Book Review : Lockdown (Escape From Furnace #1) by Alexander Gordon Smith

Lockdown (Escape From Furnace #1) by Alexander Gordon Smith

Paperback, 273 pages

Published August 3rd 2010 by Square Fish

Available Online:
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Synopsis

Beneath Heaven is Hell. Beneath Hell is Furnace.

Furnace Penitentiary: An underground hellhole. A place of pure evil with walls soaked in blood. Murderous gangs and vicious guards rule the darkness. Horrific creatures steal people away in the dead of night. And the impossible - escape - is the only hope.

Review

I usually don't say this, but...
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Lockdown. Is. Amazing!!! *inserts hardcore-fan squeal*

Being super engrossing and totally un-put-down-able, I couldn't stop reading this book, and ended up finishing it by 4 o'clock in the morning, only then did I close the book with a satisfied smile on my face and went to bed dreaming about Alex's Escape.

What I love about this book:

1. A hero with a complex personality. Alex Sawyer is a school bully, a thief and a burgular --- but never a killer. After he is accused of murdering his partner in crime Toby, he is sentenced to a life behind bars in Furnace Penitentiary, a prison of criminal teens which is located deep beneath the Earth. Alex arrives along with two other inmates, Zee and Monty, both wrongly accused of crimes they never did. When Alex sees Monty being bullied by the Skulls, he couldn't restrain his temper and lashed out to save the poor kid. He does this partly because of his guilt --- he remembered the way he used to terrorize his classmates and saw the monster which was once himself. Alex is not someone you would like at the beginning, but by the end of the novel, you will find yourself taking his side.

2. The plot was entirely unpredictable. Quoting Donovan's own words on Furnace: You'll never know what will happen until it happens. I had a great experience of exploring Furnace, with its intimidating structure, scary proprietors, gory history and horrible inmates. Never once did this book disappoint me in any way. I was literally sucked into the gruesome yet fascinating world of the Furnace where the air is hot and scarce, the atmosphere creepy and frightening and the crushing weight of freedom comes down upon you.

3. The world-building is amazing! From his capture to his developing Furnace-survival-skills to his planned prison break, Alex displays his growth both mentally and emotionally. We also observe how his mind is capable of thinking and creating ideas out of nothing. He did not plan of escape from the first moment he set foot in Furnace, but an idea started to hatch in his mind when certain possibilities open up to him.

4. The literary devices are brilliant! Let me tell you, the author is very skilled in descriptive writing - he uses figures of speech such as metaphors and personifications with an unusual grace. Through his words, I had a　vivid image of Furnace in my mind's eye - I felt like I was in Alex's mind, seeing events unfolding through a glass.

5. True friendship comes unexpectedly. Alex found his best friend in Donovan, a kid who was sentenced to life imprisonment because of accidentally killing his mom's abusive boyfriend. Alex became good friends with one of the inmates who arrived on the same day with him - a boy called Zee. I really liked how the author wrote their friendship - it felt real and genuine. They always stick up for each other although things went awry. It makes me realize that true friendship is indeed precious.

Bottomline:
Exciting, thrilling and gripping, Escape from Furnace: Lockdown will leave you with nightmares / thinking about it days after you've read it. I'm glad to announce that this book just made its way into my 2012 best books list! Can't wait for book #2!

Rating:

Note of Thanks
My deepest gratitude goes to Alexander for sending me a copy of this book for this review!

About The Author

Alexander Gordon Smith, 32, is best known as the author of the Escape From Furnace Series, made up of Lockdown, Solitary, Death Sentence, Fugitives and Execution.

He also wrote The Inventors – which was runner-up in the national Wow Factor Award – and The Inventors and the City of Stolen Souls, both of which were co-authored by his eleven-year-old brother Jamie. The first novel in his third series, The Fury, will be published in 2012, alongside an as yet untitled book for younger readers. He is the author of two creative writing handbooks, Inspired Creative Writing and Writing Bestselling Children’s Books, a number of screenplays that are currently in development, several non-fiction books and hundreds of short stories and articles.

