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Tuesday, July 29, 2008

The City of Ember by Jeanne Duprau


ISBN: 978-0375822742
Publisher: Yearling (division of Random House)
Paperback: 270 pages
Genre: Children's Fiction
Reading Level: Ages 9-12
First Line (of Chapter One): In the city of Ember, the sky was always dark.
One Word Review: Luminous


I stumbled upon a trailer for the film adaptation of The City of Ember that's due to be released in October. It got me thinking about how some books seems to lend themselves really well to being turned into movies. With The City of Ember, the potential is certainly there.

Ember was created as a haven for human beings. More than two centuries later, the city - a world where the only light is provided by floodlamps that glow during the 12 hours of 'daytime' - is crumbling. The generators that power the lights are failing, and two of the inhabitants, twelve-year-old Lina and Doon are worried that the lights just may go out forever.

The City of Ember
is a thrilling, edge-of-your-seat distopian tale of adventure. A clever story, unique and likable characters, a fantastical setting, and wonderful writing combine to create a really fun read. Children will love the adventure aspect of the story (it's one of my 10 year old son's favorites), but I think adults will appreciate the subtle messages about life and the ways we choose to live it.

I'm really looking forward to the film's release. I find movies rarely measure up to the books they're based on, but I'm hoping that The City of Ember will be an exception. I do think, if done right - with lots of thought put into casting and setting - it could be great.

Watch the preview below, and tell me what you think.


2 comments:

Kelly said...

I'd never heard of the book before, the movie looks like it'll be a good one. When I see a good movie trailer, the temptation is always there to read the book first, but movies so rarely live up to my expectations after I read the book, that it makes me dislike the movie. I may just wait for this one on film!!

Anonymous said...

I just love that trailer! Gotta watch it now!! :)