“In the city of Ember, the sky was always dark.”

From Jeanne DuPrau’s Book of Ember: The City of Ember.

This book acts as a captivating introduction into the post-apocalyptic genre. Ember was created as the last hope and protection for humanity; the city, supplies, and machines were only meant to last 200 years. The way it was supposed to work was that each mayor would protect (and then pass down) a box until year 200 rolled around and the box could be opened for specific directions on how to safely get out of Ember. Somewhere along the line, the mayors lost the box, ignored the rules, and hid the dwindling supplies from the people of Ember. So in year 241, we join the story and meet Lina. Lina is a young girl that has grown up in Ember… just like everyone else, because that’s all there is. In order to keep the people and city running efficiently, children are given jobs based on talent, desire, need, and availability. Lina loves to run and see the city, so she hopes to be a messenger that delivers messages to people all across the city. Unfortunately, Lina is given a job working on the pipes below the city, while a boy named Doon is given her coveted position of messenger instead of the pipework laborer that he was hoping to be; the two decide to trade jobs and a friendship is soon formed. Our young heroes begin a fantastic journey once they discover an official-looking box that holds information about leaving Ember. Nobody believes them and the (crooked) mayor does everything in his power to stop Lina and Doon from leaving the city. I won’t spoil the story, but it turns into quite the adventure that stretches the kid’s farther than they ever would have imagined.

DuPrau creates a solid story, both in setting and character development. Lina and Doon are honest about their emotions and their thoughts; it is easy to believe that they are experiencing the story at the same pace as the reader. It is a refreshing read that is believable even though the majority of the story is carried by two young characters. The villains are shrouded until it is time for them to be fully revealed, but the observant reader can learn with Lina and Doon as the story progresses. The setting and imagery is vivid and the characters are bold (not quite as bold as the characters in the movie adaptation, but still). The City of Ember is an entertaining read from start to finish and it is a solid foundation for the rest of DuPrau’s Book of Ember series; definitely worth the read for those looking for a quick summer read.