Book Review : Dark Life (Dark Life, #1) by Kat Falls

Dark Life (Dark Life, #1) by Kat Falls

Hardcover, 304 pages

Published May 1st 2010 by Scholastic, Inc.

Available on Amazon | Boomerang Books | *The Book Depository
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Dark Life is set in the near future when global warming has caused the oceans to rise and reduced America to half its former size. 16-year-old Ty and his family live on an ocean floor homestead. When outlaws attack the pioneer settlement, Ty teams up with a girl from the "Topside" who's come sub-sea to search for her brother. Together they face dangerous sea creatures and venture into the frontier town's rough underworld to discover the secret behind the outlaws' eerie abilities called Dark Gifts.

I couldn't fathom why I took so long to reach (read) this book - it has been sitting on my to-be-read shelf for so long. I'm so glad I finally read it, because it's superb! Dark Life is set in a futuristic world where the rising sea-levels have sunken most of the lands and scientists and pioneers are starting to test the possibilities of living under the sea. Of course, most people still prefer to live on land, even though they are forced to cramp with each other due to the limited spaces.

Ty is a great character. He has an irrefutable love for the sea and its inhabitants. Growing up subsea, he loves to explore every crook and cranny of the sea and enjoys a good adventure of escaping a school of aggressive green lantern sharks. Unlike any other hormonal teenage boy, his thoughts of Gemma, a girl he encountered on board of an abandoned sub, is without ill-thoughts, if you know what I mean. Being a morally upright person, Ty has an inborn sense of justice which does not sway even though the circumstances are complicated.

Gemma is someone you'd like at first sight, but you'll then learn that she is actually rash and compulsive. She never thinks about the consequences to her actions as her sole mission is to find her brother, and she is willing to do anything to achieve her goal. However, she is a nice and likeable character - she is always raising her hand to offer her help (though most of the time she isn't much of a help). Gemma and Ty make the perfect couple. Ty, with his quick-thinking and cautious nature, balances out Gemma's recklessness. He is always there to back her up when she gets into trouble.

The story is fast-paced and action-packed. In every chapter, you're introduced to something new, be it a fact about the sea or its inhabitants, a concept of how the underwater homesteads function or a twist in the plot. You'll never get bored of it. Instead, you'll find yourself wanting more and more!

It is obvious that the author has done some research for this book as she is able to name certain sea creatures that only exists in the deep blue sea. By this, I mean creatures that can only be found deep under the sea, such as the bioluminiscent anglerfish. Also, the author introduces to us a refreshing concept of living under the sea within jellyfish-like homesteads while breathing in liquified oxygen known as Liquigen so that the lungs can still function while one is swimming in the high-pressured depths of the sea.

The concept of Dark Gifts is quite fascinating. I'm not going to say more about this, lest I accidentally reveal spoilers, but I mean it when I say it's awesome. The ending of the story is something that I'd not expected and never saw coming, which is definitely a good sign. The author manages to tie up loose ends at the end of the story and gives me the pleasure of seeing the story ending with a conclusion.

Dark Life presents readers with a magical place where the sounds, colors and smells will invade your sense and grip your heart. It made me fall in love with an amazing new world under the sea; it taught me to appreciate the natural beauty of marine life. You'll never regret reading this book!

Rating:

Kat Falls lives in Evanston, Illinois with her husband, theater director Robert Falls, their three children and a whole slew of pets. She grew up in Silver Spring, Maryland, attended Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute as an undergrad and went on to receive an MFA in screenwriting from Northwestern University.

Kat came up with the idea for her debut novel, Dark Life (Scholastic Press, May 2010), during a writing exercise. Knowing that her 11-year-old son loved reading about the ocean, Wild West pioneers and, of course, the X-Men, she combined his interests and created a story premise that kept her up nights plotting and world-building.

Watch the DARK LIFE trailer!

