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Discover the adventure for yourself City of Ember review Beth Chaddick

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The City of Ember (The City of Ember Book 1) Paperback – May 25, 2004

by Jeanne DuPrau (Author)

4.6 8,379 ratings

Book 1 of 4: The City of Ember

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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

Reading age

9 - 12 years, from customers
Book 1 of 4

The City of Ember
Print length

270 pages
Language

English
Grade level

3 - 7
Lexile measure

680L
Dimensions

5.18 x 0.7 x 7.56 inches
Publisher

Yearling
Publication date

May 25, 2004
ISBN-10

9780375822742
ISBN-13

978-0375822742
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Get to know this book

What's it about?
Two friends must race to figure out clues to keep the lights on in their dark world.
Popular highlight
People in Ember rarely threw anything away. They made the best possible use of what they had.
1,328 Kindle readers highlighted this
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The wonderful part about being a messenger was not the messages but the places she got to go.
1,324 Kindle readers highlighted this
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Fixing the electricity was the most important job in Ember, and more people worked at it than at anything else.
1,258 Kindle readers highlighted this

From the Publisher


	THE CITY OF EMBER	THE PEOPLE OF SPARKS	THE DIAMOND OF DARKHOLD	THE PROPHET OF YONWOOD	THE CITY OF EMBER COMPLETE BOXED SET

Customer Reviews	8,379	3,758	2,473	1,987	3,291
Price	$17.99	$7.99	$7.59	$8.99	$20.40
Read all the books in the series!	Book 1	Book 2	Book 3	Prequel	All four adventures bound together for the very first time!

Editorial Reviews

Review

USA Today
"DuPrau’s first foray into fiction creates a realistic post-apocalyptic world. Reminiscent of 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."

Starred Review, Publishers Weekly
"Thanks to full-blooded characters every bit as compelling as the plot, Lina and Doon’s search parallels the universal adolescent quest for answers. An electric debut!"

Starred Review, Kirkus Reviews
"Well-paced, this contains a satisfying mystery, a breathtaking escape over rooftops in darkness, a harrowing journey into the unknown, and cryptic messages for readers to decipher. The likeable protagonists are not only courageous but also believably flawed by human pride. The cliffhanger ending will leave readers clamoring for the next installment."

Starred Review, Voice of Youth Advocates
"While Ember is colorless and dark, the book itself is rich with description. DuPrau uses the puzzle, suspenseful action, and lots of evil characters to entice readers into the story. They will find the teen characters believable and gutsy. Part mystery, part adventure story."

The Horn Book Magazine
"The device of a hidden letter, complete with missing words, is used with such disarming forthrightness that readers will be eagerly deciphering it right alongside Doon and Lina."

An ALA Notable Children’s Book

A Kirkus Reviews Editors’ Choice

A New York Public Library 100 Titles for Reading and Sharing Selection

From the Inside Flap

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.

From the Back Cover

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.

About the Author

JEANNE DuPRAU is the New York Times bestselling author of the City of Ember books, which have been translated into multiple languages and are a time-honored staple in elementary school classrooms. She also wrote Escape the Vortex, part of the multiplatform sci-fi adventure series Voyagers. Visit her website at jeanneduprau.com.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

The Instructions
When the city of Ember was just built and not yet inhabited, the Chief Builder and the Assistant Builder, both of them weary, sat down to speak of the future.

“They must not leave the city for at least two hundred years,” said the Chief Builder. “Or perhaps two hundred and twenty.”

“Is that long enough?” asked his Assistant.

“It should be. We can’t know for sure.”

“And when the time comes,” said the Assistant, “how will they know what to do?”

“We’ll provide them with instructions, of course,” the Chief Builder replied.

“But who will keep the instructions? Who can we trust to keep them safe and secret all that time?”

“The mayor of the city will keep the instructions,” said the Chief Builder. “We’ll put them in a box with a timed lock, set to open on the proper date.”

“And will we tell the mayor what’ s in the box?” the Assistant asked.

“No, just that it’s information they won’t need and must not see until the box opens of its own accord.”

“So the first mayor will pass the box to the next mayor, and that one to the next, and so on down through the years, all of them keeping it secret, all that time?”

“What else can we do?” asked the Chief Builder. “Nothing about this endeavor is certain. There may be no one left in the city by then or no safe place for them to come back to.”

So the first mayor of Ember was given the box, told to guard it carefully, and solemnly sworn to secrecy. When she grew old, and her time as mayor was up, she explained about the box to her successor, who also kept the secret carefully, as did the next mayor. Things went as planned for many years. But the seventh mayor of Ember was less honorable than the ones who’d come before him, and more desperate. He was ill–he had the coughing sickness that was common in the city then–and he thought the box might hold a secret that would save his life. He took it from its hiding place in the basement of the Gathering Hall and brought it home with him, where he attacked it with a hammer.

But his strength was failing by then. All he managed to do was dent the lid a little. And before he could return the box to its official hiding place or tell his successor about it, he died. The box ended up at the back of a closet, shoved behind some old bags and bundles. There it sat, unnoticed, year after year, until its time arrived, and the lock quietly clicked open.

