Parents' Guide to

Incarceron

By Debra Bogart, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 14+

Dystopian bestseller is full of plot twists, complex themes.

Book Catherine Fisher Science Fiction 2010
Incarceron Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this book.

Community Reviews

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age 12+

Based on 3 parent reviews

indychaser
indychaser Adult
March 28, 2012
age 11+

yay no sex in a young teen novel!

This book is a good fun read that isn't very inappropriate. There is a little bit of language but not much, and no graphic sex descriptions which is one of my major turn offs

This title has:

Too much swearing
Mother of 4 Teens
Mother of 4 Teens Parent of 14, 14, 17 and 20-year-old
July 1, 2010
age 14+

"Sensitive and Fantasical"

Only one twin liked this, and that was Chester. He prefers sensitive and fantasical. Chase prefer horror and mystery. You can see how this book is not that. I read this myself, and I did not like it.
See all 3 parent reviews

What's the Story?

Seventeen-year-old Finn has always felt like an outsider -- but the prison called Incarceron is the only home he remembers, and nobody ever leaves it, let alone enters. Teenaged Claudia is the prison Warden's daughter, giving her high enough social status that she will marry soon and become the new Queen. Looking for escape from fates they never chose leads Finn and Claudia to each other in a desperate race through virtual worlds that are trying to keep them apart. Aided by unlikely friends and the wise men known as Sapienti, both risk death in their pursuit. The closer Finn and Claudia get to each other, the deeper and darker the puzzles become in this complex novel of a utopia gone horribly wrong.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (3):
Kids say (15):

Fisher writes with the ethical undercurrents of authors Orson Scott Card or Kurt Vonnegut, the unpredictability of Arthur Clark, and the imagination of Nancy Farmer. The full integration of technology into this future society may intrigue teens but the young characters who are rebelling against their
socially assigned roles will be the hook that captures them. The author is masterful at creating worlds through her usage of descriptive phrasing and the narrative trades between Claudia and Finn. The sweeping scope of imagination and surprising plot twists will make this book as popular with adults as it will be with teens.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about the idea of banishing certain groups of people forever. Was it done to make life better for the banished, or the society who stayed behind?

  • What do you think went wrong with the original idea of creating a utopia that was locked away?

  • Finn has almost unwavering belief that he knew another life than that of Incarceron. Does he still believe at the end of the book?

  • Many characters are revealed to be quite different than we think they are. Which revelation was most surprising? Who do you think is hiding the most about themselves?

Book Details

  • Author: Catherine Fisher
  • Genre: Science Fiction
  • Book type: Fiction
  • Publisher: Dial Books
  • Publication date: January 26, 2010
  • Publisher's recommended age(s): 12 - 17
  • Number of pages: 442
  • Last updated: July 12, 2017

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