The City of Ember by Jeanne DuPrau

I stumbled across this little gem at the library. I didn't see the book first, but the movie adaptation: "City of Ember" (2008). I liked the movie enough to want to see the book it was based on. I was also very intrigued by the ending. It wasn't exactly a cliffhanger, but it gives you the feeling that there's so much more story to experience. So, of course, I went after book and I have now completed this satisfying first installment of a four book series. The movie was more or less true to the book, but I found that the book was better. All the little details that had been changed for the movie adaptation were, for me, better in the book version of events.

World-Building: Great - Awesome
Characterization: Awesome - rich and expertly delivered.
Plot: Engaging and fast-paced

The City of Ember is the story of two young children, Lina Mayfleet and Doon Harrow, who, at the age of twelve, have just graduated from school and are about to start their new jobs. They draw their job assignments out of a hat/pouch and they are both left unsatisfied. Lina always wanted to be a messenger because she enjoys running fast and exploring. Doon wants a job that will allow him to find a solution to the ever more frequent black-outs that threaten the city. As these black-outs increase in frequency and length the children begin to uncover some secrets about their city and the failing generator that it relies on.

What I liked most about this story, especially compared to the film, was the expert characterization. The writing is clear and within the first two pages we get a strong sense for Lina and Doon's personalities. A combination of their thoughts, memories, and their reactions to their job assignments is used to expertly reveal a wealth of information about the two children and the city they live in. This characterization was, I felt, much better done than in the movie where for some reason Doon's anger and Lina's longing for little things like the colored pencils were not present.

Because the characterization was so well done, I felt compelled to read on even though the I had already watched the movie. The pace continues to be fast and the characters engaging. Information about the city is revealed in fragments here and there as the children unravel more and more secrets and struggle to save their city. I also found that the book has much more of a sense of gloom and foreboding than the movie did.

Overall, this is an excellent book and I would highly recommend it. It's a fast and engaging read.