Locked Inside

by Nancy Werlin

Overview

Finalist for the Edgar award.

 

As the orphaned daughter of a wildly successful inspirational singer/author, Marnie Skyedottir stands to inherit great wealth. But until then, Marnie has to survive a dreary life in private school. She endures by escaping into an online role-playing game as much as possible and steering clear of the other students.

 

So when Marnie is kidnapped by someone who also claims to be Skye's daughter, she is worried. With her reclusive tendencies, will anyone even know she's gone? And will her online gaming skills be of any help to her in this real-life drama.

• "A compelling thriller . . . This one will gain readers by word of mouth." —Booklist
• "Intelligent, reflective adolescent characters and gripping suspense."—Kliatt
• "A meaty tale of self-discovery . . . A thriller for thoughtful readers." —Kirkus
• "Entertaining adventure aplenty . . . postmodern romance at its finest." —The Bulletin
• Finalist for the Edgar Award for Best Young Adult Mystery published in 2000

Product Details

BN ID:	2940164659288
Publisher:	Nancy Werlin
Publication date:	01/01/2021
Sold by:	Draft2Digital
Format:	eBook
File size:	492 KB

About the Author

Nancy Werlin writes YA fiction that ranges from realistic fiction to suspense to fantasy, often breaking the boundaries between genres. Her books have gathered awards too numerous to mention, but including National Book award finalist, Edgar award winner and finalist, New York Times bestseller, L.A. Book Prize finalist, and IndieBound Top Ten. Nancy's first novel, Are You Alone on Purpose, was a Publishers Weekly Flying Start pick.
 
Of Nancy's suspense fiction, Sarah Weinman says, "Chances are, many of you haven't heard of this author. That would be a shame, because she's simply one of the best crime novelists going right now. Period." These titles are where Nancy habitually breaks genre-separation rules and include The Rules of Survival (a National Book Award finalist), The Killer's Cousin (Edgar award winner), Locked Inside (Edgar award nominee), Black Mirror (which the Washington Post called "an edge-of-your seat thriller"), and Double Helix (named to multiple best-of-year book lists). 
 
Nancy's unusual fantasy fiction was inspired by the ballad Scarborough Fair and includes the loose trilogy Impossible (a New York Times bestseller), Extraordinary (featuring a rare thing in fantasy fiction: a Jewish heroine), and her personal beloved, Unthinkable. 
 
For fun, Nancy also writes and draws a graphic memoir in comics, using her Tumblr to self-publish an episode three times a week. 
 
Her favorite book in all the world is Jane Eyre. 
 
A graduate of Yale, Nancy lives near Boston, Massachusetts with her husband.

Editorial Reviews

Less taut than Werlin's The Killer's Cousin, this novel nevertheless offers enough cliffhangers to keep readers hooked. Marnie hasn't been able to reach out to anyone since the death of her wealthy superstar mother, Skye ("an ex-gospel singer who'd started her own well, some said it was practically a religion"). Not knowing even her father's identity, her doings supervised by a guardian, Marnie alienates the other girls at her boarding school. Instead of studying, she immerses herself in an Internet strategy game and her one friend, the Elf, remains at a comfortable distance in cyberspace. But when Leah Slaight, a new teacher, kidnaps her in a misguided attempt to prove that she is also Skye's daughter, Marnie must depend on the skills she has learned in her game to save herself. Even beyond this unlikely premise, there is plenty to strain credibility, such as the Elf showing up single-handed to free Marnie (Leah captures him, too), and Marnie emerging a more together person after being locked in a basement for a week. For all the implausibility, the book is entertaining. Marnie's outsiderishness is of the kind that appeals to readers ("At least you match," she thinks, when she realizes the black eye Leah gave her is the same shade as her dress) and her personality is spirited enough to live up to the creative problem-solving Werlin assigns her. Ages 14-up. (Feb.) Copyright 2000 Cahners Business Information.

Publishers Weekly - Publisher's Weekly

Gr 6-10

Using the persona of "the Sorceress," 16-year-old Marnie Skydottor, the orphaned child of the famous but mysterious gospel singer/guru Skye, is a loner and an avid role-playing gamer. She spends most of her time at her elite boarding school in her room battling with "the Elf" for dominion over the online kingdom of Paliopolis. But fantasy and reality clash unexpectedly and violently when Marnie is kidnapped by Leah Straight, her unbalanced chemistry teacher, held prisoner, and forced to listen to the woman's fantasy about being related to Skye. When "the Elf" arrives to rescue her, he too is captured and the pair must pit their problem-solving skills against the increasingly twisted logic and paranoia of their jailor. Emily Durante narrates Nancy Werlin's tale (Delacorte, 2000), capturing the essence of Marnie's passive-aggressive personality-self-confident and cocky, yet achingly alienated from those who reach out to her. However, even the excellent narration fails to rescue the story from its unbelievable plot, lack of consistent character development, and stereotypical relationships. Too many threads remain tangled at the end of the story to provide a satisfying listening experience.-Cindy Lombardo, Cleveland Public Library, OH

School Library Journal

Nancy Werlin's Locked Inside is one of the most original tales to appear in some time: a wealthy but spoiled girl is sent to live in an oppressive boarding school after her mother's death, and tries to escape her surroundings via computer games. When she's kidnapped, it may be her ability to play which will make the difference between life and death. Always unexpected and gripping to the end.

Midwest Book Review

"As she did in The Killer’s Cousin, Werlin offers a compelling thriller that will have readers turning pages." — Booklist

From the Publisher