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Type of bind: Paperback
EAN num: 9780375822742
ISBN number: 0375822747
Label: Yearling
Manufacturer: Yearling
Quantity: 1
Page Count: 270
Printing Date: May 25, 2004
Publishing house: Yearling
Age index: Ages 9-12
Release Date: May 25, 2004
Sale Popularity Level: 2246
Studio: Yearling
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Editor's Notes and Comments:
Product Description:
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.
From the Hardcover edition.
Amazon.com:
It is always night in the city of Ember. But there is no moon, no stars. The only light during the regular twelve hours of 'day' comes from floodlamps that cast a yellowish glow over the streets of the city. Beyond are the pitch-black Unknown Regions, which no one has ever explored because an understanding of fire and electricity has been lost, and with it the idea of a Moveable Light. 'Besides,' they tell each other, 'there is nowhere but here' Among the many other things the people of Ember have forgotten is their past and a direction for their future. For 250 years they have lived pleasantly, because there has been plenty of everything in the vast storerooms. But now there are more and more empty shelves--and more and more times when the lights flicker and go out, leaving them in terrifying blackness for long minutes. What will happen when the generator finally fails?
Twelve-year-old Doon Harrow and Lina Mayfleet seem to be the only people who are worried. They have just been assigned their life jobs--Lina as a messenger, which leads her to knowledge of some unsettling secrets, and Doon as a Pipeworker, repairing the plumbing in the tunnels under the city where a river roars through the darkness. But when Lina finds a very old paper with enigmatic 'Instructions for Egress,' they use the advantages of their jobs to begin to puzzle out the frightening and dangerous way to the city of light of which Lina has dreamed. As they set out on their mission, the haunting setting and breathless action of this stunning very first novel will have teens clamoring for a sequel. (Ages 10 to 14) --Patty Campbell
User popularity level:
Rated by buyers 
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Ok, so very first i should say that I thought that the plot device of people living in total darkness and then discovering they were underground was brilliant, and that I thought the post apocalyptic setting and the use of technology was good, that said, Jeane DuPrau is a really bad writer who had a really good idea, sorry Jeane. I won't go into examples of inconsistent writing and childish plot devices, ugh.
I wish a good writer would take the plot and make an adult novel.
Rated by buyers -
I enjoyed the book. It was a cool idea, a city shrouded in darkness, looking for a way out. It was well written, and it really leaves you hanging for the subsequent installment.
Rated by buyers 
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I don't quite fall into the targeted age range for this book, but I must admit to enjoying it. Enough so, that I ordered the 2nd and 3rd titles. This one I feel got off to a rough start and didn't find its footing and rhythm until well into the book. (The 2nd book, "The People of Sparks", hits the ground running! I haven't finished the 3rd yet.)
There were many themes in this book. The author seemed to effortlessly intertwine them in away that I think would really stick with a young person. The story would provide a great opportunity for parents to read along and start discussions with their child on such issues as anger, true friendship, sacrifice and some others.
Another interesting aspect to the story was how male and female characters played equal roles. With fantasy stories I have ready it usually goes one way or another, but this one impressed me with it's "equality." The author didn't take an extreme woman's lib stance, but instead showed the 2 main characters working in equal unity. Thus, I think this story will appeal to both girls and boys.
As a Christian I found many parallels to the Christian faith, although I don't know the author's personal religious convictions. In some ways the story encouraged my faith, though it may not for everyone. The theme of believing in a creator beyond your own little world and the image of leaving the darkness for the light are strong.
In the end I recommend this book, as well as the 2nd, for pre-teens on up!
Rated by buyers -
Fascinating read. Basically the same theme as This Time of Darkness (by H.M. Hoover) published 1980, which also features two kids escaping an underground city in a post-apocalyptic dystopia.
Rated by buyers 
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I was 21 when I read this last summer, but, despite the the 9-12 reading level, I loved it. I spent a month out of the country and was desperate for a book to read by the pool. The City of Ember was so much more than just something to pass the time. I actually found it very entrancing and endearing. I highly recommend this book to anyone of any age.
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