Sue Recommends Incarceron by Catherine Fisher

Incarceron is a highly recommended title waiting for readers who enjoy science fiction set in futuristic societies. In this creative tale, civilization is artificially frozen at late-medieval levels in order to save the world from dangerous technologies. The wise men of the society decided that at the same time they would create a prison where they would imprison all the bad people and socially engineer them to be better, thus creating a utopia.

The story revolves around Claudia, the daughter of the warden of Incarceron, who does not want to marry the heir to the throne. Because it is a feudal type society, marriages are arranged. The other character, Finn, is imprisoned in Incarceron, an actual dystopia, but believes, due to dreams and a tattoo on his arm, that he was at one time outside the prison's walls. Both Claudia and Finn come into possession of high tech keys to the prison which allow them to see and talk to each other. They begin to plot how to free Finn. But who is Finn, and how did he come to call Incarceron his home? Can Claudia manage to escape the marriage to the lout who is to become King? The mysteries abound and the plot thickens to keep readers so engaged that they will be drooling for the sequel.

This book is found in the Youth section but the complexity of the plot is sure to keep anyone 12 and over engaged. SH