The City of Ember

The First Book of Ember

By: Jeanne DuPrau

Narrated by: Wendy Dillon

Length: 6 hrs and 50 mins

Publisher's summary

ALA Notable Children's Book

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

Don't miss Lina and Doon's other adventures in The City of Ember.

©2003 Jeanne DuPrau (P)2004 Random House, Inc. Listening Library, an imprint of the Random House Audio Publishing Group

Critic reviews

A Kirkus Reviews Editors’ Choice

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

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."

Slow start

It was a little slow getting started, but the last couple chapters were exciting and interesting.

The start of many interesting conversations

A book primarily for children, the story still has enough going for it to be interesting enough to adults as well.

I did not appreciate the sound effects added over the reader. Not terrible, but didn't enhance the story.

And I think chapter 3 repeats itself in the audible recording.

Well written and performed. I'm eager for more!

It started off a tiny bit irritating to me but quickly caught my attention. The performance was well done and the minimal, but well timed sound effects added a nice touch. I'm eager to listen to more!

Minor Annoyances, Still Worth a Listen

This is a great story. Wendy Dillon is also a great narrator. There are some extra noises during dialogue that are unnecessarily (please note this is a personal opinion) added in, especially for those of us with misophonia. It wasn't anything unbearable, though.

Spectacular

Great

All the excitement and wonder was the best part. It was extract and a. Unique

Very Enjoyable

Any additional comments?

I had seen the movie and liked it. I now see that the movie followed book as well as any movie ever does. The book is better.

Enjoyed it as my son did!

My son read this in 4th grade and wanted me to read it so bad I couldn't say no so we bought the audiobook and listened together. I loved it too!

Not a fan of the narrator

The story is good but it likely would have been really good if not for the narrator. She over exaggerated the characters voices and i definitely got the impr

very exciting story,

voice actor did a great, I looking forward to the second book. thumbs up

Not the best narration, but good all the same.

Wendy Dillon is clear and concise with her narrations, but her character voices can be a bit exaggerated and can come across as borderline unintelligible at times.

Her wheezy portrayal of The Mayor is by far the worst thing about this and nearly made me quit listening all together. But my advice is to stick with it, because he has very few speaking lines.

The voices of the main characters Lyna and Dune are the high point of the performance. They are so charming and wholesome I fell in love with them instantly.