Thursday, August 26, 2010

Book Review: Solitary (Escape from Furnace Book 2) by Alexander Gordon Smith

Back in February, I reviewed Book 1 of this series, and though it squarely aimed at teen boys and horror fans (of which I am neither), I really liked the main character Alex (a bad boy and a bully, but not deserving of the fate worse than death that is furnace prison) and his quest to make an impossible prison break.

Book 2 starts up immediately where its predecessor left off - and if you don't want to be spoiled, better stop reading now.

Alex's plan did get him and his buddy Zee out of the main population, but the river they found leads down, and they are caught and thrown into solitary. Much of the book addresses the madness that sets in when you are stuck in small, claustrophic hole in the dark.  Since this is one of my worst nightmares, I really had to disassociate myself from the book in order to keep reading.  Alex once again comes up with a clever escape plan, but this time, it wasn't as fun to follow as the first time - maybe just because the creatures that inhabit the depths of the prison were just so distasteful.

Though I'd still recommend this installment to the aforementioned teen boys and horror fans, I think I've had quite enough, thanks.  I might read the end of the third book just to see how Alex is faring by then, but I just can't follow his journey anymore.

2 Zombie Chickens - Entertaining (for some at least) but not essential.


Series order:

LOCKDOWN (read my review)
SOLITARY (coming December 2010/US, already out/UK)
DEATH SENTENCE (coming June 2011/US, already out/UK)

Find out more about the series at the author's website.


See index of all dystopian reviews on Presenting Lenore

10 comments:

Trisha said...

I do really love these covers.

Anonymous said...

While I'm not a teenage boy, I'm definitely a horror fan. I think maybe this series needs to go on my to-read list!

Anonymous said...

these are really good books i do hope there is more

Lenore Appelhans said...

Anon - I've been hearing that the author is working on a 4th!

bermudaonion said...

I'll probably skip this series, since I'm not the target audience and they're not in my comfort zone.

Unknown said...

Oh. Yeah. That's right up my alley.

dining room tables said...

That cover is just so attractive and it makes that book very interesting. Just by looking in that cover you can tell that the story is full of excitement.

Zibilee said...

Oh no...the madness that follows solitary confinement?? No thanks, that would scare the bejeezus out of me. I am sorry this one was so hard for you to read, but I think I'd probably feel the same!

Debbie's World of Books said...

I read the first book and was curious to see if book 2 was good. It's been awhile but didn't we get left hanging about Alex's cellmate in bk 1? I remember really liking him and that being my draw to read book 2.

Portugal said...

I will never forget the way the writer had you captured on the book, and how it felt like you had just found gold and could not put it down. The book is truly a masterpiece, maybe not the prettiest masterpiece, with the killing and mutations of creatures, but definitely a masterpiece. A masterpiece with something no other masterpiece has: you. Every page of that book is just like being there, and because you are part of that creation, the book becomes better and better, and it has just the right amount of you in it. This book is something that every action packed, and adrenaline junky reader could ever hope for and some more.