What a unique, fun story! Admittedly, I haven’t read that many dystopian or sci-fi books, so I could be wrong about my assessment of the book, but it felt like one of the most unique settings I’ve ever found myself in inside a book. DuPrau did an amazing job creating this story world, and I had a lot of fun exploring it through the eyes of the characters. The characters themselves were also dynamic, a little foolish at times, and courageous—everything you could want in good characters, really.

I was engrossed in the story from nearly the first page, and I had a hard time putting the book down when I had to go do other things. I may or may not have invented jobs for myself just so I could keep listening—I love it when a book does that to me!

I didn’t agree with everything in the story. It had a feminist slant (the female characters were expected to work alongside and do the same things the men did), and that bothered me a little. There was also some dishonesty and sneaking around that went on that didn’t sit so well with me.

But overall, this was a fun, engaging story with a slight mystery element and a strong emphasis on friendship and working together for the greater good. I loved it, and all three brothers I’ve shared it with since I read the book also enjoyed it. Recommended. ( )

This is the 2nd book I've read in this genre in a short period of time, and at first, it reminded me a lot of The Giver. It quickly becomes its own story with a very different theme, and I enjoyed it just as much as I did The Giver, though for different reasons. The slow falling apart of the city and the vastly varying ways the citizens respond to it are fascinating to follow along with. Lina and Doon are well-crafted characters, both with their own issues and driving desires. They even have considerably different reasons for wanting to save the city, and I really admire DuPrau's ability to make them such well-rounded characters in a short space. I also appreciate how she explains items that are common, everyday things to us but are completely foreign to these people.

I'm looking forward to my 12-year-old daughter reading this book so we can discuss it. I think she'll enjoy it as much as I did, and I recommend it for others around that age (or older) too. ( )

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.

I really really love the idea of a post-disaster society of people living underground. And I especially love the idea of reading about that society several generations in, where they no longer remember what daylight is, or why the city they live in is theren- or even where exactly their city is. I like the idea of this society making up their own myths about 'the dark' and having new origin stories and singing songs amid candles lit against the ever-present night. However, all those enchanting pieces of The City of Ember are just tiny footnote details in what's really a fairly decent adventure story. The setting of an underground sort of steampunk like society surviving post-collapse without any connections to their past is merely the place where this book begins. I really enjoyed this story, and am excited to read more in the series, but I wish this book had been about twice as long and had about three times the depth. I really feel like the author here was on the verge of creating a whole new world, maybe not with the intricacy and pull of the Harry Potter universe, but something heading in that direction. Instead everything - setting and plot and characters et cetera - is at a pretty basic level and merely serves as the dressing around the main story, which is a somewhat didactical examination of the ills of society and scarcity mentality hidden inside an engaging adventure story of two plucky pre-teens trying to save their people.

I watched the movie before I read the book. Usually I am disappointed, but this time I was pleasantly surprised! Even though there were quite a few differences between the movie and the book, I really did enjoy the book. I found it to be very light and easy reading. It is difficult for me to say anything about the plot ect as I already knew what was going to happen. I am looking forward to read the next in the series. ( )