Book Review : Pretties by Scott Westerfeld

Pretties by Scott Westerfeld

Product details

• Paperback: 384 pages
  
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster UK, March 2010
• ISBN-10: 1847389074
• ISBN-13: 9781847389077
• Ages: 12 and up

Tally has finally become 'pretty'. Her looks are beyond perfect, her clothes are cool, her boyfriend's gorgeous, and she's completely popular. It's everything she's ever wanted. But beneath all the fun - the nonstop parties, the high-tech luxury, the total freedom - is a nagging feeling that something's wrong. Something important. And sure enough, when a message from Tally's 'ugly' past arrives, the fun stops cold. Now Tally has to choose between fighting to forget what she knows and fighting for her life...

In Pretties, Tally is back with a brand new look, and a brand new brain. But despite having all the luxuries and fun a pretty can ever wanted, Tally is not content with her current situation. She senses that something is not right, and when someone she recognizes from the Old Smoke comes to her with a message, she starts to find the way to regain her lost memories.

Let's talk about the good things first. I loved the adventures that Tally went through in Pretties. I admired her spunk and courage. Scott had created a fabulous sequel to Uglies. Tally's escape from the New Pretty Town was very dangerous, but exciting at the same time. Pretties is full of unexpected twists and turns, which left me in awe of the author's creativity in writing.

Tally's life seems to be more complicated now. She is involved in a love triangle, with two charming princes --- one pretty (Zane) , and one ugly (David). Tally is not sure whom she loves more, but when the time comes and she has to pick someone, who will she choose? I'm sure readers will have a mix feeling for Tally's temperament, just as I do. Sometimes, I like her while the other times I don't.

"He turned to face her again, his late-pretty composure crumbling. "But you're..."

"Pretty? Think again." She smiled. "I'm Tally Youngbood. My mind is very ugly. And I'm taking your car."

On the other hand, I pity Shay, Tally's ex-best friend. She was once a good person, but she had now turned to a darker side because she wanted to seek vengeance on Tally's previous betrayal. Sometimes, the inability of forgiving others' wrongdoings will only burden oneself with never-ending hatred.

"YOU are like that, Tally. You have ALWAYS been like that! No cure is going to make you any different--you were busy betraying people a long time ago. You didn't need any operation to make you selfish and shallow and full of yourself. YOU ALREADY WERE."

Personally, I think Scott had other intentions when he explained the life of the 'Rusties' in this book. He reflected the damages that was caused by the human race towards nature which finally lead to their own doom. A new minor character called Andrew Simpson Smith (Tally's guide to the New Smoke) was introduced in Pretties. He wanted to kill the 'outsiders' who caused his father's death. Whenever I think of this, I wonder if it is better for the people in New Pretty Town to remain pretty-minded and be forever protected from the harshness and violence of reality?

Then she remembered Dr.Cable's words. Humanity is a cancer, and we are the cure.

I noticed that the author used the names of famous Egyptian beauties to name the places in the Uglies and Pretties, such as Cleopatra Park and Nefertiti Stadium. I wonder if any of Scott's fans notice about this? What does it actually imply?

Even though Pretties is full of adventure and the ending is a perfect cliffhanger, I still have to comment on some petty little things that I disliked while reading the first 3o+ pages of the book. The words 'bubbly' and 'bogus' seems to have a constant appearance in the first 3o+ pages, that is, about 12 times each. It bothered me a little to read the words again and again, but still, that's not a big problem.

Overall, I think Pretties is an enjoyable and interesting read. If you have read (and liked or loved) Uglies, you might want to check this book out. I'm looking forward to read the third book in the series, Specials, as I'm anxious to know what will happen to Tally next!

Rating:

My deepest gratitude to Kathryn from Simon & Schuster UK for sending me a paperback copy of Pretties for this review! Thank you, Kathryn!

Scott Westerfeld was born in Texas, and received a BA in philosophy from Vassar in 1985. He splits his time between New York City and Sydney, Australia. He is the author of Midnighters, Uglies, So Yesterday and Peeps. You can visit Scott Westerfeld's website to know more about him.

