Title: Allegedly
Author: Tiffany D. Jackson
Genre: Young Adult, Mystery
Format/Length: ebook, 400 pages
Publisher: Katherine Tegan Books, 2017
My Rating: ★★★★
Author: Tiffany D. Jackson
Genre: Young Adult, Mystery
Format/Length: ebook, 400 pages
Publisher: Katherine Tegan Books, 2017
My Rating: ★★★★
Mary B. Addison has been convicted of killing a three month old baby. Mary was only nine years old at the time of the crime and she barely said a word when she was questioned. It was the public outcry over the death of a baby that sealed Mary’s fate. And for the past six years all she’s ever known is silence, secrets, and adults who judged her and didn’t care about her.
But Mary’s finally had enough. She wants out of the horrible group home, with its dirt and squalor and horrible people. Coming clean about what really happened that night six year ago might be Mary's salvation.
But who will listen to her? Who could help her reopen her case? And what about her Momma? How can Mary make people understand what it was like to live with her?
How can Mary make people see her? Does anyone really know the real Mary?
These are just some of the important questions you will come across while reading Jackson’s debut, Allegedly. Page after page grips you, urging you to stay with Mary, to not miss a single thing she says or does. This story will keep you with Mary on an emotional, gritty, disturbing ride.
It’s easy to feel frustrated about Mary’s plight. Time and again you could ask yourself; why? How could this happen to her? How did it get this far? Did anyone question the physical evidence? Did no one look at Mary’s mother?
That’s what makes this novel so gripping. I couldn’t put it down. I wanted to keep reading and get answers to my questions.
Another aspect that was done well was the portrayal of the effects of Mary’s six years of incarceration. It’s clear that her imprisonment has deprived Mary of so much. Aside from freedom she has also been deprived of information, and any and all means of obtaining it.
This is evident in Mary’s ignorance about so many things. From how computers work, the necessity of having an ID so she can take the SATs, and even not knowing that dozens of books have been written about her and her alleged crime. It all makes sense. It fits the narrative of Mary’s life.
There is also Mary’s voice. While I wouldn’t call her childish, there is a clear difference between Mary and someone else her age. Again it’s unmistakable in the way Jackson writes Mary that she has gone through so much, and that she has essentially grown up in prison.
As for the rest of the cast of characters, each is vivid and very well done. Jackson did not forget these characters, you can tell she did her research and provided a solid story for each of them. I found these characters to be kind of scary in their distinct differences, particularly the other people living in the group home with Mary.
I won’t spoil the ending. But I will say that I did like it. I thought it was a good ending, in that it made sense for this story. Allegedly hooks you from the beginning and it won’t let you go until the last page. The writing is smart and the dialogues flow. It deftly tackles issues like truth and mental illness. It also doesn't shy away from examining race and the justice system.
Even though I don’t love any of the characters and nothing that happens in this book is enjoyable, it is a good read. It’s emotional and sometimes that’s what I look for in a book.
But Mary’s finally had enough. She wants out of the horrible group home, with its dirt and squalor and horrible people. Coming clean about what really happened that night six year ago might be Mary's salvation.
But who will listen to her? Who could help her reopen her case? And what about her Momma? How can Mary make people understand what it was like to live with her?
How can Mary make people see her? Does anyone really know the real Mary?
These are just some of the important questions you will come across while reading Jackson’s debut, Allegedly. Page after page grips you, urging you to stay with Mary, to not miss a single thing she says or does. This story will keep you with Mary on an emotional, gritty, disturbing ride.
It’s easy to feel frustrated about Mary’s plight. Time and again you could ask yourself; why? How could this happen to her? How did it get this far? Did anyone question the physical evidence? Did no one look at Mary’s mother?
That’s what makes this novel so gripping. I couldn’t put it down. I wanted to keep reading and get answers to my questions.
Another aspect that was done well was the portrayal of the effects of Mary’s six years of incarceration. It’s clear that her imprisonment has deprived Mary of so much. Aside from freedom she has also been deprived of information, and any and all means of obtaining it.
This is evident in Mary’s ignorance about so many things. From how computers work, the necessity of having an ID so she can take the SATs, and even not knowing that dozens of books have been written about her and her alleged crime. It all makes sense. It fits the narrative of Mary’s life.
There is also Mary’s voice. While I wouldn’t call her childish, there is a clear difference between Mary and someone else her age. Again it’s unmistakable in the way Jackson writes Mary that she has gone through so much, and that she has essentially grown up in prison.
As for the rest of the cast of characters, each is vivid and very well done. Jackson did not forget these characters, you can tell she did her research and provided a solid story for each of them. I found these characters to be kind of scary in their distinct differences, particularly the other people living in the group home with Mary.
I won’t spoil the ending. But I will say that I did like it. I thought it was a good ending, in that it made sense for this story. Allegedly hooks you from the beginning and it won’t let you go until the last page. The writing is smart and the dialogues flow. It deftly tackles issues like truth and mental illness. It also doesn't shy away from examining race and the justice system.
Even though I don’t love any of the characters and nothing that happens in this book is enjoyable, it is a good read. It’s emotional and sometimes that’s what I look for in a book.
