Lockdown by Alex Smith

Lockdown by Alexander Gordon Smith

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


This is one that truly gave me nightmares after reading it before bed. I dreamed I was locked in a prison and woke up when the guards were trying to kill me, which is why I recommend you not read this as a bedtime story. It is easy to get caught up in the story of Alex, a 15 year old delinquent, who is locked in a prison called the "furnace" for a murder he didn't commit. After one summer labeled the Summer of Slaughter because of the murders and mayhem committed by teenage gangs, the government has cracked down on teenage offenders, basically locking them up and forgetting they ever existed. It seems besides being tough on offenders on the inside of the "furnace," the "furnace" personnel (black suits)actually frame juvenile delinquents with additional crimes, like murder. No one will look for an early release of a murderer.



In spite of brutal treatment, and extreme control of the offenders, Alex thinks there may be a way out of the furnace. Seems impossible, but you can't help but start to believe that there is hope. That hope really keeps you turning those pages, in spite of nightmares.



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