Customer Reviews

Lockdown

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4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
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Lockdown, the newest release from Printz award-winning author Walter Dean Myers, couldn't have come at a better time. Burned out from a succession of novels that each read much like the one before it, lacking voice and pizazz, Lockdown provided a much needed - and much appreciated - change. This journey into the life of a boy who made a mistake and pays for it over and over again is both beautiful and sorrowful.

Reese is a boy you've known: someone who tries his best to stay out of trouble when the story of his life is trouble. A big brother in and out of prison, an addict mom, a microcosm society of hopelessness, this is what Reese grows up with and when that fateful day comes that he makes his own mistake and is sent to juvie, no one's going to let him forget where he comes from - and what little he has to look forward to.

Reese has all kinds of obstacles to navigate at the Progress Center: physical violence, authority figures who alternately beat him down and maintain unrealistic high expectations of him, a crusty old racist in the retirement home he volunteers at, uncertainty about his future when he gets out. But Reese, despite his mistake, is self-aware and concerned for others. But even that gets him into trouble. How do you rescue a smaller kid from getting jumped when one more fight cancels out your early-release?

I was struck and saddened by the way the disciplinary system in Lockdown worked to damage Reese's character rather than heal it because it was so truthfully portrayed. Even so, Reese shines in his interactions with his sister, Icy, and I found myself hoping against fate that good things would happen for him. His optimism under pressure was inspiring.

Walter Dean Myers has one of the most vivid and real voices I have come across in Young Adult literature. I'd like to repeat that sentence three or four times, but I won't. He doesn't rely on dialect or slang to illustrate his setting and characters; instead, there is a natural rhythm to the narration and the dialogue that compelled me into the story, into the time and place and understanding of Reese's world. And yet, it feels subtle, not at all forceful or in-your-face. Myers is a master storyteller and Reese's tale shines under his treatment.

~review by YA Highway, [...]

I had never read anything by Walter Dean Myers before, despite his award-winning status, so I really had no idea what to expect from Lockdown.

This book took me into another world, but not a fantasy, sci-fi, or dystopian post-apocalyptic world. It's the world of a juvenile detention center, and a world where violence, drug use and drug-dealing are common. And yes, it is also a world of mostly non-white people.

The blurb says "Lockdown explores an unlikely friendship between fourteen-year-old Progress inmate Reese and a man he meets through his work program at a local senior citizens' home. " However, this is only part of the story. Myers shows us the violence inside the detention center, the cluelessness, cynicism, and cruelty of several adults there, and the cycle that keeps so many detainees coming back into the prison system.

Reese matures in this book, but at a reasonable pace. He starts figuring out what he needs to do to stay straight on the outside, but he doesn't have it all together by the end of the book. And he makes plenty of mistakes throughout.

Interestingly, the adults in the book grow, too. Mr. Hooft at the senior citizens' home at first fears Reese, because he is African American and an inmate, but learns to accept him and perhaps call him friend. Mr. Pugh, a guard, is a bully at first, but becomes friendlier later. And other adults who seem to think there's no hope for Reese begin to come around, too. I think this adds a lot to the book.

Lockdown is rich with detail and action. When I finished reading it, I actually went straight back to the beginning and read the first few chapters over again, because I felt like I hadn't gotten everything out of them the first time. If I didn't have several more books to read, I might have read it straight through again!

I think this book might be a keeper -- I'd like to read it again and get to know it better. Definitely award-worthy.

Reese is living in Promises -- a juvenile detention facility -- for committing the crime of stealing prescription pads from doctors and aided in the acquisition of drug deals. Since he's been a good inmate, he's given the opportunity to take a part-time job at Evergreen, which is a home for the elderly. The job is a privilege and gives him both freedom from his place in jail, and it is meant to teach him responsibility, obedience, and respect for himself and others. It is here he meets Mr. Hooft, an elderly gentleman who has a tremendous impact on Reese's beliefs about who he is and who he can become.

Of course, it's not that simple. About half way through the story, there is a big bomb dropped upon Reese, who has been getting himself in trouble trying to defend some of his buddies. When this arises, it is Reese who must decide what is important to him and how he can get himself out of Promises into a fulfilling life for himself and Icy -- the sister he adores.

