The Locked Room

by Adam Cece

Andy and three other kids wake up in a locked room.

The room has no windows, but it has a locked door, with a countdown clock above it.

They have less than an hour to figure out how to get out of this room. But when they do . . .?
There’s another locked room, and more locked doors. And they can’t go back.

High concept, high stakes, high emotions – this story packs a punch and you won’t be able to put it down.

Genres: Young Adult, Crime, Thriller, Contemporary, Mystery, Middle Grade, School

320 pages, Paperback

First published August 5, 2025

Reviews

[Sally Marsh · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! Just wow! I could not put this book down! It had me on the edge of my seat the whole time! I loved the complexity of the characters and the plot just kept me intrigued for the duration of the book. It had a very unique idea and I loved every minute of it! Well done Adam - thanks for being a great ambassador for all fellow south Australians!

[K. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Content warnings: bullying, kidnapping, violence, death of a sibling (in the past)

3.5 stars

This was compelling and I really liked the consistent locked room situation. But Chad got very old very quickly and I just wanted him off the page. And I didn't always like Andy as a narrator. I also kind of wanted more hints at who was behind everything earlier rather than just...flat out being given the answers right at the end of the book.

So look, I really did enjoy this. I did. But it wasn't as tight a read as I would have liked it to be.

[Marylyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75 ⭐ enjoyed from first page to last. Easy fast paced read.

[Annie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book.. it was one of those books where work and life was getting in the way of me finding out what happens next. The mystery element throughout this book that kept me on suspense to the end was pretty cool, the whole time I was wondering how did they end up in this place, what was their purpose and why them? Equally intriguing was each of the characters had a mysterious story arc that sprinkles throughout the story. A fast paced, page turner that held me to the end. With special thanks to Penguin Teen Aus for sending me a review copy of this book.

[The Book Squirrel · Rating 4 out of 5]

3 stars for myself; 4 stars for how much a target-aged reader might like it.

4 teens from the same school wake up in a strange room with doors and a countdown.
The escape room themes were interesting and the reader could solve them along with (or before) the characters.

The psychology aspect was interesting, with each room reflecting a different player and helping them overcome a specific psychological barrier (I don't recall one that was specifically "Andy" though?)

Andy WAS kind of pathetic and I didn't connect or engage with any of the characters - they could have died and I wouldn't have felt any differently about the story.

The reference to being a lesbian (I'm not interested in you because I'm interested in girls) was unnecessary, although I also know the "I'm a lesbian" excuse can be used to let down a guy one absolutely does not want to lead on in any way).

It would be of most interest to readers aged 11-15.

What put me off is that is reads quite young and simplistic, but the characters are in ninth grade with ninth grade feelings and life experience - in some respects I think this misses the mark for the intended readership as it becomes unrelatable when a 10 year old is reading about 15 year olds. It's promoted as for ages 10-12, but the age of the characters doesn't match this.

[Kathie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I discovered Adam through a post my Auntie's sister put on Facebook - she raved about this book. Then when I asked questions, I learnt he is her son-in-law. So, technically, Adam and I are related through marriage.

I started reading this book when flying from Melbourne to Queensland - a 2.5 hour flight. I got almost halfway through it. I read a bit while visiting family in Queensland but finished it on my return flight home 2 days later. This is a book you just have to keep reading! You want to find out what is going on and how the 4 teenagers got to be in the Locked Room. Definitely worth the read.

[Heather · Rating 3 out of 5]

YA novels built around escape rooms are definitely having a moment in 2026, and this one leans right into that trend. The premise is gripping - four teens wake up in a locked room and must find a way out before the clock hits zero, only to discover even more rooms ahead, each with its own unique challenges.

The pacing was one of the book’s strengths. It was tense, fast-paced, and the short chapters made it very easy to keep turning the pages. I was quickly pulled into the story and enjoyed seeing how each room tested the characters in different ways.

I liked Andy, Nameless Girl, and Gabriella Lee. They each brought something interesting to the group, especially with the underlying issues they were dealing with, particularly around their parents. Chad, on the other hand was pretty unbearable, and not in a way that added much for me.

Unfortunately, the ending was a let-down. It was anticlimactic, and the reasoning behind the whole experience just wasn’t believable. After such a strong, suspenseful build-up, it ended up letting the rest of the story down.

Overall, The Locked Room was an engaging and quick read with a great premise, but one that didn’t reach its full potential.

