Fugitives: Escape from Furnace 4

Fugitives: Escape from Furnace 4

By Alexander Gordon Smith

If I could rewrite this book, I could include every important plot element within 20-30 pages---- if I was being really wordy.

I would say that 2% of this book is necessary plot while 98% is way-too-long descriptions of violence.

Maybe that appeals to you, but it certainly didn’t really work for me. And this from someone who generally enjoys violence in young-adult literature.

I found myself skimming through chapters just to get to any new plot device or bit of information that would advance the narrative. It would come maybe once a chapter, MAYBE.

This book is clearly written by a guy for young guys. It reminded me of a hundred horrible movies where cars get blown up, helicopters fall from the sky, faces get ripped off, one-on-one combat scenes on the edge of a rooftop, and you, as a viewer, don’t really know why it is happening but it doesn’t seem to matter. You are there because you apparently like this sort of nonsensical, gravity/biology/physics- defying action, not because you give a shit about motivation and plot cohesion.

While reading this, I felt like I could easily map out exactly what Gordon Smith was watching while he wrote. There were almost identical moments or images from other movies- most obviously Dawn of the Dead, Hellboy, Silent Hill,  The Incredible Hulk, and so many others that I had trouble keeping track and immediately regretted not writing them down.

This is the worst of the bunch so far. Yet, I still can’t stop because now I have to know how Gordon Smith is going to resolve everything. Even though I had to wade through WAY too many random fight scenes, I still want to know if he will redeem himself. I have to remind myself that these books were clearly NOT meant for my enjoyment--- and, I also feel like I have to finish because the presence of mental illness in these novel is so horribly offensive that it will be absolutely perfect for my dissertation! Horray, time not entirely wasted!