Lockdown was exceptionally well written, and the character development kept me wanting more. Although this won't rank as one of my favorite reads, primarily because it focused on a topic I'm unfamiliar with and don't typically seek out, this is a book that has definite appeal to many audiences.

One of the real challenges I had was with the secondary characters: I could not distinguish among the various juvenile inmates nor the adults in Reese's life. I found that Reese himself was very well developed, and his sister Icy had a unique and memorable voice. Likewise, Mr. Hooft kept me coming back as a reader, as I felt the story he told Reese about his time in and immediately after the Vietnam War drew great parallels to Reese's own challenges with keeping on the right side of the law.

Myers writes to impart a lesson, but I felt throughout the entirety of Lockdown that I was not bring preached at. I'm not the real audience for this title, but even the target group will not feel they're being told how to be or act. Instead, the lessons are weaved well enough into action and actual story telling that they feel part of the plot rather than the entire plot itself.

If you're looking for a book for a boy who lives on the fringes, has found himself in trouble before, or seems generally lost, this is an excellent choice. Likewise, this is a book that will appeal to both boys and girls and would make a perfect discussion title. Myers has certainly carved himself a niche in the young adult world, and he will have staying power.

As far as Reese is concerned, Progress Center is just a fancy name for juvie jail, and he's been there long enough to know. He was found guilty of stealing prescription pads from a doctor and selling them to a drug dealer. It wasn't easy to stay out of trouble on the street, and it's not much easier inside, either.

The only person Reese trusts at Progress Center is Play. Diego, Leon, and Toon may hang with him, but they have their own agendas. It doesn't take long to find out the new guy they call King Kong is bad news, too.

When he's not in school with the other guys or getting his quarters ready for inspection, Reese is part of a new work program. He is cuffed and transported to a local nursing home where he helps out with cleaning and interacting with one of the residents. Mr. Hooft, a scrawny old guy in his seventies, calls Reese a criminal, and whenever he gets a chance he tells people he's a murderer. Despite his gruff exterior, Mr. Hooft shares his life story and offers Reese some life-changing advice.

Reese experiences several setbacks when he punches the new guy for picking on Toon, and when detectives haul him in for questioning on additional charges they hope to pin on him, which would add years to his lockup time. His only motivation is a little sister named Icy, whose faith in Reese never wavers.

True to his hard-hitting, gritty style, Walter Dean Myers gives his readers an inside look into juvenile detention. He reinforces the cold, hard facts of life that in the neighborhoods create the tough situations that tempt kids like Reese and lead to a life of crime. He doesn't sugarcoat life inside the detention center. Readers see it for what it is and the destructive atmosphere that often hardens kids like Reese instead of rehabilitating them. LOCKDOWN is an honest look at a side of life that might change the choices of some young readers.

Reviewed by: Sally Kruger, aka "Readingjunky"

I am currently reading Lockdown to my 9th grade students, & they love it! They beg me to start reading as soon as the bell rings. The cursing is minimal for a book set in a juvenile detention center, plus it is easy to edit out if you feel uncomfortable reading curse words out loud. The chapters are quite short, so it is a great choice for readers who get frustrated with longer books. My students relate to Reese and the conflicts that he encounters. Through the character of Mr. Hooft, we have had wonderful discussions about prejudice & irony in life. Teachers, if you have been waiting for a great book to read to your students, then wait no longer! This is it.

As a teacher, I am always looking for those authors that can grab the attention of kids and make them want to read more. Walter Dean Myers has NEVER failed to disappoint. I have enjoyed everything he has written. This novel is one of the best he has written. The title says everything a person needs to know to know about the book. It is a look inside a detention center for young people. Beyond that though, there is a deeper meaning to the title. The deeper meaning can be found in the pages of the book (it really jumped out in the chapter about the detention cell). This features some of the best writing that Myers has ever put on paper (in my humble opinion). If you teach, you need this novel. If you are a young person, you need to read this novel. If you are a parent, you need to read this novel. One small warning though, the content (specifically the language) is a little intense.

