Solitary: Escape from Furnace 2

Solitary: Escape from Furnace 2

By Alexander Gordon Smith

I know I said I wasn’t in a rush to read the rest of this series… and I’m not. However, I read approximately one chapter of another book and realized that I was already having trouble remembering what had happened in this series. So, as I already have all of the books, it seemed prudent to read them all before I forget what the hell is going on.

It probably isn’t a good sign that I forgot so much in so little time. Hmmm…

Anyway, this is the second book in the Escape from Furnace series. As you can guess, Alex’s escape plan didn’t really go too well as he is now in solitary confinement. So, apparently, no one in this prison survives more than four days in the hole (that’s solitary) and the one who did lost his mind (I wish you could hear the spooky/intense way that I intend that sentence).  When Alex and Zee (his buddy) are thrown in, I thought, “Oooh, things might get interesting- what happens in that god damn hole?!”

Answer: not much really.

There is something evil going on--- something that seems painfully obvious but I continually remind myself that this series is intended for kids, not literature PhD students--- so Alex hallucinates quite a bit, but it seems to be more about his guilt and boredom than spookiness afoot. Yet, it is clear that I, as the reader, am supposed to understand this experience as being far more intense than he has created. So you daydream and have to crap in the corner—why would that kill you? Why would you lose your mind? I mean, compared to getting eaten alive by hellhounds or injected with poison or beaten to death (which happen all the time in general population), being alone seems pretty alright.

Apparently it is not alright, but I just couldn’t grasp the urgency.

I think that I would have loved this book when I was younger (like 12ish) and keep reminding myself to relax on the criticism. It’s fun, there is plenty of action, it’s excessively violent which, god knows, I seem to love in young adult literature.

I admit, I felt sad when something happened to a certain main character in the infirmary and was genuinely surprised, yet somehow not totally surprised, at the ending. That is about as specific as I can be without ruining it for anyone who might choose to read the series.

I suppose I had better start the next book before I forget the entire premise.