Incarceron, by Catherine Fisher

This may be one of the next big things in teen lit.  At the very least it will attract readers of other popular series like the Hunger Games and Uglies.   The New Yorker recently discussed these and other teen novels representing the recent trend of  dystopian speculative fiction. I've been working my way through the books they mention.

Incarceron is an enormous self-sufficient prison in which it's residents have been trapped for generations.  Only its warden knows the location or extent of the place.  In the outside world Incarceron is believed to be a paradise, but those inside know it to be a hell. The setting in the outside world offers a twist on the semi-historical court motif.  The society has technology far in advance of our own, but lives as though it is the 17th century due to laws established by a paranoid monarchy seeking to avoid rebellion.  The premise is flawed, but at least it's creative.

The plot elements are familiar.  The warden's daughter wishes to escape an arranged marriage, and to solve the mystery of Incarceron while a band of prisoners attempts to escape the place.  All are intelligent and resourceful, but no one knows the true story of Incarceron except for the scheming warden. 

I enjoyed the book as a fun read, but wasn't particularly inspired by it.  However, I know a number of my local teen readers will eat it up, so I'll be sure to display it prominently.