________________ CM . . . . Volume XX Number 37. . . .May 23, 2014

cover

Lockdown.

Maggie Bolitho.
Winnipeg, MB: Great Plains Teen Fiction, 2014.
231 pp., trade pbk., epub & mobi, $14.95 (pbk.).
ISBN 978-1-926531-89-2 (pbk.), ISBN 978-1-926531-90-8 (epub), ISBN 978-1-926531-91-5 (mobi).

Grades 8-12 / Ages 13-17.

Review by Rob Bittner.

**1/2 /4

   

excerpt:

As I started drinking [from my water bottle], the trees shook. I told myself it was just a gust of wind. Then, the ground trembled and a deep rumble rose from below the forest floor. The trembling strengthened to rolling. Water splashed down my face.

A cascade of pine needles fell in thin sheets to the ground. The noise grew louder. A million bass speakers boomed under my feet. Crazy thoughts flashed through my mind: a rock concert, terrorist attack, a bomb. But I knew what it was. An earthquake.

 

Rowan Morgan, 15, is hiking in the woods when a massive earthquake tears at the west coast from Oregon to Alaska. Her father is taken to the hospital, and Rowan is forced to take refuge, along with her brother Michael and their neighbour Jake, in their earthquake-proof compound, surrounded by electrified fences and stocked with water, food, and a wealth of other supplies. But desperation is a dangerous thing, and soon the hordes, including a dangerous local gang, are knocking at the gates. When Rowan decides to abandon their fortress in search of her father, she ends up finding answers she never expected, and never wanted to find, either.

     The novel opens with a massive earthquake rocking the west coast, collapsing buildings and leaving Rowan and Michael treating Jake for shock. They soon run into Greg, a paramedic who seems to have come out of nowhere, but the group of teens avoids asking questions until they are back to safety. Author Bolitho underscores the first portion of the book with a sense of urgency, but in the second portion of the novel, she turns to a greater exploration of human interaction, family dynamics, friendship, and secrets in the wake of a natural disaster. In between the larger segments of Rowan’s story, readers are given a glimpse of what is happening to Rowan’s and Jake’s mothers, though readers are not privy to Rowan and Michael’s father’s story, at least, not until later.

     Lockdown is also an examination of mob mentality and desperation in the face of dwindling supplies. Rowan is consistently confronted by questions of whether or not it’s better to withhold food and water in order to save her own family, or to share with some and end up with a riot on her hands. When Jake’s mother is found, her leadership style clashes with Rowan’s and Michael’s and emotions run high, leading to the revelation of some well-buried family secrets.

     I hesitate to mention it, as I’m not sure how many teen readers will notice, but I wonder about the accuracy of the full impacts of such a large earthquake. I find it hard to believe that the Lions Gate Bridge and the Second Narrows would hold up, let alone be in shape for cars to use mere days later. I also found myself wanting more description of the aftermath. There was mention of a tsunami at one point as well, and yet there was no follow-up. I realize that the novel is focusing more on human interaction than the natural disaster, itself, but I feel that there was room for more detail throughout the narrative. There is also a brief mention of a gay character, but his identity and overall characterization are left more unexplored than I had hoped would be the case.

     In the end, Bolitho has written some emotionally complex characters who are believable in the face of horrific circumstances. Lockdown is an intriguing story, illustrating a true fear for many British Columbia residents. A worthy addition to school and public library collections.

Recommended.

Rob Bittner recently graduated from the MA in Children’s Literature program at The University of British Columbia and is now a PhD student in Gender, Sexuality, and Women’s Studies at Simon Fraser University in Burnaby, BC.

To comment on this title or this review, send mail to cm@umanitoba.ca.

Copyright © the Manitoba Library Association. Reproduction for personal use is permitted only if this copyright notice is maintained. Any other reproduction is prohibited without permission.
Published by
The Manitoba Library Association
ISSN 1201-9364
Hosted by the University of Manitoba.
 

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