The City of Ember

There are spoilers in this review......beware.......

The City of Ember is on my must read list for others. I just re-read it for class and remembered how much I liked and enjoyed the story. That being said, I think I was a little more critical in my read this time. For me reading books is sometimes like watching a movie or a theatre production. There are times where you have to make do with the little bits of a story or production that seem to be over the top. Everything in this story fits too perfectly. I know that if this story were to really happen that the events might not go so smoothly. Doon and Lina, the main characters, seem to luck out quite often. That is really my only critique of the book.

I love the book for so many other reasons. The story begins as Doon and Lina are getting ready to receive the jobs they will have in their community. The mayor is handing them out randomly with not attention to qualifications or desire. Doon gets "messenger" while Lena becomes "a pipeswork worker". While these two youngsters have never really been friends the opportunity for them to swap jobs makes them one step closer. Lina wanted the messenger job because she loves to run, a necessary requirement for this job. While Doon didn't necessarily want to work in the pipeworks he does want to help their community and being a messenger would not be beneficial at all.

Doon and Lina live in Ember, a community of people living underground. The people have no idea where their community is, in relation to the Earth, or even that Earth exists. Their community is crumbling because the generator that lights their world is deteriorating. Their supplies are running low and no one knows what the answer is to their problems. Doon has his heart set on finding a way to fix the generator, but isn't quite sure how to go about it. Lena, a descendant of a past mayor, finds an set of instructions she must decipher that will lead to Doon and Lina becoming better friends and finding a way to help their community.

This original story will quickly draw you in as you root for the good of these children and the community they live in.