Incarceron by Catherine FisherPublisher: Dial Books
Release Date: January 26, 2010
Age Level: Young Adult
My rating: 2 of 5 stars
Incarceron is a prison unlike any other: Its inmates live not only in cells, but also in metal forests, dilapidated cities, and unbounded wilderness. The prison has been sealed for centuries, and only one man, legend says, has ever escaped.
Finn, a seventeen-year-old prisoner, can’t remember his childhood and believes he came from Outside Incarceron. He’s going to escape, even though most inmates don’t believe that Outside even exists. And then Finn finds a crystal key and through it, a girl named Claudia.
Claudia claims to live Outside—her father is the Warden of Incarceron and she’s doomed to an arranged marriage. If she helps Finn escape, she will need his help in return. But they don’t realize that there is more to Incarceron than meets the eye. Escape will take their greatest courage and cost far more than they know.
Because Incarceron is alive. (Goodreads)
I'm hesitant to post this review... but it's important to me to be honest and to not filter my posts.
I was so excited to read this book. The cover is just beautiful! It was nominated as a book club read so I immediately voted for it, and I was giddy when it won. Unfortunately, it just did not live up to my expectations. I almost gave up and returned it to the library twice, and I rarely, if ever give up on books. I struggled through the first 1/3 of the book. I was unable to picture Incareron - the prison - in my mind. At about 120 pages I finally started getting into the story, and it did get much better. However, for me this book fell short in so many ways. I had a hard time connecting with the characters, and I didn't understand the relationship between Finn and Keiro. Also, some scenes seemed disconnected to me, and far fetched. Yes, this is a fantasy but at times it seemed disjointed and I had a hard time going with the story. I do have to say that the concept of Incarceron is fascinating, and that alone kept me reading. Also, that Incarceron is a prison, really, inside a prison itself made me feel sorry for them all.
I know there are so many people that loved this book. I really wanted to fall in love this series, but it just didn't happen for me *running from all the rotten tomatoes being thrown at me*.