Buy Pretties (paperback) at:
Simon & Schuster UK :: The Book Depository

Visit the Uglies Fansite
Follow Scott on Twitter

Current Status

I'm currently reading two books, Pretties by Scott Westerfeld and The Iron King (Iron Fey, Book #1) by Julie Kagawa. You can read the synopsis of both books below. Due to a coming exam, I will stop blogging for a while and concentrate on my studies. I will be back on next Wednesday or Thursday! Happy reading, friends! :)

Pretties by Scott Westerfeld

This sequel to Uglies (S & S, 2005) continues to provide a gripping look at a dystopian future, but does not stand on its own. Tally, the protagonist of the first book, has forgotten all that she did as an Ugly and has completely embraced the mindless life of a New Pretty, going to parties, drinking heavily, and thinking of nothing more than the next bit of entertainment.

It is not until one of the Uglies from New Smoke comes and delivers a message for her that leads her to two pills, that she begins to remember the real reason she is Pretty: to see if the cure will work. Tally and her new boyfriend, Zane, each take one of the pills and both begin to stay focused for longer periods of time. Then he has a bad reaction to the pill, and Tally has to make a desperate attempt to get him to the only doctors who can help him–the ones outside the city.

The Iron King (Iron Fey, Book #1) by Julie Kagawa

Meghan Chase has a secret destiny—one she could never have imagined…

Something has always felt slightly off in Meghan's life, ever since her father disappeared before her eyes when she was six. She has never quite fit in at school…or at home.

When a dark stranger begins watching her from afar, and her prankster best friend becomes strangely protective of her, Meghan senses that everything she's known is about to change.

But she could never have guessed the truth—that she is the daughter of a mythical faery king and is a pawn in a deadly war. Now Meghan will learn just how far she'll go to save someone she cares about, to stop a mysterious evil no faery creature dare face…and to find love with a young prince who might rather see her dead than let her touch his icy heart.

Book Review : Uglies by Scott Westerfeld

Uglies by Scott Westerfeld

Product details

• Paperback: 448 pages
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster Children's (4 Mar 2010)
• ISBN-10: 1847389066
• ISBN-13: 978-1847389060
• Ages: 12 and up

Tally lives in a world where your sixteenth birthday brings aesthetic perfection: an operation which erases all your flaws, transforming you from an 'Ugly' into a 'Pretty'. She is on the eve of this important event, and cannot wait for her life to change. As well as guaranteeing supermodel looks, life as a Pretty seems to revolve around having a good time. But then she meets Shay, who is also fifteen - but with a very different outlook on life. Shay isn't sure she wants to be Pretty and plans to escape to a community in the forest - the Rusty Ruins - where Uglies go to escape ' turning'. Tally won't be persuaded to join her, as this would involve sacrificing everything she's ever wanted for a lot of uncertainty. When she is taken in for questioning on her birthday, however, Tally gets sent to the Ruins anyway - against her will. The authorities offer Tally the worst choice she could ever imagine: find her friend Shay and turn her in, or never turn Pretty at all. What she discovers in the Ruins reveals that there is nothing 'pretty' about the transformations...And the choice Tally makes will change her world forever.

Nowadays, people spend a lot of time on their appearances, and are always fretting upon the slightest imperfections. Some even undergo plastic surgery so that they can appear more gorgeous and attractive. The vainness and frailties of humans resonate within this book which I'm going to review today, Uglies by Scott Westerfeld.

Is becoming pretty a good thing?

At first, Tally was eager to get the operation, so that she could become a 'pretty', instead of her current 'ugly'. She yearned for others' admiration, attention and adoring glances. When her friend, Shay, decided to flee to a place called 'Smoke', she did not want to run away with her because she could not bear to lose her only chance of becoming pretty.

But she was coerced to go there anyway, to bring her friend back and to help the Special Circumstances abolish 'Smoke' once and for all. She was in a dilemma - should she betray her friend or remain as an 'ugly' forever?

