Lockdown: Escape from Furnace, Book 1

I really liked the premise of this book and kind of had it on the back burner. For some reason I started it the other day and WOWZERS!!! This story completely and 100% KICKS ASS!!!!! I think Smith did a great job making believable characters (the main protag — Alex Sawyer — as well as the other boys in the prison), that I not only care about, but can't wait to invest more time in by reading this entire series. I suspended my usual aversion to cliffhanger endings because I think it really works in this case. The pace steadily increases throughout the book like Evil Knievel racing towards the ramp; faster and faster 'til his motorcycle blasts into the sky like a rocket and......tune in next time. The fearsome Warden Cross and the Blacksuits are great villains, but the Wheezers are beyond disturbing. They added a menacingly nightmarish tension to the story that left me on the edge of my seat in agony. I F'N LOVE THIS BOOK!!! I will read them all and most likely anything Mr. Smith has to offer. My favorite book of 2012 thus far.

The violence in this can be a bit extra gory, about on par with what a pre-teen boy would find sufficient, but the suspense is well written and I'm interested to see where the next book in the series takes these characters!

This book was the most thrilling book I have ever read! I actually cried a little bit when Donovan got taken. And the narration was amazing! I liked how he used different voices for the different characters. overall this book was outstanding! I am definitely going to read the next book.

I was referred to this book by a friend and it was quite an interesting suspense story. Some definite horror elements mixed in with an incarceration vibe. It was a lot like Lord of the Flies and Shawshank Redemption got together and decided to throw some nightmares in the mix.

Good prison book, well written, good dialogue and pacing. Characters are believable and drive the plot, a refreshing change from the herd of dystopian novels.

I probably wouldn't listen to Lockdown again because it was very suspenseful and made me nervous...just the type of book teen boys love!

The boys are locked away in a underground prison called, Furnace. Sometimes, never knowing when, the boys are subjected to horrendous creatures roaming the halls, stopping at cells of prisoners to take and torture. Every time this happened I wanted to pull a blanket over my head so I wouldn't be seen.

Alex Kalajzic's voice pulled me into the story, making me one of the characters.

It made me sweat! I knew when I was finished listening to it that it was a winner for the boys in my school. They love this kind of stuff.

This is a great book to hook a reluctant reader. Audiobooks usually work pretty well, but this story is truly dynamic.

Pretty good teen fiction for a male audience.
Setting could be anywhere but the narrator uses British accents throughout.
There are virtually no female characters except Alex's mom who only appears briefly early on.
This story reminded me of the Hunger Games novels with a bit of a ghastly, Sci Fi, horror bent.
The book ends at a climactic scene intended to lead you into the next volume in the series.
I am not certain that I will continue with the series.
Worth your consideration, anyway.

I had a bit of difficulty understanding the narrator's accent, hence the 3 stars. This was a very unique book and quite suspenseful. I found it interesting, thought-provoking, and different from my usual mystery listen. I think it gives a chilling account of what life could be like in the prison system.

one of the worst books i have downloaded in about 5 years with audible. the story itself is not too bad, but the narrator is quite bizarre. odd pauses, weird inflections, strange emphasis, incomprehensible accents!! where do i stop. is this bloke a native english speaker? is he even human?

i absolutely forced myself to finish it - really dont know why. it just suddenly ends. i resent the time i wasted on this one as much as the wasted credit. do yourself a favour and AVOID.

you have been warned!!!

Not worth the time. The characters are intriguing yet are poorly developed. Surprised to find it was a young adult selection once I started listening.