The City of Ember

The City of Ember
Jeanne DuPrau

My Rating: 5 out of 5

Genre: Science Fiction/Secondary

DuPrau's The City of Ember is post-apocalyptic story about the man-made, self-contained city named Ember. Ember was built 240 years ago by "builders," and its current residents view the city as "the only light in a dark world." Ember's supplies come from large store rooms and a few greenhouses, and they are running low. Its electrical system, providing the only light in the city, comes from an ancient hydro-powered generator below the city in the underground Pipeworks and it is worsening; the city is suffering from blackouts that begin to occur more frequently and for longer periods of time. The main characters, Lina and Doon think there has to be some way to escape the dying city. It is not until one day, when Lina comes across a hidden piece of parchment containing some sort of "instructions" that their adventures to find an escape begin.

The City of Ember, is an engrossing read recommended for students at the middle school level. The setting of the story, while dark and bleak in nature, is brilliantly illustrated through DuPrau's keen use of description. The main characters are appealing, and it is easy for anyone to become immediately attached to them. It is my opinion that this is a novel best used for introducing students to the science fiction genre. For students who read nothing but science fiction and post-apacolyptic novels, the premise of this story is nothing new, it is an accessable plot that can be enjoyed by the majority of students. It can be used in the classroom when thinking about utopian societies and the realities of such places. Also, students can be challenged to think about how they would set up their own ordered society if they were called to do so. Overall, a fun and fscinating read that will have students begging to read the sequel, The People of Spark.