A Riveting Graphic Novel
By Jeanne DuPrau, Adapted By Dallas Middaugh, Art By Niklas Asker
Random House Books for Young Readers, $18.99, 144 pages
Graphic novel interpretations of books typically tend to be a hit or miss. Fortunately this book, The City of Ember is a definite hit. Adapted by Dallas Middaugh from the original novel by Jeanne DuPrau, the book visually tells the story of Ember, a city filled with darkness, food shortages, and hope. When two children, Luna Mayfleet and Doon Harrow, find a lost message about an exit for the city they begin to investigate. As they do so, they find that there is a conspiracy going up to the Mayor’s office to keep the city in the dark and depleted of resources, such as food. The children must find the way out before it’s too late for them and for the entire city.
The illustrations by Niklas Asker bring Ember to life in this novel. The colors are dim, earthy, and dank – the reader can almost feel the darkness during the blackouts. As the children make their way out of Ember, the colors lighten and become brighter in contrast. The dialogue and story flow well with the drawings, and will delight fans of the original novel and fans of graphic novels in general.
Reviewed By Barbara Cothern
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