In the city of Ember, the lights are starting to go out... a lot.
Nobody knows how to fix the generator permanently... the generator which
powers the entire city. And nobody knows what to do about all the
supply shortages which are happening either. Perhaps, in most cities,
this wouldn't be a problem. But Ember isn't like most cities. Because
when the lights go out in Ember, there is NO light at all -- everything
is pitch black. There is no fire, no flashlights. And there's nowhere
to go, for as the citizens have been told for centuries: there is no
place BUT Ember.
Most of the citizens are content to accept
that Ember is the only city in existence. They are willing to pretend
nothing is wrong, though somewhere inside they know the now-frequent
blackouts are not good. Some of the citizens know things are bad -- and
they are seeking to make their lives comfortable until the end. But
there are some who are unwilling to accept the impending doom of their
city. Lina Mayfleet and Doon Harrow are two of those citizens. And
though they are only twelve years old, they begin the search for a
solution and a way out of Ember.
Lina feels there must be a
city somewhere else, for she has dreamed of it. Doon feels there must
be a way to fix the generator permanently, if only he understood
electricity. But when Lina happens upon a partially-destroyed (thanks
to her toddler-sister Poppy) sheet of paper with instructions that seem
to be vitally important, she turns to Doon as one who can work with her
to solve the mystery of the instructions -- and maybe find a way out of
the City of Ember and into a different world.
**I picked this
book up to read to fill the space between the last book I finished and
the one I was waiting for at the library. I ended up liking this book.
I think it's a great read for early teens (12/13), both boys and girls.
There is adventure and suspense. I was eager to see how it ended, and
I'm now planning to read the next in the series!
