The Rig by Joe Ducie

Hot Key Books, 2013. ISBN 978147140219.
(Age: Teens) Recommended. When serial escapee William Drake is sent to the 'Rig', a giant prison in the middle of the Arctic Ocean, he is confident that it will only be one more step on the road to freedom. However he is confronted by the most advanced prison system ever developed; his every move is tracked by both man and machine. And the rig is no normal prison because something strange is happening to the inmates; some are disappearing and some are gaining mysterious powers. All Drake knows is that he must escape. To escape Drake will not only need to survive the sadistic guards and brutal fellow inmates, but the Alliance, the syndicate who landed him in prison, and their lethal biological experiments. His only hope of escape is by using every ounce of his skills and expertise and even that may not be enough.
Like any good piece of science fiction this book raises at least one philosophical question, in this case, about the ethics of experimentation on humans. Another trait common amongst science fiction that The rig possesses is a more action orientated story line. The only negative point in the entire book is that it is set at first in a believable futuristic world but later morphs into a slightly fantastical one.
Joe Ducie is a relatively new author yet has released several good books including the acclaimed Reminiscent Exile series. The Rig is an enjoyable book with strong elements of science fiction and seriousness.
(Alex Leuenberger, student)