Lockdown Review

Lockdown follows the story of tweenage Alex, once a normal boy who got into stealing and ended up being framed for a murder. Condemned to Furnace prison, Alex discovers that it's not ordinary lock-up. Furnace makes the most heinous of all prisons look like paradise. Full of under-age criminals, Furnace employs monsters to guard the little monsters inside, and when the lights go out in Furnace for the night, the darkness of the prison becomes all-consuming. Alex, along with Donovan, his cellmate, and a quiet schemer hellbent on escape, Zee, must learn to survive or escape Furnace once and for all, or the darkness might consume them all together.

Ok, I like dark stories. I should put that out there. I really do. Lockdown completely satiated my appetite for a creepy, eerie, and slightly insane novel. Though written for a younger YA audience, the descriptions within Lockdown were enough to give me chills and to make me cringe at certain points. I believe that's the measure of a good author. Perfectly balancing that age-old test of show vs. tell, Alexander Gordon Smith has created a thrill-ride of a story that will have you cheering for the characters, reading with baited breath, and still leave you longing for more.

I really don't have many qualms with Lockdown at all. I think the characters were well-rounded and each one adds a little bit to the story. Furthermore, the MC, Alex, is truly relatable. You can get inside his head, feel what he's feeling, and get a sense of what's happened to his world by being condemned to Furnace. The only slight hiccup that I have to mention in the story is that Alex seemed to slip in character slightly near the end. He was strong the entire story, but then his personality seemed to falter for a bit. I found that a little disappointing, but I was pleased to see him redeem himself in the end.

All things considered, I have to give Lockdown a very strong 4.5 out of 5. It's well-written, slightly terrifying, and a little bit psychotic just to keep you on your toes. I would recommend this to an upper YA audience, especially those who enjoy horror and sci-fi. Due to a wee bit of graphic violence, I would recommend this to those who can stomach such stories.

I received this book free of charge from the publisher, Macmillan (Feiwel & Friends), in exchange for an honest review. This, in no way, affected my review or opinion of this book.