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Alexander Gordon Smith is the author of the Escape from Furnace series, including Lockdown and Solitary. Born in 1979 in Norwich, England, he always wanted to be a writer. After experimenting in the service and retail trades for a few years, Smith decided to go to University. He studied English and American Literature at the University of East Anglia, and it was here that he first explored his love of publishing. Along with poet Luke Wright, he founded Egg Box Publishing, a groundbreaking magazine and press that promotes talented new authors. He also started writing literally hundreds of articles, short stories and books ranging from Scooby Doo comic strips to world atlases, Midsomer Murders to X-Files. The endless research for these projects led to countless book ideas germinating in his head. His first book, The Inventors, written with his nine-year-old brother Jamie, was published in the U.K. in 2007. He lives in England.
In this third installment of the Furnace series, Gordon-Smith has pulled out all the stops. It is a tour de force of action and adventure... Honestly, this reviewer could not put this book down, having thoroughly enjoyed all of the novels in this series, and will anxiously await the release of Fugitives: Escape from Furnace 4 due winter 2012. Please continue to wow us, Mr. Gordon Smith--your books are a pleasure to read. --VOYA Fresh and ferocious, Lockdown will hook boys with its gritty, unrelenting surprises. --James Patterson Furnace is hotter than hell and twice as much fun! Sign me up for a life sentence of Alexander Gordon Smith! --Darren Shan, author of the Demonata series This nightmarish start to a new series is unrelentingly bleak, uniquely horrifying, and strangely compelling. --Realms of Fantasy magazine A great next choice for fans of The Maze Runner, The Grassland Trilogy. . . or Lord of the Flies . . . Recommended for dystopia, thriller, and horror fans, or anyone looking for a fast-paced, spine-chilling ride. --Jennifer Robinson's Bookpage Readers will be turning pages without pause, and the cliff-hanger ending will have them anticipating the next installment. Most appealing is Smith's flowing writing style, filled with kid-speak, colorful adjectives, and amusing analogies. Fans of James Patterson's 'Maximum Ride' and Darren Shan's 'The Demonata' series will find this satisfying fare. --School Library Journal One of those leave-you-on-the-edge-of-your-seat thrill rides that will grab the reader right from the start. Teens will appreciate Smith's vivid imagery. His writing is extremely fluid, and he makes the reader feel for the characters, especially the young protagonist, Alex. Readers will be cheering him on from start to finish. Look for the sequel, Solitary, forthcoming in 2010. Readers will be anxious to see where Alex's adventures take him next. --VOYA Not for the faint-hearted, this dramatic British import is both a page- and stomach-turner. . . The pacing is superb, building on the tension as each horror is revealed while saving the ultimate monstrosity for the cliffhanger ending. --The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books Lockdown is a beautifully written book that builds itself up on violence, suspense, and mystery. --A YALSA YA Galley Teen Reader
