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kim_j_dare's review against another edition
4.0
Children's Literature - Kim Dare
Sadie Windas is the responsible sister, excelling in academics and sports, and looking after her three-year-old niece Lulu for her older sister, Carla. When Carla decides to go out and party, seventeen-year-old Sadie reluctantly accompanies her as the designated driver. Carla wastes no time hooking up with some unsavory characters until Sadie, desperate to get her sister to leave while still coherent, agrees to drive the guys to the 7-Eleven for more beer. Sadie discovers too late that the beer story is just a cover for a drug deal, and when the two men disappear into the shadows and police surround the car, Sadie and Carla are left holding the bag. If Carla is found guilty of possession, she will lose custody of Lulu, given her past convictions. Unwilling to put her niece in that situation, Sadie agrees to take the rap, expecting to receive a suspended sentence. But a substitute judge, angry that she is not forthcoming with the names of the two men, bypasses the plea agreement, sentencing her to six months in the Rappahannock Regional Youth Correctional Facility. Chapters alternate between events leading up to the ruling and the time that she spends in juvie. Sadie’s first-person narration captures the raw realities of institutional life, from the isolation to the violent outbursts to the glimmers of humanity. Wary about attracting undue attention, she discovers that sometimes her instinct to help others will be at odds with the facility’s expectation that she follow orders unquestioningly. Sadie is an engaging protagonist, and readers will appreciate how she slowly recognizes the part that she played in the events that unfolded on the evening of the party. Watkins does not provide a pat ending: as Sadie begins the second half of her sentence, readers will have to decide for themselves whether she made the right choice. A thought-provoking and ultimately hopeful novel. Reviewer: Kim Dare AGERANGE: Ages 14 up.
Sadie Windas is the responsible sister, excelling in academics and sports, and looking after her three-year-old niece Lulu for her older sister, Carla. When Carla decides to go out and party, seventeen-year-old Sadie reluctantly accompanies her as the designated driver. Carla wastes no time hooking up with some unsavory characters until Sadie, desperate to get her sister to leave while still coherent, agrees to drive the guys to the 7-Eleven for more beer. Sadie discovers too late that the beer story is just a cover for a drug deal, and when the two men disappear into the shadows and police surround the car, Sadie and Carla are left holding the bag. If Carla is found guilty of possession, she will lose custody of Lulu, given her past convictions. Unwilling to put her niece in that situation, Sadie agrees to take the rap, expecting to receive a suspended sentence. But a substitute judge, angry that she is not forthcoming with the names of the two men, bypasses the plea agreement, sentencing her to six months in the Rappahannock Regional Youth Correctional Facility. Chapters alternate between events leading up to the ruling and the time that she spends in juvie. Sadie’s first-person narration captures the raw realities of institutional life, from the isolation to the violent outbursts to the glimmers of humanity. Wary about attracting undue attention, she discovers that sometimes her instinct to help others will be at odds with the facility’s expectation that she follow orders unquestioningly. Sadie is an engaging protagonist, and readers will appreciate how she slowly recognizes the part that she played in the events that unfolded on the evening of the party. Watkins does not provide a pat ending: as Sadie begins the second half of her sentence, readers will have to decide for themselves whether she made the right choice. A thought-provoking and ultimately hopeful novel. Reviewer: Kim Dare AGERANGE: Ages 14 up.
m00plays's review against another edition
4.0
Brilliant book but I want more! I wanna know what happens when she gets out?! Loved it and the format of present and past tense chapters! I would definitely read more about Sadie and the juvie crowd soon! Also it makes me want to watch Orange is the New Black again like now!
mirrorchaser's review against another edition
5.0
I've never been to Juvenile Detention or prison and despite working in the legal industry, I don't actually know anything about what it is like in "Juvie." Due to this lack of experience, I couldn't tell you if there was even a hint of realism in Watkins' portrayal of a Juvenile Detention Center. What I can tell you is that, for an author that has (likely) never been a teenage girl, Watkins is able to create a beautifully authentic and genuine character within Sadie. She is not perfect, she loves hard, and she makes mistakes. Due to the Juvie environment, the reader (along with Sadie) never really knows what is true and what is fiction which further supports the overall meaning of the work.
