Book Review: Lockdown

Lockdown: Escape from Furnace by Alexander Smith is about an underground youth prison called Furnace Penitentiary. The prison, buried a mile underground, is claimed to have only one way in and no way out. The place was built by a man called Alfred Furnace, who took action after the “Summer of Slaughter” where teen gangs had gone on a murderous rampage.

Ran by the Warden, he has two types of servants, the Wheezers, men who have gas masks stitched to their faces using wire, and Black Suits, who are buff and stoic guards of the prison. The Warden is a fearsome man who coined the term “Beneath heaven is hell, beneath hell is Furnace” for the prison. Other sayings that come about in the prison are “One way in and no way out,” and “Obedience is the difference [between] life, death, and other varieties of existence on offer here in Furnace.” He is described to be a taller man, who wore a World War Two-style gas mask with his black eyes visible through the goggles. When in person you could not even attempt to look into his eyes, but on screen, he shows you your deepest fear.

The first book follows Alex Sawyer, a 14-year-old who commits petty crimes, was out committing a robbery when he was framed for the death of his best friend and got sent to Furnace. Determined to find a way out, Alex makes friends and uses his and their resources to form an escape plan. The book is stressful and intense in some parts, with Alex nearly getting himself killed many times, and the cliffhanger is an annoying one, but there are reasons to read this book. Furnace Penitentiary is a corrupt prison and Alex is determined to shut it down, risking his and others’ lives to attempt to reveal what goes on inside.

I enjoyed reading the first book in the Escape from Furnace series and would recommend it to anyone. Its plot is hectic enough to keep the reader interested, but also calm enough to be understandable. The characters were created well, understanding each of their personalities easily even though the main focus was Alex and his antics. Overall a solid read and is probably, like Keeper of the Lost Cities, oriented to a younger crowd. The book is part of a five-part series, and the realm of Furnace Penitentiary has two novellas, both about characters’ lives before Furnace and Alex Sawyer.