Literary Devices in Lockdown
Symbolism, Imagery, Allegory
Setting
This may come as a huge surprise, but Progress, the juvenile jail where Reese spends most of his time, isn't exactly Disney Land. The inmates, who are ages twelve to sixteen and serving time for cr...
Narrator Point of View
Reese is a terrific narrator. He's smart and observant, so the other characters really come to life in his descriptions. But he's also totally hilarious, like in this description of Mr. Pugh: Mr. P...
Genre
Whenever your narrator is a teenager, it's a pretty safe bet that you're in the world of young adult literature. When the book begins, Reese is just fourteen years old, doing time in a juvenile pri...
Tone
The characters in Lockdown, especially the inmates, have been harshly judged by society, but the author helps us see past the label of "criminal" and understand what's going on inside their heads....
Writing Style
The characters in Lockdown don't often mince words; they tend to say what they mean. The few times that another character is being manipulative, Reese sees through their act immediately. When Reese...
What's Up With the Title?
Lockdown is a book about a boy in prison—it has handcuffs on the cover, so it's not exactly a secret what the title is about. But while "lockdown" is a broad reference to incarceration, it also h...
What's Up With the Ending?
In the last chapter, we fast-forward to a year after Reese's release. It's a relief to see all the things he's doing right: He's living at home, he's still in school, and he's still working at Ever...
Tough-o-Meter
Lockdown explores complex themes, settings, and events in a straightforward way that makes them easy to comprehend. Our narrator, Reese, has a lot going on, but we feel like we understand his strug...
Plot Analysis
Life on the StreetsEarly on, especially as Reese gets to know Mr. Hooft, we learn about the events that led to his incarceration. He couldn't count on his parents for anything; his father is an abu...
Trivia
For each of his books, Myers asked his wife to make a collage. He then hung them over his desk to help visualize his characters.(Source) Myers was working construction when he became a writer. He w...
Steaminess Rating
Most of the book takes place in juvenile prison or an eldercare facility, which aren't exactly known as traditional settings for steamy romance. Sorry, but there's nothing to see here, folks. Move...
Allusions
William Golding, Lord of the Flies (23.21)Hillary Clinton (8.38)World War IICops (TV show) (8.107)Darth Vader (18.1)Paris Hilton (32.12)Mariah Carey (32.12)Alicia Keys (32.12)Bow Wow (32.12)