The first time I saw Incarceron by Catherine Fisher at the bookstore, I immediately picked it up. The cover looked so intriguing, and the title? What does that even mean?
So when I saw that Blog with Bite had chosen it as their YA review for June, I knew it was time to pick up this book and, finally, satiate my thirst.
Boy, am I glad I did.
From the jacket copy: “Incarceron is a prison unlike any other: Its inmates live not only in cells, but also in metal forests, dilapidated cities, and unbounded wilderness. The prison has been sealed for centuries, and only one man, legend says, has ever escaped.”
The book follows Finn, a 17-year-old inmate, as he tries to find his way Outside the prison’s walls. Then, there’s Claudia, a privileged young woman who just might hold the key to Finn’s Escape.
The book is inventive and fascinating. At first, I thought it was predictable. But the author surprised me in the details and nuances of the story. So while I thought I knew what was going to happen, I ended up surprised at the end. That is the best kind of story.
The characters were deep and real. Claudia is such a strong female force, and Finn’s quest to unearth his identity is very compelling. At first, I hated Keiro, but in the end, I felt sorry for him. And Attia — I *loved* Attia for her quick wit and ability to survive. She is so loyal to Finn, and I admire that.
You definitely don’t want to miss this book!
Plot Discussion From This Point…Spoiler Alert!
For me, Incarceron was the tale of *two* prisons. Of course, there is Incarceron itself, which this futuristic society built to lock away all of the wrong and bad people from its world. They locked up the criminals, the murderers and the degenerates. But who made that choice? Who decided these were the bad people?
The inmates of Incarceron were supposed to be placed in a paradise — access to educate, health care and everything they needed to have a functioning Utopian society. But soon, the society unraveled and the prison decayed into Hell.
The central question in the book has to do with the nature of man. Are we inherently evil? Will we corrode anything we touch? Or is it possible to create a paradise?
I think that the parallel prison in the story answers that question. For me, the Protocol dictated by the Queen was another prison. It was a way to contain her subjects. At one point, she even tells Caspar to remember that Protocol is what allows them to rule.
Here you have this highly advanced society — they have wands that can stop signs of aging! — and they have chosen to stop progress and live according to the constraints of an earlier Era (seems like early Victorian England). They have banned all forms of technology and drive coaches pulled by horses and wear petticoats. The poor are servants and the wealthy are courtiers and the Queen is able to control it all.
And the people just let her. This is supposed to be the “good” people in their society, and their world is plagued with murder plots and kidnappings and threats by an evil ruler.
I think that Catherine Fisher has answered her own question in the way that this society is portrayed. Evil is part of everything. There is no way to escape it. In order for there to be good, there must be evil. And there most definitely is.
Discussion Questions…Spoiler Alert!
1. Claudia was portrayed as a very strong character, did you think bravery lead her steps into Incarceron
or do you think she just played a card in the prisons hand?
or do you think she just played a card in the prisons hand?I think that it was her bravery that led her into Incarceron. She made up her own mind throughout the book, and she was able to break free of Incarceron’s influence once she was inside the prison. I think that speaks volumes about the strength of her character.
2. Although Jared and Claudia’s relationship is purely student/ teacher….did you pick up any undercurrent of sexual tension between them?
I think there was definitely some sexual tension between them. We never really get an idea of how old Jared is…he’s just described as “older.” I don’t think it’s possible for a man and woman to be close friends and not related and not have sexual tension in the relationship.
3. Spill! What are your predictions for the next book Sapphique
? What are you looking forward to/what do you hope gets explained before the grand finale?
? What are you looking forward to/what do you hope gets explained before the grand finale?I think that Keiro will never escape. I think that he will believe Finn betrayed him and he will be trapped in there forever or die in there. I hope we learn the truth about Sapphique and his relationship with Incarceron.
Oohh…what if the Warden was Sapphique? And when he went back in it was Sapphique returning. That would be an awesome twist.4. What do you think of the relationship between the Warden and the Queen in regards to the big picture?
I think that both were selfish and used the other to attain their own goals. It was great how they ended up screwing each other over.
5. Do you think that Finn is the only one besides Sapphique who has escaped or left Incarceron?
Well, if the key is the only way to leave… I would think so… But then again, Sapphique escaped without a key, so who knows?
6. What is your take on the futuristic aspects mixed with the period clothing and mannerisms? Is this what would be considered Steampunk or is it more Science Fiction?
I definitely think that this qualifies as Steampunk. It has the period aspect and the futuristic aspect that define the genre.
Be sure to check out Blog With Bite to see what everyone else thought of Incarceron.
Thanks for looking!
I loved Incarceron! I dont' think I've heard of anyone not liking it. Those were some great discussion questions. I'm going to check out Blog Bites in a bit. I won a copy of Sapphique that I'm going to read soon. I hope it's as interesting as the first book!
Sounds like a great book, I didnt look at your *spolier* stuff…didnt want to spoil it for me, but great idea.
On the relationship between Jared and Claudia, THANK YOU! I am so glad someone finally said something. He loves her. I know the obvious pairing would be Finn/Claudia, Claudia and Jared are very protective of each other, and Attia clearly has a thing for our boy Finny.
(For the record, I wanted to like Keiro, but he was just such a tool. I think down the road Keiro/Attia would be hilarious though.)
I also agree with Jared's age being unclear. At first I thought he was an old man, but he still has (long? long-ish?) dark hair. All we know is that apparently he's less than 50, according to Gildas. He's also described as being young for a Sapient. Are typical Sapienti old men? This doesn't help much as the full nature of the Sapienti was one of the many mysteries left unresolved by the book.
edit: (howlingvenus here in case the name doesn’t show up) according to Sapphique, Jared is barely 30. Fssst yes.