Lina the messenger

DePrau's novel, City of Ember is a quick read. Much like "the Giver", two characters in a dystopia, Lina and Doon receive their life-time job assignments after finishing up school at age 12. Lina is a messenger and Doon a mechanic for the Pipeworks, the mechanical system that runs the city's generator. Lina's little sister finds a document and Lina takes it to a friend for help deciphering the instructions. Sharing it with Doon, the two discover a secret about the city of Ember. Along with the food shortages, constant blackouts and a corrupt mayor, Lina and Doon soon discover there is a light at the end of the tunnel.