Flicker of Light

The City of Ember

Jeanne DuPrau

        Before the Disaster there was life on Earth as we know it now. The Builders built the city underground and put people in it, so that later, when the Disaster was over at least some would survive. The Builders gave a box to the first mayor. She was told to pass it down to other mayors and for them to keep it somewhere until it clicked open. This had been going on for many years, until Ember got a greedy mayor. He took the box and hid it in his closet. He didn’t get to pass it down to his successor because he died. And there in his closet after years of waiting, the box silently clicked open…

        Doon and Lina graduate from school and get their jobs. Lina has to work in the pipeworks and Doon gets to be messenger. They trade because Doon wants to go in the pipeworks to do something with the Generator, so the lights stop flickering. Lina wants to be a messenger, so that she can run a lot and stay aboveground. By trading, they get what they want.

        The lights start flickering out more often and they stay out longer. Lina’s grandma dies and so Lina and her little sister Poppy go live with a woman named Mrs. Murdo. People are scared about the lights going out. Later Lina finds THE BOX with the instructions from the Builders her closet, but Poppy shreds them to pieces. Lina and Doon put them back together again, but some of the letters are still missing. They have to figure it out. And they do. But now, Doon has to find that place. Why Doon? Because it’s in the pipeworks. What do you think? Does he find it? You probably expect me to say ”read the book to find out”, but what I’m going to say is this – if they get left back in the darkness, do you think that there will be a second, third and fourth book? Probably not! So, yes Doon finds the exit and they get out. The two kids send a message down to Ember telling the people there to get out. On the way down they find a journal of one of the first people of Ember that says what told you in the beginning – about the people, the Builders and the city. Then they get up into (real) world and there they see light coming from the sky (the sun)! They settle down and wait for their people to come.

Thank you for listening and please don’t forget to comment. I’ll write about the second book of Princess Academy next!