[Jennie · Rating 3 out of 5]

An unusual story with four disparate teenagers waking in a locked room with no obvious way to escape but a clock counting down, they have one hour to find a way to unlock the door to progress through the maze. Each room has a different challenge that forces each person to address their own inner turmoils with deadly consequences if they do not.

The story is tense and the personalites, strenghts and weaknesses of the four 16 year olds - Andy, Chad his bully, Gabriella Lee - the Queen B of the school, and Nameless Girl emerge as they progress from room to room.

The book has great potential but i did feel it was drawn out a bit too long to maintain the fast pace at the start. The ending explains the purpose of the challenge but seemed a bit too slick.

CBCA 2026 Older Reader Notable title.

[rhi !! · Rating 3 out of 5]

୨ৎ : ‘chad glares at the teddy bear.’ “i don’t like the way that teddy bear is looking at me.”

— ☆ 3/5

this was so fast paced and the premise was very intriguing. while it wasn’t necessarily tense or anything. the writing was well written.

the characters at the beginning were annoying especially chad (of course it’s a chad) but he was actually kind of funny which was surprising.

the ending was a bit anti climatic but it was a quick and easy read and i hope everyone lives their lives better and with more kindness (im looking at you chad).

[Vaughan Duck · Rating 5 out of 5]

A non stop page turner. Short chapters keeps the action moving and the reader engaged. Four teenagers wake up in a locked room and have to work together to find a way out. Surprisingly teenagers are not always the most cooperative, which only adds to the intrigue. A great read for junior high students that touches on their fears without being heavy.

[Doris Yang · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was extremely fast paced and filled with adrenaline, a book that you just can't put down. Every chapter is a countdown to death, as the characters fight to survive. Although this book can be exciting, there was a lack of strong climax and advanced language since the book was so fast-paced. Overall, this is an easy, quick and fast-paced book for anyone to enjoy.

[Paris · Rating 3 out of 5]

it was quite obvious that this book was meant for a teen reader with the slight lack of nuance & complexity (hence my rating, too simple for my liking & the bully character was boring asf), but the story itself was pretty gripping! love to see a new aussie author!

[Sienna Jannusch · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 teens. A mysterious (and deadly) maze.
Each person has their problems….
A compelling and quick read, although the structure of the chapters confused me at first. I did like the messages about forging your own path and not giving up, but I honestly didn’t understand nor like Chad.

[Sandra · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fantastic teenage suspense novel. Highly recommended.

[Kim Goodwin · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.75 ⭐️

[Jen Nishi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Solid read for young teens and or older middle graders. I throughly enjoyed this. It’s tense with short chapters that keep things going. Excellently paced.

[Lucy Spear · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. Really want to be in this world/maze thingy. One day I wanna write escape books like this.

[Anna Davidson · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5* Utterly gripping, this book is so hard to put down. Short chapters, tense scenes and excellent character development make this a wonderful early YA read.

[Lily · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved this book, though I think the ending could definitely improve. It seemed a bit rushed.

[Kerryn Lawson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Talk about a page turner! Literally could not put this down!

[ToughRQ_Rat-Tech · Rating 5 out of 5]

I stayed up till 2am reading this book. A must!

[Caroline Lewis · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found this to be too repetitive but I was still curious to see what happened at the end. The concept was interesting but not enough so that it was suitable for chapter after chapter. I had to grit my teeth every time Chad used blasphemy.

[Sheree · Rating 4 out of 5]

A quick and cool read that would be great for 10-16 year olds. I really liked the creative rooms and the twist at the end!

[Clare Snow · Rating 3 out of 5]

I got ptsd from reading this

[Heather Wilkinson · Rating 5 out of 5]

2026 CBCA Shortlist. Lots of puzzles to make you think - would you solve them in time?

[Ava.Pettersson · Rating 5 out of 5]

awesome

[Lily Gatto · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.75 ⭐️

Very clever 👍👍👍 Easy read, page-turner 😊

I can’t figure out if I want to be in this, or not…?

[nathann · Rating 5 out of 5]

oh my dayssss I just finished this book today and it was really interesting. Like so interesting I couldnt sleep last night since I was thinking about what would happen next. Great for a short quick read less than 200 pages long and the characters are like sooo relateable. First time reading an Adam Cece book and hoping to read more! I recommend this book to others, when I read it I was "locked" in my "room" (get it, its a pun)

[Hannah Jarrett · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lots of plot twist always something new happening and i never expected the ending

[Kylie · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great read that kept me on the edge of my seat from beginning to end.