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The City of Ember: The First Book of Ember Audiobook
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(3.00) - 84,194 listener ratings
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Publisher Description
The city of Ember was built as a last refuge for the human race. Two hundred years later, the great lamps that light the city are beginning to flicker. When Lina finds part of an ancient message, she’s sure it holds a secret that will save the city. She and her friend Doon must decipher the message before the lights go out on Ember forever! This stunning debut novel offers refreshingly clear writing and fascinating, original characters.
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"This wonderful futuristic book creates a lot of suspense for the reader, especially at the end, by leaving many questions unanswered leading into the second book of the series. The city of Ember is in dire need of help, but the instructions for help have been long lost and forgotten. Two heroic kids ask the hard questions of adults to find a solution to their problems and end up stumbling upon something more than they could imagine. Again, I like how two kids end up being the leaders and heroes of a small town."
— Kristine (5 out of 5 stars)
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USA Today
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DuPrau’s first foray into fiction creates a realistic post-apocalyptic world. Reminiscent of Robert O'Brien's Z for Zachariah, DuPrau’s book leaves Doon and Lina on the verge of the undiscovered country and readers wanting more.
— Starred Review, Publishers Weekly -
Thanks to full-blooded characters every bit as compelling as the plot, Lina and Doon’s search parallels the universal adolescent quest for answers. An electric debut!"
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Starred Review, Kirkus Reviews
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Well-paced, this contains a satisfying mystery, a breathtaking escape over rooftops in darkness, a harrowing journey into the unknown, and cryptic messages for readers to decipher. The likeable protagonists are not only courageous but also believably flawed by human pride. The cliffhanger ending will leave readers clamoring for the next installment."
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Starred Review, Voice of Youth Advocates
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While Ember is colorless and dark, the book itself is rich with description. DuPrau uses the puzzle, suspenseful action, and lots of evil characters to entice readers into the story. They will find the teen characters believable and gutsy. Part mystery, part adventure story."
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The Horn Book Magazine
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The device of a hidden letter, complete with missing words, is used with such disarming forthrightness that readers will be eagerly deciphering it right alongside Doon and Lina."
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An ALA Notable Children’s Book A Kirkus Reviews Editors’ Choice
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A New York Public Library 100 Titles for Reading and Sharing Selection
The City of Ember Listener Reviews
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Lisa Donn, 4/18/2022
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Scott VanArsdale, 10/23/2021
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" I have already read the book and seen the movie .But I like it so much and I want to read it again.:) "
— Isabella, 10/13/2019 -
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Joseph Minnich, 5/27/2019
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" Great book! Exciting and always interesting. This was very fun and easy to read. "
— Tessa, 2/20/2014 -
" I thought this book was fantastic. I read it many years back, but I can honestly say it's one I'd go back and read again! "
— Abby, 2/19/2014 -
" This is such a great book, the story is unique and the characters are endearing. Even when it seems like the odds are against you, as long as you believe everything will work out. "
— Papillon, 2/5/2014 -
" It was very interesting and quite different from the usual apocolypse stories that are trending right now. The idea for this book was very original and kept my intrigued. It also wasnt completely predictable, which was also nice. This was also an optimistic "end of the world" novel, because it is more about the rebuilding from the apocolypse than the apocolypse itself. "
— Jennnnnnna, 2/2/2014 -
" This was a very good book. I will have to read the whole series. "
— Sonja, 1/31/2014 -
" very enjoyable. worth the read. ny only problen with it is that it was written for youths. I wish that the jargon was more adult. I can see places in the book where it could have been more adult in nature. overall, a great story and worth the time to read. "
— John, 1/24/2014 -
" The City of Ember is kind of a clift hanger!If you aren't good with clift hangers,you might want to get the next book,The People of Sparks! "
