Fugitives: Escape from Furnace 4

The series has been strong from the beginning and Smith is very talented at keeping the reader from wanting to put the book down, however book 4 takes a bit of a nosedive after the high point that was book 3. A great deal of the book is spent with the protagonists having no real plan of action and simply moving from point A to point B, and though it's fairly linear, Smith still provides some pretty good twists and turns along the way.However, the series was REALLY not in need of a love interest character, especially one who provides so little impact on the plot and actually seems to hinder productivity. There are numerous instances where she is simply mentioned, seemingly divorced from the problems the protagonists are facing, as if Smith had no idea what she should be doing but needed to remind us of her existence in hopes we would become as attached to her as we are to the other protagonists. She is not, however, the viewpoint character's love interest (which I was concerned would end up happening when she was introduced) and her involvement in the book as a whole was so inconsequential that I can't honestly say she killed the experience for me as a reader. Three or four instances of yelling "why are you still dragging her along with you?!" at the characters are a small sacrifice, however I wish Smith had more for her to do to make her an interesting character like the others, as opposed to "angry snarky love interest who keeps following the protagonists into extreme danger for no real reason."

When I first began the Escape from Furnace series, I loved it. The first book was the best in my opinion, and it slowly declined from there. I enjoyed reading the first three books of this series, and frankly the series should've ended at book three. If you are interested in this series, I strongly recommend to just read the first three books. They are exciting, the story is suspenseful and a thrill to read. The third book ends with a satisfying closure, so I was curious on how Smith would continue this series with the same amount of suspense and horrific action. Once I started to read the fourth installment, I was growing bored very fast. The newly introduced characters are boring and are of no use to the plot whatsoever. I almost feel like the only reason a teenage girl character was pushed into the story was so Zee didn't appear to be a homosexual. Lastly, the plot of the rest of the series (4-5) is predictable and dragging on. It felt like a chore to get through this book, and all I could think about was how much wasted potential it had. This series has great ideas, and has all the right stuff for an action movie blockbuster. But just like the past mistakes Hollywood has been making, the creators need to stop when they should instead of continuing for money. That's what I felt like when reading this book, like it was just made to make more money. I'm giving this book 2 stars, or a 4/10 rating. It isn't worth your time. But I do recommend the first three books. Alexander Gordon Smith is a good writer, but should focus more on what's best for the story, not what's best for his profit.

If you have not read the Escape from Furnace series, I highly recommend reading them all. This is the 4th book, so there is a spoiler warning for the first three books, but not this one. If you have read the 3rd book, you know that Alex and the other inmates have escaped and are on the loose. The beginning of this book is really engaging, with Alex and his friends on the run. I really like on how even though they escaped, it does not mean they are safe. The police's do not know that Furnace is a demonic place. The action scenes are really good also. The overall book is good, but after finishing this I am not sure if I like where the series is going and I think that they should have ended the book with Death Sentence, the third book. Overall, the book is good, if not great, but I am not sure if I like where the series is headed.

My son read the first 2 books of the series and had a hard time finding the other 3 books. For Christmas, I got him the whole set. He was very excited and started reading from 1st book and has been binge reading ever since.

This series is honestly amazing. I started reading them in high school but after school I wasn’t required to read so I never got to the fourth one. But, I decided to finally read it a couple years later and wow Im happy I waited because I get to feel the excitement now. It’s a great series and I recommend it to anyone who has trouble getting themselves to read!

I've read alot of books and whenever I'm done with a book I'm DONE. I read it the first time and then I have no interest in it again but not this series when I finished fugitives I was so upset the 5th one hadn't come out yet! I reread the entire series again and again and I love it more and more each time. I read each of them at least 3times. I should know the books word for word by now haha. Anyways I recomend this book to anyone and everyone you will fall in love with it. Honestly it deserves more than five stars!

This is such a great book, that I look forward to going back and reading this story again and all the other books to this series as well. Terrifyingly shocking scenes, plus vivid characters, a creative, well written, and exciting sci-fi/futuristic Earth story, added to serious action and mystery, make this book a "must-have"!!!! I honestly was surprised at how truly fantastic it was, especially because it is considered a YA book. I have grown kids and it was fantastic!!!!

Our hero has made it out of the furnace with his two friends, Zee and Simon, but the stuff in his veins is changing him even more. Can his mind overcome the evil that is changing his body? Although he is out of Furnace so are the other creatures of furnace! And worse is to come. Will it ever end? This book continues the story of Alex. Riveting and fast-paced another "can't put it down" book from Alexander Gordon Smith. Can't wait to read the next one!

A good read if you like real fiction and action. Alexander is an amazing writer for his age as you never know what is going to happen next. Be sure to read the Furnace books in order atarting at No1 Lockdown.

My son wanted the series and read them all quickly

My son is an avid reader, but very picky! He loved this book, and has now read them all in the series. I would recommend this to other 15 year old boys

To be read - 16 yr old son loves this series - delivered on time

One of my favourite series