Solitary: Escape from Furnace 2

The cells in Furnace Penitentiary are small. Those in solitary are even smaller. Solid walls. Pitch black. Soundproof.Except for the sounds of scratching from above. As if something wants in. Something strong enough to dent the heavy metal lid that locks you in a cell that is not much more than a hole.A solid lid that locks in place, leaving you no way out. And hopefully keeping you protected from whatever wants in.They say that three days is the most that anyone can survive in the hole with their mind intact. But what if you had to survive for thirty?After a month locked away from the light and from all human contact, with only nightmares for company, just who, or what, would you be when you were released?And if escape is the only chance you have for survival, how is it even possible to plan to break free if your mind has snapped?***Solitary is the incredibly imaginative, unbelievably disturbing and downright chilling second installment in the Escape from Furnace series by Alexander Gordon Smith. Digging into this novel after lights out is a sure way to bring to life the nightmares that exist in and just beyond the walls of Furnace Penitentiary that unfold page after gruesome page.In this sequel, the journey is darker, scarier and even more horrific than what Alex Sawyer encountered in Lockdown and is just as nail-biting, if not more so. And readers will quickly discover that the horrors that face the prisoners aren't the only things crawling through the tunnels beneath Furnace penitentiary.Solitary picks up right where Lockdown ended, on the edge of that cliff as Alex and the other escapees attempt their prison break. But as can be guessed from the title, things do not go as planned and they soon get to experience the blackness, isolation and terrors that solitary confinement has to offer.And if Alex didn't think things could get much worse than what he had to endure in Furnace, he was wrong. Dead wrong. Because the fear of being taken at blood watch is nothing compared to the panic that comes from witnessing just what happens in the infirmary.Like Lockdown, Solitary ends with a cliffhanger. But where Lockdown left things in a hopeful, optimistic place, Solitary does the complete opposite.Author Alexander Gordon Smith really knows how to grab readers, pull them into his macabre creation and make their blood run cold as they follow along with Alex as he is forced to suffer all the evils inflicted upon him by the Warden, the black suits, the dogs, the wheezers and the other atrocities that live in the depths below the penitentiary.Solitary is an absolute must read for anyone stuck on the side of the cliff with Alex at the end of book one and for readers who enjoy a fast-paced, heart-pounding, grisly and terrifying adventure.

When I bought this book on my kindle, I was incredibly worried that it would be a rip-off of the first...and I'm pleased to say that Escape From Furnace: Solitary not only brings new concepts to the series, but in some ways, it was better than it's predecessor. Like the previous book, Solitary was full of suspenseful moments that had me biting my nails and sitting on the edge of my seat, but what really stuck out to me about this book was the raw emotion the author conveyed through the pages. Throughout most of the book, the main character spends his time alone in *Spoilers* solitary confinement after being caught by the warden during his escape, so Alex, the main character, has a lot of time to his thoughts. And what depressing thoughts they were... I'm not complaining, in fact I'm doing quite the opposite. Gordon did an absolutely fantastic job in having Alex express these emotions, so much so, it nearly brought me to tears a couple of times. It was also nice seeing Alex's friendship with Zee develop more in this book, I felt like the last book focused on his friendship with Donovan in such detail, that Zee was sidelined a little. I also liked the new character, Simon, who is introduced as a main protagonist. Anyway, I thought this book was amazing and I recommend it

The book arrived in good condition and was better than described.

I have this review up for the first two novels in this series. I have really enjoyed the first two novels of this series. I plan on purchasing the other offerings and hope they continue to be good novels. There is a need to develop a strong suspension of disbelief because of the extreme environment developed by the author but once one can become immersed in the environment the characters and storyline are very enjoyable. Also, despite the highly fictional nature of the story I felt that it inspires much thought on the ideas of crime and punishment and we as a species. I have stated before in reviews how very hard it is to develop new and engaging storylines and environments but this author has done an excellent job of giving us a terrifying and engaging local and characters to inhabit it. I wish him them the best and hope to encounter more offerings from them in the future. Best of luck and happy reading.

Excellent series. My girlfriend got me into this and she was missing the second book! So I had to buy it so I could continue reading. Very similar writing style to Darren Shan. Would highly recommend both of authors. Very simple writing and a fast read, but so engrossing and lifelike.Definitely worth the price and is a series that will be read over and over.

I started this series when I was younger and I decided to revisit after all these years and I’m glad I did! These books are so captivating and dark and creative! Highly recommend if you’re looking for an easy horror series to read.

Well written, captivating, horrifying, edge of your seat thriller. More than worth the read. I absolutely love the whole series.

It was engaging. Kept you wanting to read more, leaving off on cliff hangers at just the right spots in the story.

Great book series

This book is another great book in the Escape From Furnace series and after reading Lockdown (the first book in the series) I had to read this. My expectations were high to begin with but this book exceeded them without breaking a sweat. That's why I rated this book five stars but also because of the gripping story line, the never-ending action and also the way this book is written. It hooks you from the first sentence and keeps you hooked throughout the rest of the book until the gripping cliff-hanger leading into the next book which I yet still to enjoy. I would recommend this book to ages over twelve because there are some scary features but to anyone else who is looking for on the edge of your seat action and true thrill when reading a book. This book is truly one of the best or even the best book I have read in my life. I would read it over and over if it were not for the future books in the series. All in all a very good read and another incredible book from Alexander Gordon Smith.-10/10

This book was just amazing. It's even darker than the first one (for obvious reasons as you'll know when you read it) and there are a few good twists to keep you reading all the way through the book until the end.

Great writing !

Exactly as advertised. So far my class is enjoying it!