REVIEW: Incarceron (Kindle Edition) by Catherine Fisher

Incarceron by Catherine Fisher
Publishing information: Kindle Edition
Publisher: Thorndike Press; 22 September 2010
ISBN 10: 1410429911
ISBN 13: 978-1410429919
ASIN: B0049MPHWQ
Series: Book one of the Incarceron series
Copy: Out of Pocket
Reviewer: Tyson

Description: "Finn is a 17-year old prisoner of Incarceron. His memories begin and end there. He knows nothing about his heritage except for vague memories that tease at his mind. The teen is determined to escape the prison fashioned centuries ago as a solution to the chaos created by man. Now Incarceron is self-sustaining and self-perpetuating—prisoners are born there and they die there. Legend claims only one man has ever escaped, Sapphique, and Finn is determined to follow in his steps. Claudia, the warden's daughter, lives sequestered in a castle surrounded by servants. But she, too, longs for escape—from a father who frightens her and from betrothal to an insipid prince. Finn and Claudia each discover a crystal key and are amazed to find that they can communicate with each other. As their trust in one another builds, each pledges to help the other. The two stories emerge, intertwine and, by the end, unwind in startling twists that will astonish."

I have heard a lot of rumblings regarding Incarceron, that it is the next big thing after Harry Potter and that it is a cross between City of Ember and Hunger Games. I wish that were the case, sadly it is not.

Incarceron focuses on two individuals Finn, a boy with no memory and said to have been born inside the living prison known as Incarceron and Claudia, a young girl who is rebelling in her father's plan for her to become queen. By chance the two of them encounter one another and with their combined efforts plan to help each other with their individual problems. Nothing new here and that is why I have a problem with other reviews stating that it is the greatest thing since sliced bread. It's just not original.

While this is a Young Adult novel/series, I don't think you have to dumb down anything so that children can understand the concepts presented in the book and it seemed like the entire book was watered down for that exact reason. When Fisher laid down her world, early on I could see where the book was going and ultimately what was going to happen to her characters. I lost interest nearly sixty pages into the book. It was unfortunate as there is a lot of great things that could have happened but failed to come to fruition.

Finn is a somewhat interesting character, he is likable. His predicament is easy to identify with from a readers prospective but it is also where he fails. His past is a mystery and yet he is told that he is special by those around him. Strikes a similar chord to a certain boy wizard. He also speaks parsaltongue or something along those lines as he can hear the living prison and has a strange bond with it. Claudia is not much better. She is perfect in any and all ways. She was breed and educated to be anything that she needs to be. She has no flaws which may work for some but even kids realize that everyone has some shortcomings. This is not to say that they were bad characters but they both have been done hundreds of times before and with all the hype surrounding this book, I was hoping for something more inventive than what I read.

There is some magic in the novel but it mainly comes from the prison itself. As it has the ability to feed those contained inside and the ability to change its form in the blink of an eye. It is an ingenious idea but never got off the ground for me. The prison is in the title of the book and I felt that it took a backseat to everything else that was happening in the novel.

While I wanted to enjoy and be able to recommend Incarceron, I find I cannot do it. It is mundane. We have been there and done it all before which is a huge disappointment. I have heard that the book is being planned to become a movie and it may be a excellent medium for this story as there is plenty of scenes that would make excellent special effects. Whether it was my mood or all the hype surrounding this title, I just did not enjoy this as much as I should have. It is average at best.

Plot 7
Characters 6
Style 6

Overall 6.5/10