Barnes & NobleLockdown: Escape from Furnace 1 by Alexander Gordon Smith

Great Read

"Lockdown" by Alexander Gordon Smith is a novel with an exciting and unpredictable plot that effectively took me on an exhilarating journey throughout the book.The title Lockdown speaks to the emotions that Alex is feeling while he is locked in the penitentiary, suggesting that he feels trapped and locked inside the prison. "Lockdown" encompasses all the elements a book is needed to have in order to have a lasting impact on a reader; a fun and interesting main character, a good plot, and an exciting setting. The novel begins with the main character (Alex) describing the point where his life started to become dreadful, which is when he attacked a kid at school when he was 12. This helps foreshadow the fact that Alex’s life is not enjoyable for him. Smith’s use of this event makes the novel more interesting because it makes the reader question how Alex got to this point and how much worse his life can possibly get. According to the novel, “Deep down I knew I was heading for a fall, one that I’d never be able to pick myself up from.” The author then tells the story of how Alex and his best friend (Toby) were robbing a house but then got caught by strange men and Toby was shot to death. Alex is then framed for Toby’s murder and sent to Furnace Penitentiary where he should serve a life sentence. This is the point in the novel where the main plot is introduced which is Alex’s journey inside Furnace Penitentiary and his desire to escape. From this point on, the reader is taken into Alex’s world and the struggles and hardships he will face at Furnace Penitentiary. This book made me feel many different emotions in a short period of time. For instance, in the beginning of the novel when Toby was shot and killed it made me feel sorrowful and unhappy but later in the novel when Alex and Zee are involved in a high speed chase while being chased by the warden of the prison’s hellhounds, I felt nervous and thrilled. While this book has many good elements, my favorite part has to be the setting. The Furnace Penitentiary is set as an ominous and dismal place with multiple sinister and threatening inmates. The novel states that “Furnace definitely deserved its name. The walls were made from the very rocks of the earth, their surfaces rough and red, and the half-light of the room made them flicker as if they were on fire.” The characters in this novel also made it very enjoyable to read. Alex is witty and never gives up on his fantasy to one day break out of the prison. His roommate Donovan is snarky but acts as a protective angel for Alex because Alex does not yet know all of the prison rules. Zee, Alex’s friend in the novel, is brave and willing to put his neck on the line for Alex. "Lockdown" was one of the most interesting and exciting novels I have ever read and I would recommend this book to anyone who wants an exciting book that can also show moments of vulnerability and sadness. I certainly do not regret reading "Lockdown" by Alexander Gordon Smith and I plan to finish the series.