A review by ashliesydel
Allegedly by Tiffany D. Jackson

challenging dark emotional hopeful mysterious reflective sad tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.25

The way this book kept me in a chokehold from start to finish. Wow just Wow. What an emotional rollercoaster. 

Our girl Mary was convicted for killing an infant when she was just 9 years old. The public and justice system did not take lightly to a little black girl killing a white baby. The investigation and trail were not fair, and public opinion was the driving force pushing for the death penalty. 

 This story followers her after she's been released from the juvenile facility and is now in a group home. Her name and crime are well known. There are books, documentaries, and a movie in the making. Everyone hates her. She's consistently bullied and beaten, and she's simply accepted that this is her life. 

However, once she finds out she's pregnant and that her child, like her is a ward of the state and will be taken, she's ready to be brave and tell the true story of what really happened.

She hopes to gain her freedom so she can attend college and raise her baby with her partner. 
This story was so incredibly thought provoking. So many topics were examined. Race inequality in the justice system, overworked social workers, child abuse/sa, and the adult and juvenile prison system to name a few. 

This was such an incredible read that I would recommend to any and all readers.