Show Me 5 - Lockdown by Alexander Gordon Smith

Ali from That's a Novel Idea has this cool meme which I decided to peruse when I am too lazy to write an actual review or simply don't think I have enough ideas to share about a book to create a cohesive post. Mind you, this will not have anything to do with the quality of the book.

Each Saturday You will post the answer to these questions. The number indicates the number of answers you will provide.

1 - Book you read and/or reviewed this week

2 - Words that describe the book

3 - Settings where it took place or characters you met

4 - Things you liked and/or disliked about it

5 - Stars or less for your rating

  

1 - Lockdown by Alexander Gordon Smith

2 - YA, thriller

3 - Alexander, a 14 year-old boy who is set up for the murder of his best friend and sentenced to life in prison

Donovan, Alexander's cell mate who despite the circumstances becomes his friend

Furnace, the worst place on earth to be, or rather worse even than hell itself, it's the prison of young boys where both Alexander and Donovan must survive against the odds and the odds are they are never  getting out of there alive, it's a place where unspeakable terrors lurk at night and you don't want to be caught outside your cell after the lockdown.

4 - There almost isn't anything that I disliked. I liked the setting, I think it was original since there aren't many books for YA, especially boys that are set in futuristic prisons. I liked the action, it was very quick paced, very engaging and got me through the book before I knew it. I liked the characters, both good and evil but especially good with their friendships and loyalty and courage in the face of unspeakable evil and with their spirit of never giving up. I disliked the lack of depth for the most evil of them all, the Warden. In my opinion there could have been more background for him, where he's from, why he was doing what he was doing, etc. There were only glimpses instead and for me it was a little frustrating. Maybe we'll know more in part two which is coming out in late fall 2010.

5 - it's not quite 5 stars, but definitely 4 (hardly ever will there be 5 stars from me, I reserve this rating for best of the best but 4 is pretty much very close).

*******

I received Lockdown from Shelf Awareness.