, where the knowledge of most technologies and even many day-to-day things are forgotten. So, Ember does not have computers, cars, any manufacturing, or even boats and matches. It still has the generator that supplies electricity, but nobody understands how it works. What will happen when generator fails? What will happen when food supplies, stored ... Read More
- I Eagerly Recommend This Book!The City of Ember is falling apart. The Builders designed the city generations ago, but only provided for its survival for 200 years. The secrets to saving the city have been lost, and now the citizens are in a panic as their provisions run low and confusion sweeps through the masses.
Enter 12 year old friends and recent school graduates Lina and Doon. They are both convinced that answers are within their reach, and when Lina finds an old, mysterious document - chewed up and partially ... Read More
- City of Ember at a cafe in my mindI found this book to be quite an easy read. Keep in mind, the audience this book is aimed towards is kids though. The pictures were great, since I never watched any trailers for the movie, to fill my mind with images of the characters acting out the scenes before my very eyes. This is a great book to read with your children. Jeanne Duprau writes in such a way that allows any aged reader escape into this fictional broken down town. The immediate twist reminds me of Harry Potter when I was only a little ... Read More
- Seeing the LightThe City of Ember is an unusual place. It has no sun or moon; only floodlights alleviate the darkness. It has no history--the townspeople only know that it was constructed by "the Builders" a few hundred years ago. And the people do not produce their own goods--they rely on what the Builders left for them in storerooms. But Ember has fallen on hard times--walls crumble, resources run low, and food has become scarce. Worst of all, the electrical system is failing and threatening to plunge the entire city ... Read More
- Excellent readThe City Of Ember was a fantastic read, whether you are an adult or a child.The writing was at the level of a fourth grader, but once you get past that, the story captivates you.What would happen to humanity if a catastrophic event forced us underground?While you don't know what happened in the past, Ember gives an intriguing view of life not knowing anything about the outside world.I would definitley recommend adults and children read it, preferably together.
- Good beginning for the series"City of Ember" is the children's version of anti-utopian fantasy. The protagonists - twelve-year old girl and boy - live in the gloomy underground city Ember, where the knowledge of most technologies and even many day-to-day things are forgotten. So, Ember does not have computers, cars, any manufacturing, or even boats and matches. It still has the generator that supplies electricity, but nobody understands how it works. What will happen when generator fails? What will happen when food supplies, stored ... Read More
