The City of Ember: The Graphic Novel

The art was stunning, I loved it. I also loved Lina and Doon's ambiguously non-white skin colour. The story, though, suffered from being so abbreviated. This should have been a much larger book, and I think the only reason I enjoyed reading it is because I'd already read the original novel. I already knew the prologue about the Builders hiding the box and how it was forgotten over the years, I knew the significance of the Singing, I knew the depth of their ignorance of and dependence on electricity - basically all the stuff that made the City of Ember alive and interesting. None of it came through in the graphic novel, so I urge anyone who only read this to read the original as well.

Last month the library had a very large display of graphic novels that were adaptations of well-known stories. I honestly didn't realize, up until that point, that so many books have graphic novel counterparts! As soon as I saw The City of Ember, I had to pick it up. That book has fond memories for me. It was one of the first stories I used while I was a tutor in high school. I think it'd be safe to say that I have a bit of attachment to it.

I'll honestly say, this wasn't quite what I was hoping for. While it wasn't badly done, by any means, it just didn't put forth that same intriguing feeling that the book did. I suppose I should have been prepared for the panels to be very dark. After all, Ember is underground. Still, the darker palette of the panels made them hard for me to focus on. I had to go back more than once to pick up small details that I missed the first time around. The story lost some it's luster here as well. Obviously a lot had to be left out in order for it in graphic novel form.

Long story short, I'll stick with the book. For this bookworm, it reigns supreme.