September 29, 2012

Review: Incarceron by Catherine Fisher

Incarceron (Incarceron #1)
Author: Catherine Fisher
Publisher: Dial
Publication Date: January 26, 2010
Pages: 442
Source: Hardcover/Borrowed

A thrilling, high-concept fantasy for fans of Garth Nix and Nancy Farmer.

Incarceron is a prison so vast that it contains not only cells, but also metal forests, dilapidated cities, and vast wilderness. Finn, a seventeen-year-old prisoner, has no memory of his childhood and is sure that he came from Outside Incarceron. Very few prisoners believe that there is an Outside, however, which makes escape seems impossible.

And then Finn finds a crystal key that allows him to communicate with a girl named Claudia. She claims to live Outside- she is the daughter of the Warden of Incarceron, and doomed to an arranged marriage. Finn is determined to escape the prison, and Claudia believes she can help him. But they don't realize that there is more to Incarceron than meets the eye. Escape will take their greatest courage and cost more than they know.

Review: After getting through the first few chapters I really enjoyed this book. It wasn't because the first few chapters were bad, it was because things were a bit confusing to me at times until it was explained. But even in the confusion those chapters were still pretty good writing wise. This book was definitely unique! But in a good way! 

Finn. He is trapped inside Incarceron. A prison that's alive. It listens to everything you say and it even responds sometimes. Its a prison that doesn't let any of its sons or daughters even find a way of escaping (or so it seems). Finn is a starseer (he has visions) but yet hes haunted by these pieces of memories he seems to remember that makes him think he wasn't born there, but outside and brought in. These feelings get even stronger when he get his hands on a crystal, the key to Incarceron. 

Claudia. She lives on the outside, where everyone thinks Incarceron is a paradise. She's also the daughter of the Warden of Incarceron. She's doomed to an arranged marriage to the Queen's son. Only, this isn't her first engagement. She was originally engaged to the Queen's half son Giles (the King was married before to someone else), and original heir to the throne. Only he died, or so it seems, until Claudia gets some evidence that shows he might still actually be alive and in Incarceron. Then she finds her dads crystal to Incarceron and everything changes.

Once Finn and Claudia get those crystals they find they are able to communicate through them. And through the crystals Claudia learns from Finn that Incarceron isn't the paradise everyone makes it out to be, and Claudia learns that her father isn't the man she thought he was. Through the crystal two things become very clear to Claudia and Finn. Finn knows there is an Outside and believes he really has been there, and Claudia knows that she needs to help Finn escape, by all means possible. I loved seeing the two of them work together through the crystal to uncover the lies surrounding Incarceron. I also loved seeing the two of them grow as they learned more about the lies surrounding them. I definitely can't wait to read Sapphique and see what happens with all the lies and secrets now out in the open. 

4 Stars!