Take a photo of a barcode or cover
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Lockdown: Escape from furnace is a fast-paced book with a stubborn but ultimately good main character named Alex Sawyer. He lives in a world in which children who are charged with heinous crimes are automatically given life sentences in an awful, inhumane prison called Furnace.
The pacing is fast and tight, which is good because the dangerous conditions of Furnace meant that people died quite regularly. While Alex had his moments of being very annoying (how many times must the protagonist stop and watch when he should be running away?) he was consistently persistent in his hope for an escape. He's charismatic and a little too trustworthy for his own good.
None of the characters annoyed me. The writing could be heavy handed at times; I remember finding some of the metaphors a bit silly, and some of the descriptions repetitive, but none of these ruined the tension throughout the book. Overall a great read.
The pacing is fast and tight, which is good because the dangerous conditions of Furnace meant that people died quite regularly. While Alex had his moments of being very annoying (how many times must the protagonist stop and watch when he should be running away?) he was consistently persistent in his hope for an escape. He's charismatic and a little too trustworthy for his own good.
None of the characters annoyed me. The writing could be heavy handed at times; I remember finding some of the metaphors a bit silly, and some of the descriptions repetitive, but none of these ruined the tension throughout the book. Overall a great read.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Gore, Physical abuse, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Suicide attempt, Murder, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Body shaming, Fatphobia, Fire/Fire injury
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Ok god I loved this book. Which is weird since it’s so gory and like horrifying?? But I liked it a lot. It needs more hype. I loved Alex. Like usually main characters are insufferable and agonizingly annoying. But he wasn’t. He started off as like a bad kid, doing bad things for the hell of it. Stealing and being aware on what he was doing, knowing it was wrong, yet still doing it. Doing it and enjoying it. Until he gets put in “jail” and sent to furnace. For something he didn’t do. He’s such an interesting character, he’s so real. His fear, and throughout the story, his hunger for survival. Which leads him to kill in order to survive , in a ironic sense, since people think he’s already killed yet that was the first person he has. And I have a feeling it won’t be the last Donovan, he is my favorite character. I like how much he’s there for Alex, like a brother, even. Or something more? Idk they’re so cute. I like his dry humor and the descriptions of him. Even when he’s at his lowest, is brooding or in fear (in a weird way). I hope he doesn’t turn because that will be the worst. Literally the worst because that’s what he doesn’t want to be. It made me sadder when he said how he wanted a burger and sobbing when Monty made that food. I liked Toby but he was so young. It made me sad how he refused to be left behind because he wanted to leave the place so badly. Jimmy omg he was one of the characters from the beginning and Gary really like punched him. Gary seems like the strong bully type but I bet he’s a major coward. Like full on. And Zee has a lot of strength that I didn’t expect to see.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Vomit, Police brutality, Grief, Suicide attempt, Murder, Toxic friendship
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Decided to listen to Alexander Gordon Smith read this on his YouTube channel (he read the entire series during quarantine, go check it out! It's great!), and it was so great to get back into the world of Furnace again. All the descriptions of the blacksuits and wheezers are just as terrifying and gripping as my first read through in high school, almost six years ago, and Donovan getting taken during the blood watch filled me with as much dread as it did all that time ago. Such a well-written first book to the series. I can't wait to listen to Smith read the rest!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Bullying, Gore, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood
Moderate: Death, Suicide, Grief, Suicide attempt
Minor: Animal death, Vomit, Murder