Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.49 AVERAGE
3.49 AVERAGE
adventurous
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I wish goodreads had half starts. I give the book 3.5 stars. At first I couldn't get into it then when I started to get into it I got confused but I enjoyed the ending part.
I couldn't put this down! Brilliant plot and great pacing. My only criticism (and it's mild) is that it could have been longer and included more character development. I felt as if I understood Claudia's motivation, but I wanted to know more about the Warden, Finn, Keiro, even the Queen. Luckily, more is coming and I can't wait for the sequel, "Sapphique," which is already available in the UK (darn those Brits!) I don't want to say anything about the plot, because it all unfolds so well. I will say that it's a great adventure story that raises very profound ideas about personal freedom and the restrictive bonds of society, as well as moral good and social welfare.
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
This was a book I read in the middle of elementary school and was fixated on for a while.
I think the story concept was really unique, but the written descriptions of the Incarceron itself as well as some scenes were hard to visualize and really fully grasp. I felt like my brain had to fill in a lot of gaps to make sense of what was happening a lot of the time. I also found the plot to be somewhat predictable, because it seemed to give you all the major clues upfront rather than spacing them out more.
I would have also liked if they dived into the lore of the world a bit more, but the explanations given were sufficient in general.
I was also actually not aware this series was considered YA. I think it would be better suited for the 9-12 age group, but I did tend to read outside of my age level a lot (both above and below) as a kid so my perspective on what fits where might be off.
I think the story concept was really unique, but the written descriptions of the Incarceron itself as well as some scenes were hard to visualize and really fully grasp. I felt like my brain had to fill in a lot of gaps to make sense of what was happening a lot of the time. I also found the plot to be somewhat predictable, because it seemed to give you all the major clues upfront rather than spacing them out more.
I would have also liked if they dived into the lore of the world a bit more, but the explanations given were sufficient in general.
I was also actually not aware this series was considered YA. I think it would be better suited for the 9-12 age group, but I did tend to read outside of my age level a lot (both above and below) as a kid so my perspective on what fits where might be off.
Finn, a man suspected to have been born inside the living prison, Incarceron. Claudia, a woman desperate to escape her fated betrothal and learn the secrets of Incarceron from her father, the warden. After learning of the other's existence, they each embark on their own journeys to learn more about the other. Inside Incarceron and outside in the world.
The premise of this book was amazing. I loved the characters, even if most of them felt a bit flat or static. My main qualm with this book was the climax, or the great revelation that was supposed to shake our world view. While it was certainly impressive and interesting, I felt like there was a lot of build up to such an amazing idea, and then the reveal and the conclusion fell flat. Still, I quite enjoyed this book.
The premise of this book was amazing. I loved the characters, even if most of them felt a bit flat or static. My main qualm with this book was the climax, or the great revelation that was supposed to shake our world view. While it was certainly impressive and interesting, I felt like there was a lot of build up to such an amazing idea, and then the reveal and the conclusion fell flat. Still, I quite enjoyed this book.
Thank you, Incarceron, for restoring my faith in YA literature! For the past six months I'd been growing increasingly disillusioned with the YA novels I've been reading. It might have been due to my own poor choice in choosing books to read or it might have been due to a sad lack of exhilaration and depth and gravity and originality and creativity in YA (with the exceptions of Revolution and somewhat Jellicoe Road). Either way, I found myself increasingly drawn towards literary fiction and mystery and horror and their likes. I hated the overwhelming and unstoppable trend of tacky and tired paranormal romance and that notwithstanding, even in YA fantasy and YA contemporary fiction, the same topics being beaten to death over and over again. My YA intake dwindled to maybe 2 books a month as opposed to my previous 15 or so a month... Then, I picked up Incarceron. It'd been in my TBR stack for a year now and I finally got around to reading it, and within a few pages, I was, for the first time in a long time, bowled over and enthralled and raring to keep the pages turning. Why? Incarceron is fantasy done well, a heady mix of originality and infallible tropes that make for a wonderful read.
