The City of Ember (2003)

This would be a great introduction to dystopian literature for middle grade or early high school readers. It has the familiar tropes and twists, but still manages to be fresh and exciting. Those who enjoyed Lois Lowry's The Giver or Rebecca Stead's First Light will most likely be fans of The City of Ember; I'm eager to read the next one, The People of Sparks.

At twelve, Lina and Doon finish their education and get their work assignments by picking slips of paper out of a bag. Doon gets Messenger, and Lina draws Pipeworks; they trade, and Lina gets her dream job, while Doon gets the chance to explore underground. True to YA form, Lina is an orphan living with her baby sister and their declining grandmother; Doon lives with his father. Together, Lina and Doon make a series of discoveries about their city, but when they bring their news to the Mayor, expecting to be praised as heroes, they instead become wanted fugitives. Together, they follow "The Instructions" that Lina found, and find a way out of Ember.

Quotes:

"You'll think of something. You're a clever boy. The main thing is to pay attention. Pay close attention to everything, notice what no one else notices. Then you'll know what no one else knows, and that's always useful." (51)

She couldn't keep the picture of the streets clear in her mind. The darkness seemed to fill not just the city around her but the inside of her head as well. (79)

What would she draw? Taking hold of a pencil was like opening a tap inside her mind through which her imagination flowed. She could feel the pictures ready to come out. It was a sort of pressure, like water in a pipe. She always thought she would draw something wonderful, but what she actually drew never quite matched the feeling. It was like when she tried to tell a dream - the words never really captured what it felt. (135)

"There is so much darkness in Ember....It's not just outside, it's inside us, too. Everyone has some darkness inside. It's like a hungry creature. It wants and wants and wants with a terrible power. And the more you give it, the bigger and hungrier it gets." (Clary to Lina, 168)

Lina felt as though a lid that had been on her all her life had been lifted off. (256)

I picked this book up because I came across the movie, which strikes me as more or less interesting (I’ve yet to watch it, however). I then learned it’s based on a book, so I figured, Hey, why not? Post-apocalyptic, an underground city doomed for peril, two young protagonists determined to find a way out… See, to me, this chalks up enough detail that says, “Read me! I’m interesting!” And read it is exactly what I did yet I feel extremely disappointed about it. The book has a truck load amount of potential to be so much more than what it is, and in the end, I find too much at fault with how DuPrau presents everything.

My nine- or ten-year-old self would have devoured this book within an hour, and even at that age, I cannot picture myself caring for it. What kept me reading was a) determination to dig my way through any book—well or poorly written—as a last-minute effort to reach my 2011 reading goal, and b) I do appreciate the plot. Or rather, I should say, I appreciate the idea of the plot for its unique quality and aptitude. How it’s constructed and offered to the reader is an entirely different matter, which is why I feel dejected.

For starters, DuPrau underestimates her reader. Because the younger crowd claims ownership of “target audience,” it looks as though she intentionally used a basic, minimal way of writing. Example:

One day when Lina had been a messenger for several weeks…

(Honestly, I re-read the quote a second time when I first came across it. I thought, Oh, no. No, she didn’t. I re-read the section a second time and realized, Oh, wait. Yes, she did. In that moment, my sad frown became even sadder.)

This ultimately damages her characters (how relatable they are, how they interact, and how much one gets to know and love/hate them). A few times I told myself, “Well this is okay; it’s a children’s book, after all.” And then I would remind myself that no, children’s book or not, I know poor writing when I see it. I grew up on Harry Potter, which are books I can always go back to—no matter what my age—and experience the same pleasure I did when I was younger. Same goes for The Lion, the Witch, and Wardrobe and several other books I read growing up. A child’s book does not need to have such a simple-cut structure. (And I’m mad. Mad, I say, mad. Why would you deprive your story, DuPrau?!)

I’m not attempting to compare The City of Ember to other books belonging to different authors, nor am I saying Harry Potter is a wonderfully written and fantastic series (because we all know Harry & Co. have flaws). What I am saying is that I know, without a doubt, children’s books can still hit the intended target audience and maintain depth and complexity. But this... No, this is surprisingly shallow.

To further explain, the characters themselves appear as one-dimensional figures I can barely scratch the surface of. For one, we’re told the traits of Lina and Doon—and others, too, such as Mrs. Murdo, Lizzie, and the mayor—but hardly see these traits illustrated. Sure: Doon lets loose his lack of anger control at times, his curiosity is evident, and we see an eagerness to make things better. There is also Lina’s consideration of others and a free-thinking imagination that provides her hope and strength. I can point out numerous parts in which these traits emerge as events unfold, but they all come across as formulaic. (The book itself, even, strikes me as formulaic and hence is anti-climatic and predictable.) Rather than showing her characters’ abilities, thoughts, and emotions, DuPrau tells us. For example:

Both the girl and the boy were making urgent wishes. Doon’s wish was very specific. He repeated it over and over again, his lips moving slightly, as if he could make it come true by saying it a thousand times. Lina was making her wish in pictures rather than in words.

