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booktosaurus's review
5.0
“Voiceless...I took his voice away...How many more voices have I stolen? Whose am I stifling now? I pray this book gives [Jameel] back his voice.”
Convicted is a true story of Jameel and Andrew as well as the events leading up to, surrounding, and following February 8, 2006. Both men have made decisions that led to their lives intersecting in many ways. As the title infers, this story accounts a cop determined to convict, no matter the cost, and an innocent man who was at the wrong place at the wrong time. Jameel and Andrew learn about forgiveness and letting go in different ways.
Jameel is from Benton Harbor, MI, where the population is predominately black, drugs rule the streets, and there is little trust between the people and their police department. On February 8, 2006, Andrew arrested Jameel for possession of drugs with intent to distribute. Andrew was absolutely sure he caught a notorious local drug dealer and he was sure the conviction would hold up. Andrew had a history of pushing the limits of the law, falsifying police reports, and being a dirty cop. But that didn’t matter because he was “cleaning up the streets.”
Most of the book focuses on the events taking place after Jameel’s arrest. We follow Jameel’s trial and time in prison. In prison, Jameel is forced with a tough decision—should be carry on the way he always has? Or should he let people in and share his story? On the other hand, we follow Andrew’s climb to being the top narcotics detective in the city, the choices Andrew made, and his inevitable downfall. However, we also get to see each man make the best of the hand they were dealt and how they overcame the men they were in the past.
Andrew and Jameel’s lives intersect in Benton Harbor in multiple ways. Both men have to decide whether revenge or a clear conscious is the better option. The growth of both men is evident over the course of the several years this novel spans. In finding and listening to God, each man learns that forgiveness is the best course of action and that both men have something to offer Benton Harbor.
In this story, we learn of forgiveness and how far love and understanding can take us. I highly recommend this book. It is both eye opening and heart-warming to know that two men who were on the opposite sides of the law, one guilty of committing crimes and the other innocent, have woven two separate stories that come together in an unexpected way. I am impressed with the writing style and the set up of this book. I love seeing both Andrew’s and Jameel’s perspective of the same pivotal event and how each man deals with the fallout from the choices he made.
I received this book from Blogging for Books in exchange for this review.
Convicted is a true story of Jameel and Andrew as well as the events leading up to, surrounding, and following February 8, 2006. Both men have made decisions that led to their lives intersecting in many ways. As the title infers, this story accounts a cop determined to convict, no matter the cost, and an innocent man who was at the wrong place at the wrong time. Jameel and Andrew learn about forgiveness and letting go in different ways.
Jameel is from Benton Harbor, MI, where the population is predominately black, drugs rule the streets, and there is little trust between the people and their police department. On February 8, 2006, Andrew arrested Jameel for possession of drugs with intent to distribute. Andrew was absolutely sure he caught a notorious local drug dealer and he was sure the conviction would hold up. Andrew had a history of pushing the limits of the law, falsifying police reports, and being a dirty cop. But that didn’t matter because he was “cleaning up the streets.”
Most of the book focuses on the events taking place after Jameel’s arrest. We follow Jameel’s trial and time in prison. In prison, Jameel is forced with a tough decision—should be carry on the way he always has? Or should he let people in and share his story? On the other hand, we follow Andrew’s climb to being the top narcotics detective in the city, the choices Andrew made, and his inevitable downfall. However, we also get to see each man make the best of the hand they were dealt and how they overcame the men they were in the past.
Andrew and Jameel’s lives intersect in Benton Harbor in multiple ways. Both men have to decide whether revenge or a clear conscious is the better option. The growth of both men is evident over the course of the several years this novel spans. In finding and listening to God, each man learns that forgiveness is the best course of action and that both men have something to offer Benton Harbor.
In this story, we learn of forgiveness and how far love and understanding can take us. I highly recommend this book. It is both eye opening and heart-warming to know that two men who were on the opposite sides of the law, one guilty of committing crimes and the other innocent, have woven two separate stories that come together in an unexpected way. I am impressed with the writing style and the set up of this book. I love seeing both Andrew’s and Jameel’s perspective of the same pivotal event and how each man deals with the fallout from the choices he made.
I received this book from Blogging for Books in exchange for this review.
bellesmoma2021's review
5.0
Convicted (2017) by Jameel McGee and Andrew Collins is a true story about a crooked cop and an innocent man. This non-fiction text will be released on September 19, 2017. This book will come in all forms including eBook, and is 213 pages in length. With a full-time job and a five-year old at home, this book took me three days to read. I received a copy of this book from WaterBrook Press; all opinions expressed in this review are my own. I give this book 5 STARS. This text is a Non-Fiction Christian biography.
