The City of Ember: The First Book of Ember

The City of Ember: The First Book of Ember

By Jeanne DuPrau

131 ratings 167 reviews 201 followers
Book 1 of 4 in the  Books of Ember Series
Interest LevelReading LevelReading A-ZATOSWord Count
Grades 4 - 8Grades 3 - 8W559937
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 flicker. When Lina finds part of an ancient message, she’s sure it holds a secret that will save the city. She and her friend Doon must decipher the message before the lights go out on Ember forever! This stunning debut novel offers refreshingly clear writing and fascinating, original characters.
Publisher: Random House Books for Young Readers
ISBN-13: 9780385371353
ISBN-10: 0385371357
Published on 5/14/2013
Binding: Paperback
Number of pages: 320

Book Reviews (160)

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I love this book it’s soooo good it’s about 2 kids Doon and Lina who are living in a underground city and it is dyeing the generator has started to fail and they are running out of supplies. Than Lina finds a paper, instructions for egress so Doon and Lina team up to follow the instructions but while they are doing this they find out they the mayor is hoarding supplies now they have to convince everyone that he really is bad. They are now wanted criminals they finally find what they are looking for and escape. Now they are in the outside world, and they leave a message telling the other people of ember how to escape. Jeanne DuPrau did a outstanding job on this book although I think it would have been best alone she didn’t have to add the other books. Anyhow her writing is so original I think everyone who loves adventure a mystery should read this book.

This book is about a futuristic town of people who have dug a city underground to escape whatever was on the surface. When their generator that powers their city starts to go awry, the city falls into panic that they will be plunged into darkness. Can they unveil the mystery behind their city and make it to the surface before their city blacks out forever?

This book is full of adventures! It is a really good book of teamwork. This book is a really good and exciting book! I loved it!

Great book. The characters, Lina and Doon go exploring to find the way out of Ember. the find secret rooms and stuff. oh yeah and new words too.

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If you are into suspense... Sure. this book is perfect. It drags the storyline along soooooooooo far, and eventually gets boring. If you like adventure books (like me) although it may seem good, its really not though. I personally did not like it, but i know many people do.

I thoroughly disagree it has a slow start but the book is great.

yee123 yee123

If ur intrested in in escape books this is 4 u

ANNIE21 ANNIE21

WELL THE GR. 5'S IN MY CLSSS HAD TO READ THE WHOLE BOOK FOR A BOOK TALK

Bluehorses555 Bluehorses555

Have you ever wondered what would happen if the world went to chaos? Well that’s exactly what The City of Ember answers. This is one of my favorite book series. It takes place in a dystopian future America. It’s after the apocalypse where everyone has taken cover underground. The only problem is, no one knows that they are underground. The “Buliders” have built a whole civilization beneath the Earth in hopes that humanity will survive. When the time is right, a specially crafted box that is meant to be passed from mayor to mayor, will open and reveal the secret to get out of Ember. A greedy and sick Mayor took the box in hopes of finding a cure for his sickness. He died before he could pass the box to the next mayor. There it lay for years until the box finally opened. No one saw it. The citizens of Ember are now past their due date for going up to the surface. Supplies are running low and blackouts are frequent. Everyone’s darkest fears are that one day the lights will cut off and never turn back on. From the perspectives of the spirited Lina and the slightly hardheaded Doon, together they find the box that holds the secrets to get out. Lina’s sister Poppy got to the message first, but that won’t stop them. They soon piece together the instructions, however, no one will believe them. With mystery, death, backstabbing mayors, and the fate of Ember in the hands of two kids and a little sister tagging along, this book will thrill you to no end. Ages 12 and up will definitely enjoy this book.

bob8908765678 bob8908765678

very good book highly recremenged lovedit

In the City of Ember, the sky is always black, there is no real light. Just the flicker of Street lamps and light bulbs in the houses. The story begins on Assigning Day when all kids got their jobs. Two of all those kids was a girl named Lina and a boy named Doon. The two used to be friends, but over time the friendship fell apart. Lina got chosen as an pipe works laborer and Doon got chosen as a messenger. They were both opposites because Lina wanted to be a messenger and Doon wanted to be a pipe works laborer. So, after that all happened Doon and Lina wanted to switch. Lina was so happy she finally got the job she really wanted, so was Doon but it was because he might be able to see and help the workers with the electricity thing that made the street lamps glow. For a little while now, the street lamps would stay on and then in a little while they would start to flicker and turn off. In those times the city was extra dark. Sometimes the people of Ember thought they might stay out forever. While Lina was messenger, she found a paper that had been torn up by her little sister Poppy. It was all is different sections and was hard to read. While that was happening Doon found a door in the mine but it was locked. Later they saw each other on one of the evenings when all the lights were out, and they both told each other what they found. Soon after, Doon went and showed Lina the door, it was open! But what they found inside was horrid. It was their Mayor sleeping on a couch with bucket fills of food, everywhere! They both ran out to tell people, but everyone thought they were lying. Next, Lina brought him to her house and they finally found out what the paper was saying… it was the Instructions to getting out of Ember, it would help a lot because things were getting worse. The food storage was almost out and the lights were going out more than ever. They followed the instructions and it lead them into the mines, they went in and found out about boats and wanted to see wear it went. There were tons of boats so they knew it was meant for the city. They left a message for them telling the city wear to go. Soon, when they arrived, they found themselves in a place they never imagined, a place with extreme light (the Sun). They also found a cave that was was super steep and went down all the way to Ember, their city was underground all that time! The next day they found out that the city had come too! I loved this book and this whole series!!!

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