My Geeky Week Review: The City Of Ember DuPrau, Middaugh, Asker
2014 has quickly become the year of the series for me. I’ve decided to reread some of my favorite series and also try some that have been on my wish list for some time. Today’s read accomplishes those goals and also qualifies for THIS challenge:
PUBLISHER:
Source:
Library Book
Ember is one of those middle grade books that I have heard great things about for some time now. The first book was published in 2004 and the complete series consists of four books. This is the first Graphic Novel adaption of the series. I was really excited to read this and learn more about the story.
Ember starts out quite promising. We learn that Ember is a city that has existed for 241 years. The citizens know there is a purpose for Ember, that they came to this place for safety but over the generations the truth of their world has been forgotten. The society of Ember flourishes through generations of tradition and cooperation. We first meet the young leads in our story on Assignment Day. This is the day where a job is drawn by each child in a lottery format. The job they pick will be their responsibility for three years.
Doon and Lina decide to switch jobs, which gets Lina the coveted Messenger position and Doon a job in pipe works. Doon is determined to find out what is going on in Ember. Why there are food shortages and constant blackouts.
Lina is more concerned with her ailing Grandmother, until she discovers a special box with some tattered directions that belong to her great grandfather. When her grandmother dies Lina becomes determined to solve the mystery of the message with Doon’s help. She discoverers the note gives directions for exiting Ember which no one has done before.
The Story
So after a couple of really great chapters I knew the general direction the story was going but the narrative seemed a bit scattered. Though the choices the characters made were very logical I felt like I wanted to learn more about the city itself. The children discover that the lack of food is due to the mayor’s hoarding and that the electrical systems of Ember weren't meant to last forever. When the Mayor learns they know his secret he turns them into outlaws in their society so the pair and Lina’s sister Poppy escape from the city.
Once the pair are outside some of the secrets surrounding Ember are revealed but I felt the ending was very abrupt and left me with a lot of unanswered questions. It’s not really clear if the other books in the series will be adapted into graphic novels so the best this book can offer is a quick read and possibly a gateway to the original source books which isn't a bad thing at all.
The Art
The art in this book is really wonderful. I loved the facial expressions of the various characters and the sense of racial diversity in the main characters and in the fellow Ember citizens. The colors really reflect the glow of a city shrouded in artificial light. A very solid art team.
Final Thoughts
I enjoyed the journey of the characters in this story but no so much a fan of the ending. It does encourage me to get the Ember series a lot faster though.
Happy Reading!
This is Book 1of the I Love Library Books Challenge!
Comments