Chapter 1
Assignment Day
In the city of Ember, the sky was always dark. The only light came from great floodlamps mounted on the buildings and at the tops of poles in the middle of the larger squares. When the lights were on, they cast a yellowish glow over the streets; people walking by threw long shadows that shortened and then stretched out again. When the lights were off, as they were between nine at night and six in the morning, the city was so dark that people might as well have been wearing blindfolds.

Sometimes darkness fell in the middle of the day. The city of Ember was old, and everything in it, including the power lines, was in need of repair. So now and then the lights would flicker and go out. These were terrible moments for the people of Ember. As they came to a halt in the middle of the street or stood stock still in their houses, afraid to move in the utter blackness, they were reminded of something they preferred not to think about: that some day the lights of the city might go out and never come back on.

But most of the time life proceeded as it always had. Grown people did their work, and younger people, until they reached the age of twelve, went to school. On the last day of their final year, which was called Assignment Day, they were given jobs to do.

The graduating students occupied Room 8 of the Ember School. On Assignment Day of the year 241, this classroom, usually noisy first thing in the morning, was completely silent. All twenty-four students sat upright and still in the desks they had grown too big for. They were waiting.

The desks were arranged in four rows of six, one behind the other. In the last row sat a slender girl named Lina Mayfleet. She was winding a strand of her long, dark hair around her finger, winding and unwinding it again and again. Sometimes she plucked at a loose thread on her ragged cape or bent over to pull on her socks, which were loose and tended to slide down around her ankles. One of her feet tapped the floor softly.

In the second row was a boy named Doon Harrow. He sat with his shoulders hunched, his eyes squeezed shut in concentration, and his hands clasped tightly together. His hair looked rumpled, as if he hadn’t combed it for a while. He had dark, thick eyebrows, which made him look serious at the best of times, and when he was anxious or angry came together to form a straight line across his forehead. His brown corduroy jacket was so old that its ridges had flattened out.

Both the girl and the boy were making urgent wishes. Doon’s wish was very specific. He repeated it over and over again, his lips moving slightly, as if he could make it come true by saying it a thousand times. Lina was making her wish in pictures rather than in words. In her mind’s eye, she saw herself running through the streets of the city in a red jacket. She made this picture as bright and real as she could.

Product details

ASIN ‏ : ‎ 0375822747
Publisher ‏ : ‎ Yearling; First Edition (May 25, 2004)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 270 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 9780375822742
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0375822742
Reading age ‏ : ‎ 9 - 12 years, from customers
Lexile measure ‏ : ‎ 680L
Grade level ‏ : ‎ 3 - 7
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 6.8 ounces
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.18 x 0.7 x 7.56 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #2,328 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #53 in Children's Friendship Books
- #81 in Children's Fantasy & Magic Books
- #98 in Children's Action & Adventure Books (Books)

Customer Reviews:
4.6 8,379 ratings

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Jeanne DuPrau

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Jeanne DuPrau is the author of The New York Timesbestseller The City of Ember and its companion The People of Sparks. She lives in Menlo Park, California, and drives a hybrid car that runs on a combination of gas and electricity.

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DrPat

City of Heroes

Reviewed in the United States on August 13, 2013

Verified Purchase

The City of Ember is a rule-bound place, where all the lights go out at 9 each night, everyone rises early for breakfast, and careful recycling is a way of life. Lately, though, the lights have begun flickering. Supplies are shorter each year, and some foods are no longer available.

Until their 12th year, the children of the City of Ember go to school. But at the end of that year, they are assigned the jobs they will do for years after, perhaps to the end of their lives. Lina yearns to be a Messenger, running free in the streets, learning the secrets of the city. Doon wants desperately to be an electrician's assistant or a pipeworker, because he dreams of fixing the ancient, failing generators of the city.

When each receives the assignment the other wants, they switch jobs, and begin a conspiracy that will not end until they learn how to save the entire city. Along the way, they solve an ancient puzzle, defeat the greed and subterfuge of the Mayor and his minions, and discover a much wider world than either had ever dreamed existed.

When I read children's literature, I look for more than a tale well told. Juvenile science fiction is not hard to come by, especially today in the age of Harry Potter. But fiction that lauds heroism (particularly the kind of courage which every child will have an opportunity to demonstrate), extolls the value of friendship, and shows when adult precepts and rules are worthwhile, and how to tell when they are not - that is uncommon. (Those qualities form the foundation of the Harry Potter stories, too, and explain the widespread appeal of the boy wizard and his friends.)

The City of Ember has that same appeal. Doon and Lina are courageous; they do things children would do, yet also show judgement, persistence and intelligence. These are kids who love their parents, and still see that they must take extraordinary steps outside the regimented life they have led. In the end, they do save their city, and if they do not battle great evil, they do encounter and overcome the kind of petty nastiness that is far more common in the world.

