Incarceron

= //Incarceron// by Catherine Fisher =

**Plot:** Incarceron is a prison, sealed off from the outside world. No one gets in and no one gets out. Prisoners are born and die there. The prison has a mind of its own, controlling the will of the prisoners. Originally designed centuries ago as a utopia, Incarceron now stands as a mysterious, malevolent living structure, a symbol of the evil of technology, which has been banned in the Realm.

One of its prisoners is seventeen-year old Finn who has no memories except of Incarceron, but he has brief glimpses of another earlier life that come to him during seizures. This sets him apart from the other prisoners and motivates him to escape. Outside of Incarceron is Claudia, the Warden's daughter. Her life is so restricted and controlled, she might as well be in prison herself. Against her wishes, she has been forced by her father to become engaged to a Prince of the Realm, Caspar. Like Finn, she plots her escape.

At the same moment, Finn and Claudia discover crystal keys that allow them to communicate with each other. They hatch a plan for Finn's escape, which takes both characters on separate odysseys of danger, discovery and political intrigue.

//Incarceron// by Catherine Fischer is dazzling and frightening. The story pays homage to the dystopian tradition and yet is completely original with horrors that make you wonder at Fischer's powers of imagination.
 * Personal Reflections: **

The plot is satisfyingly complex, keeping you guessing all the way through. Finn and Claudia are both well-drawn characters that we come to care about. Claudia, in particular, engages in some impressive political maneuvering.

//Incarceron// is just cool, if tweens even still use that word. Gothic, steampunk, dystopic, //Incarceron// is a dark fairytale unlike any other YA fantasy novel I've encountered. Because it is so dark, I would recommend it for older tweens. Fantasy, Science Fiction, Dystopian
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Ages 12-14**﻿** **Series Information:**
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 * **//Incarceron// has a sequel, //Sapphique//.

20th Century Fox has purchased film rights to the novel **Links of Interest:** Catherine Fisher's website //Incarceron// book trailer Fisher, C. (2010). //Incarceron//. New York, NY: Dial Books.
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