I realized from this book that what you've been taught since young are not necessarily true, and all humans remain flawed no matter what they do. Scott has successfully created a highly-believable dystopian world in Uglies which addresses the various issues that a teenager may face in real life - peer pressure, appearance, lack of confidence and conformity. I think that it may be better if the government in Uglies can educate its people so that they can learn to differentiate between good and evil, rather than turning them into brain-damaged pretties with no ideas, wills and personalities of their own. Everyone deserves a fair treatment and personal freedom.

Uglies is exciting, refreshing and thought-provoking. It was such a pleasure reading it! I had never come upon a book with such a wonderful concept and theme. The ending of Uglies left me wondering what will come to pass in the next book, Pretties. I absolutely can't wait to read it!

"What you do, the way you think, makes you beautiful" --- Scott Westerfeld, Uglies, 2005

Rating:

My deepest gratitude to Kathryn from Simon & Schuster UK for sending me a paperback copy of Pretties for this review! Thank you, Kathryn!

Scott Westerfeld was born in Texas, and received a BA in philosophy from Vassar in 1985. He splits his time between New York City and Sydney, Australia. He is the author of Midnighters, Uglies, So Yesterday and Peeps. You can visit Scott Westerfeld's website to know more about him.

Buy Uglies (paperback) at:
Simon & Schuster UK :: The Book Depository

Other versions:

Visit the Uglies Fansite
Follow Scott on Twitter

Book Review : Leviathan by Scott Westerfeld

Product Details

• Publisher: Simon & Schuster UK
• Paperback: 448 pages
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1847386741
• ISBN-13: 978-1847386748

Prince Aleksander, would-be heir to the Austro-Hungarian throne, is on the run. His own people have turned on him. His title is worthless. All he has is a battletorn war machine and a loyal crew of men.

Deryn Sharp is a commoner, disguised as a boy in the British Air Service. She's a brilliant airman. But her secret is in constant danger of being discovered.

With World War I brewing, Alek and Deryn's paths cross in the most unexpected way…taking them on a fantastical, around-the-world adventure that will change both their lives forever.

Leviathan is a young adult fiction set in an alternate history World War I with Steampunk elements, wherein the Clankers are characterized by their use of mechanized war machines, while the Darwinists are characterized by their use of living creatures evolved specifically for war. The main characters in this story are the teenage son of the Archduke Franz Ferdinand, Prince Aleksander of Hohenburg and Deryn Sharp, a girl disguised as a boy in the British Air Service.

The story is written from two different perspectives --- Alek and Deryn's. Both of them really are great characters. Alek learns the way of survival the hard way when both his parents are assassinated and he must flee Austria or he too risks being murdered. Deryn is a spunky, intelligent and brilliant airman. However, her secret of being a girl is in constant danger of being discovered.

I think Scott Westerfeld has done a good job in presenting the characters in this story, and his rich description of the mechanical robots, fabricated animals and the "gigantic flying whale" --- Leviathan, which is actually made up of lots of different living creatures really captivates me. The story itself is full of adventures, twists and turns, political intrigues and various scientific creations. However, I think the ending of the story seems a little abrupt, with Dr. Barlow (Darwin's granddaughter) fostering three mysterious eggs, although I know that the author probably intends to explain more about that in the sequel.

The illustrations by Keith Thompson are plain gorgeous! I love them! His drawings fit the story perfectly.

I'd recommend this book to those who enjoy steampunk and science fiction, although I have a feeling that it is mainly oriented towards teenagers (both the main characters are 15 years old). Overall, Leviathan is an entertaining read and I look forward to reading the next book in the series!

Rating:

My deepest gratitude to Kathryn from Simon & Schuster UK Ltd for sending me a review copy of Leviathan! Thank you, Kathryn! :)

Other versions:

Purchase Leviathan at
Simon & Schuster UK / Amazon / Barnes & Noble

Scott Westerfeld was born in Texas, and received a BA in philosophy from Vassar in 1985. He splits his time between New York City and Sydney, Australia. He is the author of Midnighters, Uglies, So Yesterday and Peeps. You can visit Scott Westerfeld's website to know more about him.

Watch the book trailer: