The City of Ember by Jeanne DuPrau Summary

The City of Ember by Jeanne DuPrau is a young adult science fiction novel about an underground city facing collapse after 200 years of isolation. Two 12-year-old protagonists, Lina Mayfleet and Doon Harrow, discover ancient instructions left by the city's founders and must race against time to save their community from darkness, food shortages, and corrupt leadership. The story follows their thrilling escape to the surface world.

Jeanne DuPrau is an American author born in 1944 in San Francisco, California, best known for The Books of Ember series. She worked as a high school English teacher, editor, and technical writer before publishing The City of Ember in 2003. DuPrau began writing at age 6 and has always been drawn to mysterious happenings and stories about hidden worlds, which inspired her creation of the underground refuge of Ember.

The City of Ember is ideal for middle-grade and young adult readers aged 10-14 who enjoy dystopian science fiction and adventure stories. The book appeals to readers interested in mysteries, post-apocalyptic settings, and coming-of-age narratives about young heroes taking responsibility. Adults who appreciate thoughtful children's literature exploring themes of environmental decay, corruption, and hope will also find The City of Ember engaging and meaningful.

The City of Ember remains highly relevant in 2025, addressing timeless themes of environmental crisis, resource scarcity, and the consequences of corruption that resonate with contemporary concerns. The novel's exploration of infrastructure failure, the importance of knowledge preservation, and youth activism speaks directly to current global challenges. Its hopeful message about perseverance and problem-solving makes The City of Ember both an entertaining adventure and a thought-provoking commentary worth reading.

The City of Ember explores several interconnected themes including the importance of hope and perseverance in desperate circumstances, the destructive consequences of corruption and greed, and the value of curiosity and problem-solving. The novel emphasizes the power of knowledge and education to overcome challenges, addresses the struggle against environmental decay and aging infrastructure, and highlights coming-of-age responsibility and the importance of community cooperation in times of crisis.

Lina Mayfleet is a curious, optimistic 12-year-old messenger whose determination and intuition drive the story's action. Doon Harrow is her intelligent, observant classmate who works in the Pipeworks and possesses practical skills and passion for fixing Ember's failing systems. Together, Lina and Doon complement each other perfectly—her energy and hope balanced by his analytical thinking—as they uncover corruption, decipher ancient instructions, and ultimately lead the way to escape their dying city.

Lina and Doon discover fragmented instructions left by Ember's Builders that detail an escape route from the underground city. They also uncover Mayor Cole's secret storeroom in the Pipeworks where he hoards stolen food and supplies while citizens starve. Most importantly, they learn through a discovered journal that the Builders constructed Ember as a temporary refuge during a global disaster, intending for inhabitants to return to the surface after 200 years.

The City of Ember is failing because it has exceeded its intended 200-year lifespan, causing critical infrastructure breakdown. The city's hydroelectric generator that powers the lights is deteriorating, leading to frequent blackouts that threaten the underground community with permanent darkness. Food supplies are critically low, and the corrupt Mayor Cole worsens the crisis by hoarding resources for himself rather than addressing systemic problems.

The City of Ember ends with Lina, Doon, and Lina's baby sister Poppy successfully escaping through a hidden river passage to the surface world. They emerge into a vast wilderness lit by moonlight and stars, experiencing natural wonders for the first time. After discovering Ember exists in a massive underground chasm, they throw down a weighted note with escape instructions to save the remaining citizens, which lands directly in front of Lina's neighbor.

The City of Ember symbolizes human society's fragility when dependent on failing systems and the dangers of ignorance about one's true circumstances. The underground refuge represents isolation and the limits of technology without sustainable planning. The dying lights symbolize hope fading as resources deplete and corruption spreads. Ultimately, Ember embodies humanity's capacity to both build protective solutions and the necessity of eventually confronting reality and adapting to change.

Yes, a film adaptation of The City of Ember was released in October 2008. The movie was filmed in Belfast, Northern Ireland, and features an impressive cast including Bill Murray as the corrupt Mayor of Ember, Saoirse Ronan as Lina Mayfleet, Harry Treadaway as Doon Harrow, and acclaimed actors Tim Robbins and Martin Landau. The film brings Jeanne DuPrau's underground world to life with visual storytelling.

Books similar to The City of Ember include dystopian young adult novels like:

• The Giver by Lois Lowry, which explores controlled societies and awakening to truth
• Gregor the Overlander by Suzanne Collins, featuring underground worlds and young heroes

Readers might also enjoy The Maze Runner by James Dashner for its mystery-solving protagonists, or continue with DuPrau's sequel The People of Sparks, which follows Ember's refugees adjusting to surface life.