SOLITARY: Escape from Furnace 2 by Alexander Gordon Smith Pub. Date: December 2010
Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux
Format: Hardcover , 240pp
Age Range: 12 and up
Series: Escape From Furnace Series , #2
Source: Publisher
Alex Sawyer and his mates should have known there was no way out of Furnace Penitentiary. Their escape attempt only lands them deeper in the guts of this prison for young offenders, and then into solitary confinement. And that's where a whole new struggle begins—a struggle not to let the hellish conditions overwhelm them. Because before another escape attempt is even possible, they must first survive the nightmare that now haunts their endless nights.
After reading LOCKDOWN, I couldn't wait to delve into SOLITARY. You would have had to pry my hands off this book - there was no escape for me because I was so immersed into the sinister setting that Gordon had created. I lived and breathed the disturbing evil that inhabited Furnace.
The writing just lures you in page by page and I would often find myself saying, “just one more chapter,” and the next thing I know, I've read more chapters. I couldn't put this mind boggling thriller down! There were times when I felt like I was watching a movie on the big screen as I could vividly picture the monstrosities of Furnace as if it was a living and breathing thing.
As for the protagonist, I was constantly rooting for Alex as he tried to survive in this hellhole. Just when you think it's safe, Gordon wretches it up another notch and leaves you with a jaw dropper. To survive at Furnace, Alex and the other prisoners have to go to hell and back and even then death seems like a blessing rather than being locked up for life - especially when you know death is breathing down your neck.
Gordon created a fantastical hellhole with a great cast of characters that will leave readers begging for more. I look forward to seeing what the next installment has in store for Alex!
Rating: 4 out of 5 Stars
Check out the book trailer for Lockdown!
