Review Detail

I put off these books for so long because the covers are seriously scary and it sounded like it could potentially be a mess. I really should have given Lockdown a chance sooner, though, because it was freaking awesome.

This book seriously packs in the adrenaline and feels. No, there's no romance. In fact, there's zero girls (I'll get to that in a few), but it didn't really matter because the story was great. It starts off with a bang and never really lets up.

On the creep factor: it was fantastic. How does this sound? Giant, skinless pitbulls and (human?) things with gas masks sewn into their faces. There were multiple (work) nights I was up later than I should have been because the adrenaline was just too much. I don't think I could've put the book down even if I tried.

Then there's the emotions. This is the first book I've gotten really invested in lately. Maybe it's because I wasn't really expecting an emotional investment, but by the end I was tearing up when people got removed from the story (by death or otherwise).

My one issue, and it's not even really an issue, where are the girls? I'm fine with a story without girls, but the description nor the story indicate anywhere that the prison is male-only that I can remember and yet there are no girls to be found. Maybe that's potential for a plot twist in later books? I still would've liked some acknowledgement, though.

The Nutshell: Lockdown is a fantastic horror that pulled me in and also managed to make me feel for the characters. I tend to distance myself from characters when it's a horror, but Smith managed to pull me in and get me invested. I'm really looking forward to the reading the next one. I actually already put it on hold at my library.

Hit/Direct Hit