2 out of 4 stars
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There exists a group of readers for whom Sabra Breanne Davis's The Great Escape will be immensely satisfying: those invested in the ever growing canon of dystopian YA fantasy literature who read those texts especially for the fantasy worlds that they depict. Declan, the book's protagonist, finds himself in solitary confinement after refusing to relocate with his mother. Alone and suffering from malnourishment and mistreatment, he is privy to whispers of special powers, bizarre experiments, and a president with unknown and perhaps evil motives. Uncertain about his fate, his faith, or the whereabouts of his mother-- his only living relative--, Declan must game a system that is stacked against him in order to escape, and perhaps to survive.
The Great Escape bears several markers of the kind of polish expected from literary and YA publications: the story is mysterious, centers around a protagonist that is at the same age and level of development as projected readers, and includes intriguing chapter titles, such as "Frankenstein is Real." The novel also bears the main marker of a coming-of-age story: over the course of the novel, Declan experiences personal growth that is clearly related to his experiences; he develops an increasingly nuanced view of the world based on a changed perspective. His growth, however, is minimal, and somewhat disappointing. For example, Declan experiments briefly with faith, but doesn't seem to retain any interest or engagement with the kind of soul-searching questions that lead him there, and that briefly add depth to his character. In this way, the author sometimes works against herself.
Additionally, The Great Escape is character, rather than plot, centric, which makes the reading experience different than one might expect from dystopian YA fiction. Many of the novel's problems revolve around this tension. The lack of a solid set of events through which to show character development means that the author has to work at developing Declan's character through dialogue and inner monologue. The result, in this particular case, is that the narrative does a lot of telling, rather than showing. This particular element of The Great Escape makes it especially suitable for younger and inexperienced readers. Older readers and avid readers in the YA age range may find it frustrating, as it sometimes relies on well-worn tropes and archetypes more than it builds up a world and a character on its own. Finally, the biggest issue with this book is that it lacks stakes, which makes the main character difficult to care about.
This text, somewhat ironically, may also be a useful read for writers. It provides a series of examples of both effective and ineffective writing that stand out to the reader, and thus serves as a kind of object lesson, especially in character development. Chapter names, turns of phrase, and opening and closing lines stand out in this text, and are effective at drawing the reader in. Conversely, the narrative moves between past and present tense, and switches between first person and third person omniscient narrative perspective without warning, or any indication of purpose. Both of these shifts, which occur regularly, are jarring to the reading experience.
I give this book a rating of 2 out of 4. It is ambitious in its aims, but doesn't fully land.
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The Great Escape
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