Lockdown: Escape from Furnace by Alexander Gordon Smith (NEW READ) (YA, dystopian, adventure)
I love a good prison story, and this one definitely has interesting elements. Alex is running a string of burglaries when he and his best friend are caught in the act, and Alex is framed for murder. Once caught, Alex is sentenced to life in the infamous prison "Furnace". Furnace houses only teens, created especially for that purpose after a summer of shocking gang murders several years earlier. Not only is Furnace unusual in that it is almost completely underground, there are also huge freaky guards, monster dogs and machine guns. Worst of all are the men in gas masks who take you away in the middle of the night...
While the writing in this book didn't really grab me, the situations the story portrayed felt very real. Furnace is a little like junior high: try not to cross authority figures, avoid the Crazy kids who are Trouble, make a decent showing but don't come off like you're looking for a fight. It's a complicated social structure, and I like how the reader gets to struggle along with Alex about the choices he makes. I enjoyed the scifi elements like the dogs and men in gas masks- can't wait to find out what the story is there, though a big hint is dropped near the end of the book.
All in all a fast read, not particularly deep but an interesting and intense beach book.
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