The City of Ember

The City of Ember
By Jeanne DuPrau
Published by Yearling

On Assignment Day Lina Mayfleet wants more than anything to be a messenger. All Ember children finish their education at age 12 and are assigned a lifetime job. Messengers run through the city carrying messages between Ember citizens. Line loves to run and she is fast; she knows that she was made to be a messenger. While Lina wishes to become a messenger, her classmate, Doon Harrow, wants more than anything to be assigned to work as an electrician or a pipes worker so that he can fix the city's generator and save the citizens of Ember.

Ember is a city whose life blood is electricity, which keeps the lights on and keeps the pressing darkness at bay. There are no stars, sun, or moon for Ember, only the yellow light from the street lamps. But lately, the lights have been flickering out, plunging the city into an absolute and terrifying darkness. The storerooms are also running out, which means that food and other necessities, like light bulbs, are scarce. And while the self-interested mayor pretends that there is no problem, Lina and Doon become convinced that the only way to save everyone is to find a way out of Ember. But how to escape? And to where? Despite her dreams of a City of Light, Lina knows they can't walk into the Unknown Regions of total darkness that surround the city because they would get lost, or fall down a big hole, without the knowledge of a movable light. Lina and Doon don't even know if another city exists besides Ember. Their history books only talk about the Builders making the city, but not where the Builders came from or why they built Ember. That is, until Lina stumbles upon The Instructions in her house.

The Instructions are very old and many words and letters are missing. But Lina and Doon quickly decide that the Builders must have made these Instructions to show a way out of Ember. Using the advantages of their new jobs, they set out to solve the mystery of The Instructions, find a way out of Ember, and save the other citizens from being plunged into a never-ending darkness without resources to survive.

I truly enjoyed this science fiction novel. The characters of Lina and Doon are sincere and you quickly find yourself rooting for them! They are resourceful and bring the best qualities of childhood, like imagination and adaptability, to a world that is quickly running out of a future. I think children grades 5-8 will be entertained by this book series. Heck, my husband and I are in our 20s and we both enjoyed following Lina and Doon's adventures to save the City of Ember!