The City of Ember

By Jeanne DuPrau, 2003

This is one incredible plot.

Lina and Doon are classmates and childhood friends. They live in the city of Ember, a city that is quickly running to disaster with shortages in food, clothes, even just paper and pencils. There are more and more blackouts. There's a corrupt governing body and the panic of the people are rising.

So Lina and Doon, along with Lina's little sister try to find a way out of the city of Ember. Except that there is no way out.

Or is there?

I didn't like the writing all too much. It took WAY too long to write out the setting and characters. In 2009, it's not so hard to imagine a world running out of resources and a once-trusted government that is now powerless to do anything about it. I guess DuPrau just really wants to hit the setting and situation home in a very long-winded way.

Apparently, there is a sequel to this story. Lina and Doon spend the entire first book getting out of the city of Ember. In the second book, the adjust to whatever they find once they get out. Seems interesting. I would read it. Or well, probably skim it, if it once again spends too much time describing the setting.