The City of Ember

The First Book of Ember

By: Jeanne DuPrau

Narrated by: Wendy Dillon

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

©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."

I Couldn't Forget It

A Post-Apocalyptic MG book that refused to disappear into the back of my brain.

BOOK DETAILS:
The City of Ember by Jeanne DuPrau, read by Wendy Dillon, published by Listening Library (2004) / Length: 7 hrs 6 min

SERIES INFO:
This is Book #1 in the completed "Book of Ember" trilogy, all of which are available on audio.

SUMMARY:
The first time I listened to this book, I enjoyed it but wasn't really that impressed. I did not add it to the list of books I was considering buying. However, after the second time I re-borrowed it from the library and listened again, I realized that there was just something about the characters and their story that appealed to me. The next time a deal was available, I snapped it up.

CHARACTERS:
Lina: She is bright and active. She tries to get adult help when she believes she has found a way out of their predicament. And she doesn't give up the first time it doesn't work. I also like how she takes care of her grandmother & little sister.

Doon: He is moody and active. He doesn't understand why more people aren't trying to fix their problems. However, he has a deep need to be special & to receive recognition. This causes him to avoid opportunities to share what they've found.

I like that they used to be friends but, after a childhood incident, had drifted apart. So there is a sense of something new here, despite the very narrow nature of their world.

WORLDBUILDING:
Ms DuPrau did a good job of painting a picture of a dreary run down city and it's hand-me down wearing citizens. And I was very struck by the fact that outside the city, there is only darkness.

And we got a clear picture as we went along of how their society worked as well. It is sad that such young children are sent out into the work place, but I guess there isn't any need for additional education in their situation.

PLOT:
The Prologue seemed a bit awkward at first, with two people sort of telling each other things they probably already should have known. I really liked the stuff about the mayors and what happened to the box though.

Note: You really have to suspend disbelief that all the canned good and other supplies would last more than 200 years. (Maybe the "storage rooms" were vacumn sealed.)

The ending is somewhat of a cliffhanger, since the fate of the citizens of Ember is not resolved.

HIGHLIGHTS:
--Doon finds Poppy
--Lina sits with her ailing grandmother in the dark
--There are some adults who are helpful

CONTENT NOTES: There is a character with a disability who is also described as very unattractive and who is up to no good.

NARRATION:
Character voices differentiated = Yes, I wasn't fond of several of them though / Opposite sex voices acceptable = Yes, I actually liked some of them better than some of the females / Phrasing, Pacing & Pronunciation = / Emoting = / Speed = listened on 1.25, my usual

Ms Dillon did a superb job of reading "The Instructions," despite what happened to them.

I'm not really a fan of music in audiobooks, and this wasn't an exception. And the sounds effects were occasionally too loud. (The noises were supposed to be loud, but I want to hear the narrator.)

Good Start

GREAT Book. Read very well. Mayor's voice character was a little grating, but awesome story.

Listened to this with my son, 6 th grade. would recommend it.

It's a "Good Start" because we want to listen to the series now.

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