Review Detail
Middle Grade Fiction
336
A Satisfying Retelling
(Updated: June 28, 2026)
Overall rating
4.0
Plot
4.0
Characters
N/A
Writing Style
N/A
Illustrations/Photos (if applicable)
4.0
The City of Ember, first published in 2003, has been a popular dystopian book in my library long before The Hunger Games phenomenon hit. I've never seen the 2008 movie, but now I may have to. This was a great graphic version of an old favorite, and was very well done.
Good Points
The sepia toned drawings give a feeling of the underground oppression, but are clear enough that I had no trouble telling characters apart (often a problem with graphic retellings-- everyone looks like Speed Racer to me). The text is easy to read, although necessarily small, and conveys the gist of the book when combined with the pictures. This is a good introduction to a great series.
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