Lockdown: Escape from Furnace by Alexander Gordon Smith
Reviewed by Lauren W.
Lockdown: Escape from Furnace by Alexander Gordon Smith is a thriller horror novel that explores the cruelty of humanity and their curiosities. 14-year-old Alex Sawyer is sentenced to life in a penitentiary after he is framed for murder during one of his occasional house robberies. At Furnace, the name of the penitentiary, he is surrounded by sadistic guards, prison gangs, and cruel tests that put Alex on the brink of death. However, beneath the surface of prison cells and bloody walls is something much more grim. At night teens are whisked away when the sirens sound and the blood lights flood the prison, and they return mutilated and broken. There is no way to escape Furnace, except Alex must find a way to escape and return to his life before prison.
When Alex first arrives, he struggles even getting up the 6 flights of stairs to get to his cell, however he quickly learns how to survive and even thrive in Furnace. His limits are tested with each person and scenario he encounters, as he must find ways to use his confidants to aid in his escape. The threat of Alex being taken away in the middle of the night to be weirdly altered always looms over him and it is only a matter of time before he is taken. Therefore this pushes him to become cunning and agile along with his cellmates. Furnace is much more complicated than what it appears to be, and it only gets worse the more Alex dares to explore. The environment around Alex is incorporated into the story well and creates interesting and enjoyable scenarios for the reader.
The novel is written from Alex’s perspective. Imagery is used throughout the book in order to set an eerie and suspenseful tone. This allows for the reader to place themselves in Alex’s shoes and makes them feel as if they are in purgatory. The theme of morality is consistent throughout the book, as Alex is forced to drop his morals in order to survive. This recurring theme moves the plot forward and makes the characters appear realistic and relatable to the audience. The author uses a flowing writing style and uses a variety of speaking techniques in order to add depth to each character. Each prisoner has a unique personality ranging from a scared and framed inmate like Alex, to terrifying cold-blooded killers.
This book is a perfect fit for high school students and young adults who love science fiction and horror. This action packed novel is not for squeamish people or anyone under the age of 14, as it shows graphic depictions of violence and many adult themes. People who have read and enjoyed I Hunt Killers by Barry Lyga, The Loop by Ben Oliver, or Variant by Robison Wells would have a thrilling time reader Lockdown: Escape from Furnace. Popular TV series The Walking Dead by Robert Kirkman provides an equally eerie environment to Alexander Gordon Smith’s novel. I fell in love with this book and found myself wanting to read the rest of the Escape from Furnace series which are equally as exhilarating as the first book. This book is an excellent read and I would highly recommend this book.