Incarceron is a book best read with utmost attention. It's chock-full of subtle twists and turns, so much so that I'd liken it to the movie Inception in that you can't expect to understand the story with a short summary. Neither is it a Shyamalan film where disclosure of the twist ending is the satisfaction derived from the entire affair; instead you have to savor each moment, each revelation and development, read the story carefully from beginning to end--and in that order, too--to fully appreciate the complexity and depth that Catherine Fisher has woven into her ambitious story. I love the alternation between Finn's story and Claudia's story: the former, trapped in the nightmarish conditions of the living prison, uncertainty and danger his constant companions, his hopes of escaping as fragile as spun glass, and the latter, brought up in a world of luxury laced with political conspiracies and true intentions hidden behind facades of medieval chivalry and fawning praise, forced to marry a selfish and useless prince, her own wishes eclipsed by the devious plots hatched by her father and other courtiers. Fisher's writing is to be commended as well, as it is straightforward and yet beautiful at times, adept at raising tension and suspense, and describing the settings of both Incarceron and the Outside, and delivering the story at a breakneck speed. The very concept of the story, that of a living and talking and all-seeing prison consisting of vast tracts of lands and mountains and oceans, and an "outside" world that has been purposefully halted in a stasis of the medieval period, is brilliance exemplified. The legends and lore that Fisher created, of Sapphique and his legacy, of the birth of Incarceron, of the very world itself, had me invested in the story and gave a hard-to-achieve sort of depth to Finn's plight, not to mention the fact that the way Fisher makes use of the legends to tie Finn's story with Claudia's inspired in me some moments where I was stuck between disbelief and doubt and nervous anticipation as I waited to see if the developments in the plot were true or yet another false lead courtesy of Catherine Fisher's ingenuity.
And while it was brilliant, Incarceron was not without its flaws. Finn and Claudia and co., while fully fleshed out as characters, were not developed to the point where I truly cared for them. Finn was at times incredibly naive, always, always, always believing the best of people even when the reader is screaming at him that NO, SO AND SO IS OBVIOUSLY UP TO NO GOOD, CAN'T YOU SEE?! It's part of his charm, I guess. And Claudia, as expected because of her upbringing, is spoiled and bratty at times. The casual feminist in me, however, applauds her occasional ruthlessness and rebellion and her defiance of the Queen and her father. I wish the supporting cast had been more developed. I liked how Keiro's current MO strays in the grey area more often than not- is he good or evil? Does he truly care for Finn or is that just watching out for his own skin? I wanted more background on Attia and Jared (what is that drat illness plaguing him, huh?) and Caspar, and I wanted Incarceron to be better explained as a prison and a living entity, but being YA I guess that more details had to be sacrificed for the sake of page count...?
Nevertheless, Incarceron is truly something. Doubtless it is not for everyone; some might find its flaws glaring and unavoidable in lieu of its complexity and enjoyment factor, but personally, I found Incarceron to be a beacon shining brightly in the sea of YA, and I think I'll be happily searching for more like this in the future. Something with complexity and depth and authentic suspense and excellent writing and originality and ambition. Sapphique came out today and I seriously need to get my grubby little hands on it. Now onto The Ask and the Answer by Patrick Ness, which I have a feeling is going to be even better than Incarceron... Heh.
Incarceron is a book best read with utmost attention. It's chock-full of subtle twists and turns, so much so that I'd liken it to the movie Inception in that you can't expect to understand the story with a short summary. Neither is it a Shyamalan film where disclosure of the twist ending is the satisfaction derived from the entire affair; instead you have to savor each moment, each revelation and development, read the story carefully from beginning to end--and in that order, too--to fully appreciate the complexity and depth that Catherine Fisher has woven into her ambitious story. I love the alternation between Finn's story and Claudia's story: the former, trapped in the nightmarish conditions of the living prison, uncertainty and danger his constant companions, his hopes of escaping as fragile as spun glass, and the latter, brought up in a world of luxury laced with political conspiracies and true intentions hidden behind facades of medieval chivalry and fawning praise, forced to marry a selfish and useless prince, her own wishes eclipsed by the devious plots hatched by her father and other courtiers. Fisher's writing is to be commended as well, as it is straightforward and yet beautiful at times, adept at raising tension and suspense, and describing the settings of both Incarceron and the Outside, and delivering the story at a breakneck speed. The very concept of the story, that of a living and talking and all-seeing prison consisting of vast tracts of lands and mountains and oceans, and an "outside" world that has been purposefully halted in a stasis of the medieval period, is brilliance exemplified. The legends and lore that Fisher created, of Sapphique and his legacy, of the birth of Incarceron, of the very world itself, had me invested in the story and gave a hard-to-achieve sort of depth to Finn's plight, not to mention the fact that the way Fisher makes use of the legends to tie Finn's story with Claudia's inspired in me some moments where I was stuck between disbelief and doubt and nervous anticipation as I waited to see if the developments in the plot were true or yet another false lead courtesy of Catherine Fisher's ingenuity.
