Shelly's Book Blog

A movie version of The City of Ember was evidently released last month, but I don't remember ever seeing it in theaters. Maybe I just wasn't paying attention. Anyway, I thought I had already read this book a few years ago, but rereading it this week, the plot was not familiar.
The story is about an underground city that "the builders" created to last 200 years, presumably because something terrible had happened to make life above ground impossible (radiation?). The builders left instructions for how to leave the city and get above ground again, but they have been lost, and it has now been over 240 years and supplies are running out. Two 12-year-olds, Doon and Lina, try to find a way out of the city before it is too late and the citizens are left to die in total darkness.
I enjoyed the book and would like to read the sequel because the end is a cliffhanger. I went on a walk outside after finishing the book and greatly appreciated the fresh air and sunshine. Nothing like reading about this kind of dystopian society to appreciate what we have!