Reading this book is like going on a roller coaster. I went through every type of emotion possible from shock to anger to disbelief to resignation to defeat to hope. This text is a must read for everyone! It will challenge you, it will hold a mirror up to you and force you to confront some ugly truths that may be lurking deep inside. This book will help you draw closer to God.
When I signed up to be part of the book launch team for this book, I didn’t really have any expectations. The description of the book caught my attention, and it really caught my husband’s attention, but I didn’t really know what to expect. I actually thought it would be a bit stereotypical: a wicked white cop with an ego the size of Antartica, and a poor black man. I didn’t want that story. That story is always being told on TV, in movies, and in the news. Now, Andrew Collins does eventually describe himself as a bad cop with an ego and pride problem, and Jameel Collins does become a poor black man because of depression and bad life choices, BUT this book is not a stereotype. What I really like about the book is that it is told through both men’s points of view. One chapter is Jameel’s, the next is Andrew’s, and it continues to switch back and forth as the events take place. The reader gets to see the same event in history through two eyes. I loved this so much. It was fascinating to see an event unfold through two vastly different people’s experiences.
Forgiveness is hard. Forgiveness is really hard. Whether you have to give it or accept it, it’s one of the hardest things to experience. If you have to give it, you have to overcome your pride, arrogance, fear, failings, etc., which is a really hard thing to do. Many times, our egos and selves get in the way, and we don’t even realize it. If you have to receive forgiveness, you have to overcome your anger and distrust with the person who hurt you. For me, anger is my Achilles heal. I relate so much to Jameel McGee’s struggle with anger and forgiveness in this book that many times it felt like I was looking into a mirror while I was reading. This book is a Godsend. There are so many good reminders in this book, but for me, the best reminder is Proverbs 15:1, “A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger” (ESV).
I cannot express how important this book is. I highly, highly recommend it. This is a story that needs to be read by everyone, especially with all that is going on in our nation today. This book has left a lasting impression in me. It has shown me some things I need to change NOW. And, it has again shown me just how important and necessary it is to draw close to God every day. I hope that when this book is released, you purchase a copy immediately.
Reading this book is like going on a roller coaster. I went through every type of emotion possible from shock to anger to disbelief to resignation to defeat to hope. This text is a must read for everyone! It will challenge you, it will hold a mirror up to you and force you to confront some ugly truths that may be lurking deep inside. This book will help you draw closer to God.
When I signed up to be part of the book launch team for this book, I didn’t really have any expectations. The description of the book caught my attention, and it really caught my husband’s attention, but I didn’t really know what to expect. I actually thought it would be a bit stereotypical: a wicked white cop with an ego the size of Antartica, and a poor black man. I didn’t want that story. That story is always being told on TV, in movies, and in the news. Now, Andrew Collins does eventually describe himself as a bad cop with an ego and pride problem, and Jameel Collins does become a poor black man because of depression and bad life choices, BUT this book is not a stereotype. What I really like about the book is that it is told through both men’s points of view. One chapter is Jameel’s, the next is Andrew’s, and it continues to switch back and forth as the events take place. The reader gets to see the same event in history through two eyes. I loved this so much. It was fascinating to see an event unfold through two vastly different people’s experiences.
Forgiveness is hard. Forgiveness is really hard. Whether you have to give it or accept it, it’s one of the hardest things to experience. If you have to give it, you have to overcome your pride, arrogance, fear, failings, etc., which is a really hard thing to do. Many times, our egos and selves get in the way, and we don’t even realize it. If you have to receive forgiveness, you have to overcome your anger and distrust with the person who hurt you. For me, anger is my Achilles heal. I relate so much to Jameel McGee’s struggle with anger and forgiveness in this book that many times it felt like I was looking into a mirror while I was reading. This book is a Godsend. There are so many good reminders in this book, but for me, the best reminder is Proverbs 15:1, “A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger” (ESV).
I cannot express how important this book is. I highly, highly recommend it. This is a story that needs to be read by everyone, especially with all that is going on in our nation today. This book has left a lasting impression in me. It has shown me some things I need to change NOW. And, it has again shown me just how important and necessary it is to draw close to God every day. I hope that when this book is released, you purchase a copy immediately.
beardedreading's review
3.0
The redemption story of Jameel and Andrew is heartwarming and full of frustration towards a crooked policing and judicial system, but it reads like two sides of a rambling diary.
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