Reese is sent to Progress--a glorified name for a juvie hall--when he's busted for selling prescription pads to a dealer. But, Reese is a kid who knows that he wants a better life for himself and his little sister Icy. Conflicted between standing up for fellow inmate Toon or turning his head the other way, which will ensure Reese an early release for good behavior, Reese finds answers is the most unlikely person--an elderly man he takes care of on his work days at an old folks home. Armed with the knowledge that there's no one right answer in life to set you on the path to freedom, all he can do is his best. But is it enough to break the cycle of crime that surrounds him?
-- Reviewed by Kerry O'Malley Cerra

Reese is a unique young man, that you grow to see as a troubled kid, and not as a violent criminal. His desire to change really becomes tied to his ability to change what he goes home to. If he is frustrated by his family's poverty and his failure at school, then his behavior is one that will match it; he will eventually turn to crime again to support his family and find his own value. As you read, the question definitely comes through from Myers of how we can help these kids change. What can we do, as a society, to eliminate the need these young, impoverished inner-city kids have for finding their sense of self through crime? Does our current system work, and what can we offer these young people once they get out of the juvenile corrections system?

I did think that Myers reached inside the system, and into this one young man's life in a very smart sort of way. We are privy to Reese's life, so that we see his pain over his family's circumstances (his brother also into criminal activity, and a younger sister that he fears for in the future), and also the stand up person that Reese would like to be as he stands up for other inmates who are too weak to protect themselves. You do really care for Reese, and want to see his success.

One thing that I really couldn't shake in the book though, was the behavior of the adults who worked in the facility. Many of the violent scenes within the facility occurred after prodding and neglect by those who were there to protect the inmates. In fact, several times these "adults" egged the students on with horrible, personal comments that were threatening, and obviously created plenty of increased stress on Reese and the other young men. To these situations, I disconnected a little. Having worked with young men who had recently been released from our state's juvenile corrections facility, I can say that I never encountered a single adult who deliberately maligned or neglected one of these students. My hope is that I'm not living and working in ideals, and that there really aren't places where the majority of the adults turn their backs on the youth they are working with. Really, I hope this is creative license, and not reality.

Now, I realize that I focused on a rather minute part of Reese's story, but I will say that it really picked away at me. For a character as eager for happiness as Reese was (and many of the other teens locked up), I wanted to see the adults supporting these changes. Overall, I think it is yet another really great book for teens, and that Walter Dean Myers leads the pack in creating novels that disillusioned teens and overachievers alike will embrace. Please note that my professional rant is an aside to a really great story that I would hand to a wide variety of my reluctant readers. I have to say that if you haven't yet read Walter Dean Myers, I would become familiar with him as soon as possible. Many of his books have entered the doors of my classroom, in the hands of my students. His work is prolific, and shows great care for today's youth and children.

I think the compelling characters should have been the kids in lockdown.
As I went through the story the adult guards, nurses, and patients were
of more interest to me.

Maybe this is the first in a series where we pick up the kids again as they
take on some dimension and complexity.

Monster is the story of a teen, Steve Harmon, on his quest to be free from a murder he has been accused of. The plot moves at a steadily increasing pace throughout the book, creating a realistic and believable storyline. Occasionally, the "camera" jumps to other people who are related or involved with the crime. This creates the feel of a movie. This unusual format maintained my interest throughout the story and I was pleased until the very end.
During the story, the setting changes from the court room to the jail often. The unusual aspect of these plot changes is that although most stories change frequently, it also jumps from past to present, and it also sometimes jumps to a place where there are unfamiliar characters. This was also another important factor in creating an alluring story.
Steve is different than other convicted teens that I have read about in the sense that he is genuinely a good person and has a strong talent that he develops (writing).
I think that Osvaldo is a stereotypical gang member, however, due to his language and actions. I suppose that gang members act like their stereotype though, because Walter Dean Myers did not seem like the author to be prone to write about stereotyped characters. I really thought that it was refreshing that Steve was not a stereotypical inner-city kid, because I doubt that those kids are like how they are described as in books, as hoodlums and gang members.
Walter Dean Myers creates a life-like pattern of speech and accent for each character, so well that you could tell who was talking even if it didn't say it at the top of each piece of dialogue. Walter Dean Myers also took the precautions of making sure that none of the dialogue was contradictory, unless it was part of the story line.
I would definitely recommend this book because of interesting format alone. The real life characters and their distinct personalities add to the appeal of this realistic thriller about a boys journey for freedom and truth.