Incarceron

by Catherine Fisher

Incarceron is a very unique prison: it is sealed. This means that no new prisoners enter the prison, and no old prisoners leave. Oh, did I tell you that the prison is also alive?

Enter our two main characters:

• Claudia is the warden’s daughter. She is currently preparing for (and dreading) her arranged marriage to the Queen’s son.

• Finn is the mysterious young prisoner with memory issues. He is sure that he has not always been in the prison, but can’t quite remember his life Outside.

Claudia is curious about Incarceron and its inhabitants; Finn is dying to get Outside. Can these two young people help each other? And just what is the deal with this most unusual prison?

I really didn’t care for this young adult novel. It was tough to get interested in the story, the setting and characters were not well developed, and it ended abruptly, clearly setting itself up for a sequel. Very disappointing.

8/16/10