On Kindle, the book loses none of its original charm, with the possible exception of the maps and notes. Where these extend across the page, they are difficult to enjoy, even in Zoom mode.

The book works best in tandem with its sequel, The People of Sparks: The Second Book of Ember (Books of Ember) . Together, they are an interesting story - even for an adult. I recommend it highly for boys and girls who want something better than comic-book heroes and video-game battles, and for readers who are no longer children, but still yearn toward the hero we can each become.

43 people found this helpful

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Scott Burkhead

Awesome Book

Reviewed in the United States on August 17, 2023

Verified Purchase

The City Of Ember was and extraordinary book, it was one of the first book that I have read that made me feel like I was there, the part that I pictured the most was the part close to the end when Lina and Doon opened the doors to the new world, I felt like I was in the meadow field, I was picturing the creature that they saw as a fox! Overall I think this is an engaging and interesting story.

One person found this helpful

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Jenn

Great story, issues with packing & damage...

Reviewed in the United States on September 15, 2019

Verified Purchase

I love this book. I got it in the original hardcover first edition when it first came out. I ordered all four books for my niece as a Christmas present so she could have her own set to read. If someone that is reading this review takes anything away from reading my opinion on this book, it’s that City of Embers is a fantastic story to read and it’s not just a children’s story. It’s a beautifully crafted story, well thought out and brilliantly executed. Even if you don’t order a physical copy or just don’t get one from Amazon, it’s very much worth reading.

Now having said all that, I was not expecting to open the package to find not one but both of the books inside damaged. Now I’m not overly picky about the condition of my books when I’m shopping for used books. The problem here is that these were brand New books. The way they were packed doesn’t leave any room for them to have sustained the kind of damage shown in my pictures while in transit. Which leads me to believe it was done either in the packing or storage stage.

I don’t order a lot of physical books from Amazon. I mostly buy Kindle books, but the four times that either I or a family Member has ordered books from Amazon, there has been damage of some kind to the book cover. I have two more books coming in and will see if there will be damage to them too. If there is I will stick to ordering Kindle books from Amazon and go back to getting my physical books from a bookstore.

The reason my rating was as high as it is, despite my disappointment about the damage to the cover of the book, is that the story is great and I don’t want people to think a cosmetic issue rates so high that it takes away from the quality of the written material.

3 people found this helpful

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Mary Smith

Kept my 9 year old engaged!

Reviewed in the United States on February 1, 2024

Verified Purchase

We’ve been looking for. Book to get our 9 year old away from the graphic novel type books. He’s at a ninth grade reading level, but has the maturity of a 9 year old… which is great, but we would like him reading real books not just comic style ones. He loved Last kids on Earth and I’d say City of Ember is the step up reading level wise! Highly recommend.

One person found this helpful

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Class of 7A

Great Book

Reviewed in Canada on May 16, 2024

Verified Purchase

Jeanne’s engaging style and ability to create believable characters will make every reader long for the chance to be involved in something just as exciting. The City of Ember will make your heart stop, run, hide, and even bounce around. This is the best single back to back novel. It is equipped with all the excitement and tension that strings together a great book. Lina and Doon are relatable characters to many young children who wish to be like them when they grow up. I enjoyed The City of Ember in the way I enjoy a good dream. The simplicity yet complicated and graceful way the book attaches the reader gives them the feeling of immense wonder. I would highly recommend reading it as a child, teenager, or even an adult. This book is wonderful.

Demerson

Cheegou um pouco amassado, mas nada que prejudique a leitura

Reviewed in Brazil on February 22, 2024

Verified Purchase

Ainda não li mas parece ter um vocabulário bem facil para quem tá iniciando leituras em inglês

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Aishwarya

My 11year old loved it and made me buy the entire series .

Reviewed in India on March 24, 2022

Verified Purchase

Tried the author for the first time .. I am made to buy the whole series ..my 11year old says its Fantastic

D. J. Stone

A good read

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on March 13, 2021

Verified Purchase

A fun, easy to read tale with a good story and likeable characters.
Suitable for children but enjoyable for adults as well.
It draws you along with Lina and Doon as they puzzle things out to eventual triumph.

Pierluigi

A very nice novel for young kids, with some non-trivial issues tackled

Reviewed in Italy on May 2, 2019

Verified Purchase

Great novel for kids, especially if read by parents to the kids. Age bracket: 8-9 (with parental guidance) or 10-14 otherwise.

What I particularly like about the novel is the interesting issues that it actually confronts of a limited-resources environment, something that it is hard for our children to fathom, used as they are to total abundance of "stuff" of all sorts. It makes them understand that the fact that our supermarkets are filled to the brim with all sorts of goods should not be taken for granted and that in general resources are limited. Then I also like the style of narration, that starts out at a relatively slow pace, to pick up speed gradually.

A great book, quite different from the mainstream "superheroes" or "magicians" or "wimpy kid diaries", which are entertaining, but typically (with some exceptions) do not stimulate critical thinking and actual personal growth.

2 people found this helpful

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