Scan barcode
guccishoestrings's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
The story takes place in what is supposed to be London England where there was an event in time called the slaughter of summer. This was when a bunch of gangs that consisted of teenagers basically had a war that led to many deaths. This in turn led to the creation of the prison called Furnace.
The book starts of as Alex Sawyer (narrator/main character) a 14 year old petty thief is planning is next robbery with is friend Toby. During their robbery they are caught by massive men in black suits that then killed Toby right in front of Alex before framing Alex for the murder. Alex is sentenced to Furnace for the murder and the main story takes off from there.
The Characters: The characters are so good in this book, Alex is an interesting main character who at the start is a horrible human being but is just a 14 year old misguided teen who reflects a lot on who he is. Donovan although tough on the outside is a funny and caring individual who was sentenced to furnace for a reason that I feel a lot of others would do in his position. Zee a small scrawny teen who is what you would consider the comic relief but is a great friend who would die for Alex/Donovan. Then the main antagonists are, Furnace itself with gangs and inhabitants that will kill you if you even smell funny. Warden Cross and Alfred Furnace are the main antagonists of the series but they are not as prevalent until the very end of book 1 and the start of book 2.
The good: The characters, one of the best set of characters of any young adult book. They truly care for each other and in place of a typical romance this series has a bromance which is a nice change that you do not see often in young adult series. The setting is interesting, leading to many questions on what the h*ll is actually going on in the prison. Its violent but not to the point of being overdone, it is a prison full of violent murders and the guards are no different. As the saying goes "F*ck around and find out".
The Bad: The real series does not really take off until some way through book 2 (not really starting till book 3) as this book is mostly there to introduce the cast and what to expect in the future. The main villains are not at all explained or drawn out until later in the series which is not a huge bad but can push people away from the book. Alex is the weakest character out of the main cast as he is very selfish and his thoughts show that. However, He gets better throughout the series.
If you like dark and violent series that have a lot of mystery, check this series out as it is one of the most unique young adult series out there.
Graphic: Bullying, Child death, Death, Gun violence, Suicide, Violence, and Murder
ericadawson's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
The pacing is fast and tight, which is good because the dangerous conditions of Furnace meant that people died quite regularly. While Alex had his moments of being very annoying (how many times must the protagonist stop and watch when he should be running away?) he was consistently persistent in his hope for an escape. He's charismatic and a little too trustworthy for his own good.
None of the characters annoyed me. The writing could be heavy handed at times; I remember finding some of the metaphors a bit silly, and some of the descriptions repetitive, but none of these ruined the tension throughout the book. Overall a great read.
Graphic: Body horror, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Gore, Physical abuse, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Suicide attempt, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Body shaming, Fatphobia, and Fire/Fire injury
jenna_justi2004's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Vomit, Police brutality, Grief, Suicide attempt, Murder, and Toxic friendship
brassnbooks's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Body horror, Bullying, Gore, and Violence
Moderate: Death, Gun violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Grief, and Suicide attempt
Minor: Animal death, Vomit, and Murder
rachelditty's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Body horror, Bullying, Gore, Violence, Forced institutionalization, and Blood
Moderate: Death, Suicide, Grief, and Suicide attempt
Minor: Animal death, Vomit, and Murder