And while it was brilliant, Incarceron was not without its flaws. Finn and Claudia and co., while fully fleshed out as characters, were not developed to the point where I truly cared for them. Finn was at times incredibly naive, always, always, always believing the best of people even when the reader is screaming at him that NO, SO AND SO IS OBVIOUSLY UP TO NO GOOD, CAN'T YOU SEE?! It's part of his charm, I guess. And Claudia, as expected because of her upbringing, is spoiled and bratty at times. The casual feminist in me, however, applauds her occasional ruthlessness and rebellion and her defiance of the Queen and her father. I wish the supporting cast had been more developed. I liked how Keiro's current MO strays in the grey area more often than not- is he good or evil? Does he truly care for Finn or is that just watching out for his own skin? I wanted more background on Attia and Jared (what is that drat illness plaguing him, huh?) and Caspar, and I wanted Incarceron to be better explained as a prison and a living entity, but being YA I guess that more details had to be sacrificed for the sake of page count...?
Nevertheless, Incarceron is truly something. Doubtless it is not for everyone; some might find its flaws glaring and unavoidable in lieu of its complexity and enjoyment factor, but personally, I found Incarceron to be a beacon shining brightly in the sea of YA, and I think I'll be happily searching for more like this in the future. Something with complexity and depth and authentic suspense and excellent writing and originality and ambition. Sapphique came out today and I seriously need to get my grubby little hands on it. Now onto The Ask and the Answer by Patrick Ness, which I have a feeling is going to be even better than Incarceron... Heh.
The first book of the New Year! And what a book it was. It rolls steampunk and scifi together into one big young adult adventure. A girl fights her fate in a flawed futuristic world while a boy finds his while trapped in a living prison.
The characters are delightfully flawed, you never trust or particularly like anyone, yet you want to know what happens next. This book also explains why a steampunk setting would exist, which is something no other steampunk novel I’ve read has tried to do. The pacing and writing are spot-on, and the idea of a sentient prison world is delightfully creepy.
This is one of the best YA books I’ve read in a long time, and I actually want to go buy the next in the series–something I haven’t been able to say about a book in a while.
The characters are delightfully flawed, you never trust or particularly like anyone, yet you want to know what happens next. This book also explains why a steampunk setting would exist, which is something no other steampunk novel I’ve read has tried to do. The pacing and writing are spot-on, and the idea of a sentient prison world is delightfully creepy.
This is one of the best YA books I’ve read in a long time, and I actually want to go buy the next in the series–something I haven’t been able to say about a book in a while.
Incarceron had me at hello with it's opening and good writing style, and it only got better as we got to know each other closer. I am impressed with the wordbuilding and detailed descriptions of the holographic reality. Claudia is a good character that I didn't have troubles connecting to, and more than anything I needed to know more about Incarceron, the perfect prison.
That said, I have a fair share of problems with this book. Characters other than Claudia are rather uninteresting, even Finn, whom I expected to have a bit more blood. Despite my initial enthusiasm, this book turned out to be quite predictable. The political "intrigue" is a common one, and the greatest mystery of all turned out to be a no brainer at all if you've seen Men In Black. I was hoping it wouldn't be that obvious, but eh, I was disappointed.
These problems aside, Incarceron still managed to pack a few punches and keep me intrigued. It is suspenseful and its excellent steampunkish setting is why I'm looking forward to reading Saphique.
That said, I have a fair share of problems with this book. Characters other than Claudia are rather uninteresting, even Finn, whom I expected to have a bit more blood. Despite my initial enthusiasm, this book turned out to be quite predictable. The political "intrigue" is a common one, and the greatest mystery of all turned out to be a no brainer at all if you've seen Men In Black. I was hoping it wouldn't be that obvious, but eh, I was disappointed.
These problems aside, Incarceron still managed to pack a few punches and keep me intrigued. It is suspenseful and its excellent steampunkish setting is why I'm looking forward to reading Saphique.
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No