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