Doon had arrived at the Pipeworks full of anticipation. This was the world of serious work at last, where he would get a chance to do something useful.

"Wait," said Lina, catching hold of the sleeve of his jacket. "I have one more thing to tell you."

"What"

"My grandmother died."

"Oh!" Doon's face fell. "That's so sad," he said. "I'm sorry." His sympathy made tears spring to Lina's eyes. [...] She realized all at once that Doon—thin, dark-eyed Doon with his troublesome temper and his terrible brown jacket and good heart—was the person that she knew better than anyone now. He was her best friend.

"Thanks," she said. "Well." She smiled at him. Let's go and talk to the guard."

Jeez, I don’t want to be told what a character is like. For the sake of decent writing, I want to see that the characters are independent from limited narration and can exemplify their quirks and flaws through their own actions. Only then can I possibly begin to connect with book characters. How am I supposed to get to know them if there are no layers to peel at? If only DuPrau had worked more on developing all main and supporting characters, had worked more on creating a strong climatic plot—well, I am certain this story would have entered the world at least two steps up from its current level of monotony.

There are also these strange but momentary internal struggles Lina experiences, which I find out-of-place. The first incident happens when she’s debating on buying herself colored pencils versus a new coat to replace her grandmother’s holey one. The second time takes place during Lina’s contemplation over Lizzie and Looper’s behavior and whether or not it’s fair to the rest of Ember citizens. Through both sections I sat, reading, feeling utterly puzzled. The latter more so than the first strikes me as a random moral lesson DuPrau wanted to add—either to show Lina’s just character or to tell me “thou shalt not steal!” My guess is the former; still, they appear random and unnecessary either way.

Furthermore, the very moment DuPrau’s narration notes the forgetfulness of Lina’s grandmother, I knew exactly what would happen. It was only a matter of when, and when it did happen, I was at a loss for Lina’s lack of emotion. Here her grandmother—someone who’d been there caring for her and a close family member—is dead, and we scarcely see Lina’s feelings, thoughts, or methods of coping. The passing of the grandmother is foreseeable in an instant and is such a fleeting affair that you’d think this old woman meant nothing.

Dammit, I wanted to feel this loss. I wanted to feel for Lina—her struggle and plight—but thanks to some choppy, nondescript writing, I don’t feel anything.

I am deprived of seeing Doon and Lina re-connect and, oh, the suspense! There is virtually none. Actually, there isn't any. Just when I thought, What a perfect spot to build a climax—and it is, in fact, the very spot where the book should reach its high point—it completely falls flat.

With everything I've said so far, I will also add that most children will probably enjoy this book. It will capture them in a world unlike their own, and I can see my cousin (given: when he's old enough to read this) wishing himself part of Lina's and Doon's adventure. I do not think, however, this is a book most people will remember or care to re-read years later. The story, at least for me, is not presented in a gripping way that has me yearning for more. ( )

WATCH BOOK TRAILER

The year is 241. Lina trades jobs on Assignment Day to be a Messenger and finds part of an ancient message she feels sure will help save her decaying city. The first in The Books of Ember series.

Genre: Science Fiction ( )

Characters: Lina, Doon, Mayor Cole, Barton, Sul, Barrow, Clary, Poppy, Mrs. Murdo, Joss, Lizzie, Captain Fleery
Setting: Underground City
Theme: Society in chaos
Genre: Dystopia
Summary: An underground city lit by lights is slowing running out of power. The city is plagued by a deadly cough. There is no cure. The outside world is feared because no one has every ventured out or even knows how to escape. The mayor holds a box that is believed to contain the directions to the outside world. It is said that the “builders” place these instructions in a box but were not to be opened until 200 years later. Two hundred years pass and no one notices the box opens. Lina goes home to find her Grandmother looking for the box only to find the contents ripped to pieces. Lina and Doon decipher the contents and set off to find the outside world. They find out that their parents had attempted to go beyond the City of Ember but her father drowned in an underground river. While on their journey they discover the mayor had been keeping canned food from the city. They are finally able to make it to the surface but don’t realize it because it is night but realize they have made it to the surface when the sun rises. They then tie a message to a rock and drop it back down to the city.
Audience: Middle/High School
Curriculum: science fiction
Personal Response: I really enjoyed this book. I thought it was a great science fiction story that would be used for creative writing. I especially enjoyed the plot of the story. It didn’t have much down time and would easily entertain a teenager. The only thing I would have like to have seen was a little of development of the characters but overall a great book that keep you wondering what is next. ( )