The City of Ember

by Jeanne DuPrau
Scott County Library audiobook 6 CDs
read by Wendy Dillon
genre: YA dystopian

I looked for my "previous" entry on this book (knowing that I had read it before) and only found book four in this series that I blogged about in 2009! So clearly, I read this book a long, long time ago. The "re-read" was interesting. There were details I had not noticed or remembered. Having seen the movie sometime within the last few years, I knew that it was extremely different than the book.

Here are some of my car notes:

• This takes place in the year "241" . . . and the builders / planners made the instructions to be accessible in 200-220 years. Uh-oh!
• A class of 24 twelve year-olds . . . would estimate an overall population of ??? Just curious. And at the end of the book, we learn that 100 elderly men and women went into Ember with 100 babies. 
• two years earlier, Lina's dad died from coughing sickness and "a few months later," her mother died in childbirth. Poppy is 1 1/2 years old and is referred to as a "baby," but nothing about diapers . . . 
• Doon - super serious, with anger issues / Lina - light hearted, but responsible (for toddler sister and aging grandma with memory issues)
• Doon's dad is wise about anger and its mastery of you bringing unintended consequences. (Like later, when Doon accidentally crushed the snail.)

I enjoyed this book and almost wish I'd saved it for when we were driving up north!

The narrator did a fine job, though the wheezing sound effects for the mayor and some of the other vocal characterizations got a bit irritating. I didn't realize the author's name was pronounced "Dee-Pro" and not "Dee-Prow" . . . I've always said it with the "ow" as in "owie" sound.

 

<Above published  6.22.17. Below added 12.12.24>

Libby audiobook. Read by Wendy Dillon.

 I listened to it again and my biggest takeaway was irritation with the narrator. Her mayor and his wheezing, the chief guard's vocal mannerisms, Doon's tone . . . I know she was trying to create distinct, vivid character voices, but they were too over the top and distracting! 

 

I think it's interesting that I focused on the timeline and math last time. Finishing it this time (with the lovely neighbor getting the message wrapped in Doon's shirt) made me want to read City of Sparks again. But I recall not being very impressed with it . . .