44 pages • 1 hour read
Jeanne DuPrauThe City of Ember
Fiction | Novel | YA | Published in 2003A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Before You Read
Super Short Summary
The City of Ember by Jeanne DuPrau follows 12-year-olds Lina Mayfleet and Doon Harrow in the underground city of Ember, where dwindling resources and decaying infrastructure spark their quest for a way out. Assigned roles in the city's workforce, they uncover instructions left by the original builders meant to guide the inhabitants to safety. Themes include secrets, selfishness versus selflessness, and the value of curiosity. The book addresses death and loss.
Reviews & Readership
Review Roundup
The City of Ember by Jeanne DuPrau captivates with its imaginative setting and intriguing premise of a post-apocalyptic underground city. Readers praise its fast pace and compelling mystery, ideal for young adults. However, some find character development lacking and the plot predictable. Overall, it remains a thought-provoking read with a strong sense of adventure.
Who Should Read The City of Ember?
A reader who would enjoy The City of Ember by Jeanne DuPrau is typically a middle-grade or young adult enthusiast who enjoys dystopian settings, adventure, and puzzles. Fans of The Hunger Games and The Giver will find its exploration of a self-contained world and the quest for survival compelling and thought-provoking.
RecommendedReading Age
8-12yearsLexile Level
680LBook Details
Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction
Coming of Age / Bildungsroman
Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies
Society: Community