— Kaylee, 1/5/2014 -
" A good example of why I enjoy reading young adult fiction. Imaginative & makes me want to read book #2. "
— K, 1/3/2014 -
" This was a really fun read. It's juvenile/ya literature, so it was a quick read (finished it in one night), and I couldn't put it down. A lot of it was predictable, but it still held my interested. Makes me want to read The Giver again. Looking forward to reading the rest of the series. "
— Rudi, 12/4/2013 -
" Interesting story with likable characters a very quick read. "
— Hannah, 11/23/2013 -
" cant wait for the people of sparks movie "
— Iman, 11/10/2013 -
" Great series! It's different and not too sappy or anything. Still keep copies for my son to read in a few years. "
— Hannah, 10/14/2013 -
" It is a really good book so far! "
— Ally, 9/1/2013 -
" Good book, great concept. It was an interesting ending, not sure how I feel about it. "
— Richelle, 8/28/2013 -
" AMAZING book!!!!! Ahh this seriously was awesome! I loved the whole plot of it and the ending was great! Best book ever growing up. Btw...theirs a movie based on this book....DONT WATCH IT!!!!! it sucked. majorly. like ohmy'lanta no. "
— Sabrina, 8/14/2013 -
" This book is amazing! Love it so much. I've read it 4 times now and it's a new adventure every time. Must read. "
— Casey, 5/20/2013 -
" A quick enjoyable read, not a bad way to kill a couple of hours, if I had been a kid when I first read this book, I would have loved it and it would have gone on the same shelf as the Giver and Hatchet and Transall Saga, along with many other childhood favorites. "
— Lindsey, 4/1/2013 -
" I liked this premise also -- very unique. I enjoyed the book. "
— Mary, 3/31/2013 -
" We enjoyed this story of an isolated city that is quickly running out of necessary supplies for survival. Two twelve-year-old children are the ones to find a way out. "
— Kristina, 3/3/2013 -
" Read this aloud to my class and they loved it. Great for making predictions discussing alter-realities. I will encourage my students to read the sequels independently. "
— Kara, 1/19/2013 -
" Read in 6th grade! Saw the movie afterwards.. it was okay. Pretty good. Don't remember all of it "
— Lyndsey520971, 12/6/2012 -
" It was good but not my favorite. The rest of the books in the series were horrible. Just stop at the first one! "
— Lucy, 6/21/2012 -
" Loved this book when I read it! Great for children, may not be as good for the older crowd. "
— Connor, 5/20/2012 -
" The first book was definitely the best. "
— Bailey, 1/22/2012 -
" It is such a relief to find books with excellent writing that is elementary and middle school appropriate! This is an excellent addition to the popular post-apocalyptic theme, and I can't wait to read the second one! "
— Christina, 10/28/2011 -
" Excellent children's book. Also, the movie of the same name was true to the book. "
— Ginn, 6/17/2011 -
" I bought this book for my 13 year old but I ended up reading this along with the rest of the series. Great book. "
— Lindsey, 6/11/2011 -
" I really liked this book. I liked the characters, the plot, the overall message. "
— Marva, 5/23/2011 -
" Despite many tries, I've never been able to get through this book. I loved City of Ember, but The People of Sparks has so many annoying characters, slow plot and stupidity to it that I could never get farther than half way. "
— Kate, 5/18/2011 -
" A great sequel to City of Ember. I found it quite thought provoking. "
— Latisha, 5/17/2011 -
" Liked this book as well. I have to keep reminding myself though that it's a young adult novel. Can guess the ending and what's going to happen, but was still pretty good. Just not as good as the "City of Ember". Quick easy read though and was somewhat entertaining. "
— Kathy, 5/17/2011 -
" I loved City of Ember so much, once they leave it's really hard to recapture that magic once they're on the surface in the ordinary world...but after awhile, I got into it and ended up enjoying it a lot. "
— Elise, 5/14/2011 -
" Truthfully this book was a bit boring. But if you are reading the whole series you should read it because it has a lot of info that you need to know for when you read the next books. "
— K.Q., 5/12/2011 -
" I don´t know how about you, but I found it a bit boring. "
— Eliza, 5/10/2011 -
" it was ok, but not as good as the first and the first wasn't that great "
— Karen, 5/4/2011 -
" This was 2.5 stars. Not as good as the first, but not a total waste of time. "
— Sarah, 4/30/2011 -
" i think it was ok <br/> "
— Stupendousawesome, 4/28/2011
About Jeanne DuPrau
Robbie Daymond is an actor, voice talent, and four-time winner of the AudioFile Earphones Award. He graduated from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, with a master’s degree in acting and works primarily in theater but has made several forays into television, video games, and film.
About Wendy Dillon
Wendy Dillon’s long career as a voiceover actor includes numerous audiobook productions, television and radio commercials, as well as animated character performances for film and the Internet.