I really enjoyed Locked In by Halli Gomez. I wish it had been a little longer to better get to know the characters.

This was a really well done young adult novel, it had that feel that I was hoping for from the description. The characters were unique and had that feel like they belonged in this story. I enjoyed the way Halli Gomez wrote this and can’t wait for more.

Locked In follows four teens as they navigate testing a new escape room. The owner is offering prize money to the applicants that test the room—four very different teens. Tony is an athlete and honor-roll student. Bea is a socially anxious mega fan of escape rooms. Anna is a good student but is concerned with the anti-Semitic attacks rising in her town. Devin is currently homeless and living in the mall, desperate for no one to find out. They all have to work together and put aside their differences to complete the room as the clues begin to be personal and ulterior motives bloom.

At about 160 pages, this book is super duper fast paced, but so good! It’s a Hi-Lo book, so aimed at reluctant teen readers, but this didn’t damper my enjoyment of the novel. Although, it is a really, really great book for those reluctant readers. There are short chapters, not too complex sentences, and is really digestible and easy to read. Even though it is aimed a lower reading level, it’s still a really enjoyable YA mystery.

I loved that it was set in an escape room. Those scenes were so fun and it was a bit eerie when the clues started to shift to be very personal. I enjoyed the twist at the end and I thought all the characters were really well done. There’s a really great message of tolerance and not listening to your parent’s prejudices and learning to think for yourself.

Overall, a really great, short read with a lovely message! Perfect read if you're looking to get ahead or catch up with your reading challenge goal or if you're a reluctant reader!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing a copy in exchange for an honest review!

I'm not sure how I feel about this one.
I can see what the authors intended message was. And they did manage to get it across in a creative way. But it felt a little lacking for me.

Thats enough of the negatives. On the upside, Gomez has created a work that shows Escape Rooms perfectly, the puzzles, the themes, the showmanship. More people should do them.
Locked In is easy to read and fast paced. A short read that will make you think.

This book was great! I really enjoyed seeing her social experiment and the aftermath, and how the four completely different [people were able to become friends! It was so cool to see how everything played out. This was a very unique book idea, and I loved it!

Thank you to the author/publisher for a copy of the ARC in exchange for a review.

I think I went into this book with a completely different idea than what it was. I was looking forward to a short story but I was thinking it was going to be more on the thriller side. I personally don't really like when things get super political so that was something I didn't enjoy. Normally this plot would be something that I would dive right into but this one just wasn't my cup of tea unfortunately.

Thank you again for the chance to read the ARC.

Four very different teens are each hired to test a new escape room opening in their town. All four attend the local public high school but they aren’t friends. When the escape room turns out to be more than expected, they still need to work together to find clues and solve the puzzles.

Each of them has a secret that comes out in the tension of solving the puzzles under time pressure, turning some of them into allies and some against each other. Their secrets bring out tough social justice issues faced not only by these characters but also affecting real teens in their daily lives.

Author Halli Gomez uses the short timeframe and limited space of an escape room to bring the teens’ differences into focus, making the characters address their differences head-on.
Locked In is unflinching. A great story for teens who are interested in escape rooms or are working through tough interpersonal conflicts and social justice issues.

This book is high-low, high engagement, low reading level, so it’s also perfect for teens who are reluctant readers or struggling to read on grade level.

Thanks to Jolly Fish for providing me with an ARC of Locked In in exchange for an honest review.

Locked In by Halli Gomez
My Rating: 4.5 Stars

I'm an avid escape room fan, so I was thrilled to read a book set in an Escape Room, and it did not disappoint!
The format of the story and writing built up the tension well, and I felt like I was right alongside the characters in the escape room and solving the puzzles.
The tension, mystery and premise was a perfect setting for the social justice message of the book.

My only criticism is that I wish it was longer because I loved the setting, characters, and writing. I will definitely check out the author's other books in the future!

Thank you to NetGalley, Halli Gomez, and Jolly Fish Press for providing me with an ARC to read and review!

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Halli Gomez for providing me with a complimentary digital ARC for Locked In!

This is the first book I’ve read by this author and my first Horizon book. The book was shorter than I expected, but I've learned that Horizon books are meant to target reluctant readers and be quick and easy to read, which I think was very well accomplished here.

I enjoyed the escape room as an element and as a narrative structure, but I found the way we moved between character perspectives within chapters to be a little confusing, and the general tone of the book being so much less intense than I expected from the description was a little disappointing. I think I expected at least more time pressure panic, like a real life escape room, if not more nefarious intentions behind the room itself.

The book had a good message, but the premise as revealed more or less at the very end was so entirely ridiculous it kind of damaged my opinion of the book. Without going into spoiler territory, I'll say people with good motivations normally take good actions, and people with bad motivations normally are the ones taking bad actions, and it takes more than an hour to make a person willing and able to challenge themselves to learn. (Take it from someone with QAnon relatives).

Overall, I enjoyed the time I put into the book, but 2/5 stars.

A nice short story about an escape room. It has 4 teens from the same school who don't really like each other. Apart from solving the escape room they also work through difficult issues with each other.

Would recommend for younger teens.

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for the free arc in exchange for an honest review.

☆

The new owner of Locked In escape rooms is offering prize money for whomever can successfully escape his room. Four teenagers are playing the game, Tony, a star athlete and member of the honor roll, social-anxiety ridden Bea, who uses puzzles to try to block the noise in her head, Anna who is Jewish and is concerned about the increasing anti-Semitism in the community and Devon who is desperately trying to hide that he is homeless.

As the game begins the players fear that things may not be what they seem. Will they escape?

This book was written specifically for reluctant readers and at a lower level of reading ability, but starring teenagers….brilliant idea! It’s only forty-six pages long. I’m not giving it a star rating because it’s not meant for me. Five star idea, though!

I'd like to extend my thanks to the NetGalley team and to Halli Gomez for the eARC of Locked In. My review is, as follows:

Locked in is a fun read! The pacing, setting, and character introductions are ideal for younger audiences. Halli Gomez wastes no time getting the reader into the action and keeps the plot moving at a brisk pace. There is a strong sense of intrigue and tension in the air as the characters reveal more about themselves and the world at large. Even as an adult reader, I felt thoroughly engaged and couldn't wait to see what would happen next. It was refreshing to read a YA title that didn't need to resort to gratuitous violence or explicit language to keep the story exciting. Things are kept comfortably light for the audience. I have no doubt that this title would be perfectly fitting for audiences of all ages.

While the story's content is presented in a way that stays age appropriate; Halli Gomez is not afraid to tackle heavy concepts and urge readers to consider their developing world views. Racism, Neurodiversity, and personal biases are strong themes that are well, and cautiously, explored throughout the novel. I was impressed and pleased to see the boundary being pushed, and the faith placed in young readers, to call out these realities and encourage people to engage in healthy discourse.

Ultimately, I think this novel does well to keep kids entertained and prompt them to ask important questions. I'd strongly recommend this to parents!

This was a quick and easy read, which was a perfect to start my weekend reading! I love a locked in mystery and this book was a enjoyable read overall.

I uploaded my review to Goodreads. I will upload my review to Amazon on publication day.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Halli Gomez for providing me with a complimentary digital ARC for Locked In coming out August 1, 2024. The honest opinions expressed in this review are my own.

This is the first book I’ve read by this author. I didn’t realize it was so short. It was definitely a quick and fun read. I enjoyed the dialogue. There wasn’t anything too sinister about the book. I’ve read too many horror books and I thought it’d have more of a trapped room feel with the escape room. But it was very age appropriate for the younger teens. It felt like an RL Stine book.

I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys quick and fun teen books.