Incarceron by Catherine Fisher
Incarceron
by Catherine Fisher
(Audio)
http://www.bookcrossing.com/journal/11891192
As I looked at the cover of this book, I realized the key looked familiar. In fact, it was an image used on a magnet I bought during the YA Saves movement regarding young adult literature. I had to ask on BookCrossing what book it was from. It was among other logos of amazing examples of quality YA, so I started this book with high expectations.
I like to say that if I love characters I can forgive plot being bad. Sadly, it doesn't work the other way around. This is a fascinating setting--a prison that is so large and has been held tight for so long that its inhabitants don't realize there even is an outside. And it's a great concept--the warden's daughter becomes able to speak to a few prisoners and the prisoners communicate back. It's even a great plot, filled with political factions, conspiracies, uprisings, power plays, and more. But the characters? I didn't feel a thing for them.
They weren't all completely one-dimensional, but they didn't have a lot of depth either. They were defined by their actions and connections. I never got a sense of any of them. They just acted as they needed to in order to further the plot. I liked them just fine, but I really didn't care if they got away with their plans or not. Except I kind of knew they would get away with it, because it'd be a pretty boring book to go so far just to have them die in the attempt.
There were certainly some twists I didn't see coming, and the concept was really neat, especially because you learn at the beginning of the book that the prison is alive and then you get to see it in action throughout the story in some clever ways. But I'm pretty indifferent to the story because I just didn't care what happened to the characters.