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Lockdown: Escape From Furnace I

by Alexander Gordon Smith

Faber and Faber, 2009

273 pages.




In this gritty and disturbing YA novel, Smith creates Furnace Penitentiary, the 
"toughest maximum security prison in the world for young offenders." Furnace makes 
the U.S. prison system--even maximum security lockdowns like Rikers Island--look 
like a child's tea party. Framed for his best friend's murder, Alex gets a life 
sentence in this hellhole. Even though Alex is guilty of breaking and entering and 
bullying and fighting, readers will like him. He shows his true colors once he 
enters the Furnace. Championing underdogs and saving lives, Alex fights for the 
rights of the little guys. He stands toe to toe with the most brutal of the prison 
gangs, the Skulls.



The prison itself is wedged in a massive gorge beneath the Earth. Rock surrounds 
them on all sides. There is no escape, only death. There are no safeguards for 
prisoners' rights. In fact, the guards would rather see the prisoners dead than 
alive. The sadistic warden welcomes new boys by saying, "Beneath heaven is hell, 
boys, and beneath hell is Furnace. I hope you enjoy your stay."



Sometimes "they" come for you in the middle of the night. Sometimes you come back 
and most of the time, you don't. Alex is determined to find a way out. He enlists 
the help of his cellmate and two other boys who came in with him. They come up with 
a risky plan to blow a hole through solid rock using gas from the kitchen's stoves. 
If it works, they will probably die in the explosion. If caught, they will die. If 
they stay in Furnace, they are guarenteed death. This is a no-brainer for Alex. 
Readers will not be able to put this book down.



Exciting and ferocious. Action-packed. Reluctant readers will enjoy this 
thrill-ride. Highly recommended for YA collections, grade 7-high school.

Pamela Thompson, MLIS

Just added to my blog at http://booksbypamelathompson.blogspot.com/


Library Media Specialist
Col. John O. Ensor Middle School
13600 Ryderwood
El Paso, TX
915-937-6018
pthomp@sisd.net<mailto:pthomp@sisd.net>

visit my YA novel blog at http://booksbypamelathompson.blogspot.com/


"Outside of a dog, a book is man's best friend. Inside of a dog is too dark to 
read." --Groucho Marx

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