Generally I think it is difficult for authors to create multiple characters with real depth, but I think Watkins has achieved that here. Even the characters we never actually meet like Sadie's father and Granny have depth. The juxtaposition of Sadie's life leading up to incarceration and her life within the walls of the detention center keep the reader just a bit disoriented which I think really enhances the book as you are getting an inkling of what Sadie is experiencing.
Typically, I would not be a fan of the abrupt (and honestly, unresolved) ending of this book but I recognize that as a very intentional stylistic choice by the author. It brings the novel from being a quick read about a girl in Juvie to a thought provoking piece of social commentary that leaves you thinking about the system and quality of life for incarcerated individuals. If there was no concern about Juvie, we wouldn't be wondering what happened to Sadie next.
Generally I think it is difficult for authors to create multiple characters with real depth, but I think Watkins has achieved that here. Even the characters we never actually meet like Sadie's father and Granny have depth. The juxtaposition of Sadie's life leading up to incarceration and her life within the walls of the detention center keep the reader just a bit disoriented which I think really enhances the book as you are getting an inkling of what Sadie is experiencing.
Typically, I would not be a fan of the abrupt (and honestly, unresolved) ending of this book but I recognize that as a very intentional stylistic choice by the author. It brings the novel from being a quick read about a girl in Juvie to a thought provoking piece of social commentary that leaves you thinking about the system and quality of life for incarcerated individuals. If there was no concern about Juvie, we wouldn't be wondering what happened to Sadie next.
keen_tori's review against another edition
3.0
I was kind of disappointed in the lack of a real ending. I felt no closure and I like closure in a book. Otherwise, well written and I would recommend this book.
ashleighmacro's review against another edition
4.0
Originally posted on my blog, Ashleigh Online.
I found Juvie to be gripping, insightful and honest, and the character growth was absolutely perfect. It’s clear that Steve Watkins has done his research for this novel, therefore giving the reader a realistic look at what life inside Juvie is like.
It’s not the most fast-paced of books, but I felt that the clever decision to alternate between past and present each chapter meant that I was hooked from the get go, wanting to find out more about the events that led to Sadie ultimately arriving in Juvie, and at the same getting an understanding of what the consequences of Sadie’s actions really meant.
One of my favourite things about this book is the idea that not guilty doesn’t necessarily mean innocent. Maybe Sadie didn’t mean to get herself into the situation she did, but she can’t say she’s completely innocent because she made some terrible decisions, and that’s something that is handled brilliantly in this novel and is part of that perfect character growth I was talking about.
Also brilliant are the other girls in Juvie with Sadie. It’s quite frightening how unpredictable, manipulative and untruthful those girls can be, yet I believed in each and every one of them. The staff in Juvie are fantastically written too, each with different qualities that bring extra elements of depth to the novel.
Finally, Sadie’s relationships with her sister, her niece, her mum and particularly her dad were quite fascinating, and had me tearing up towards the end. There are still so many questions unanswered when the book ends and there’s no sequel planned, but on this occasion I’ve accepted that I’ll just never know and that this time that’s ok.
The word that springs to mind when I think about this novel is authentic – there is no sugar-coating and no real sympathy, and that’s what makes it so good. I think Juvie would be an excellent book to put in schools to help encourage kids to think about their actions, because the consequences can be very real and completely awful, even if you’re under the age of 18.
I found Juvie to be gripping, insightful and honest, and the character growth was absolutely perfect. It’s clear that Steve Watkins has done his research for this novel, therefore giving the reader a realistic look at what life inside Juvie is like.
It’s not the most fast-paced of books, but I felt that the clever decision to alternate between past and present each chapter meant that I was hooked from the get go, wanting to find out more about the events that led to Sadie ultimately arriving in Juvie, and at the same getting an understanding of what the consequences of Sadie’s actions really meant.
One of my favourite things about this book is the idea that not guilty doesn’t necessarily mean innocent. Maybe Sadie didn’t mean to get herself into the situation she did, but she can’t say she’s completely innocent because she made some terrible decisions, and that’s something that is handled brilliantly in this novel and is part of that perfect character growth I was talking about.
Also brilliant are the other girls in Juvie with Sadie. It’s quite frightening how unpredictable, manipulative and untruthful those girls can be, yet I believed in each and every one of them. The staff in Juvie are fantastically written too, each with different qualities that bring extra elements of depth to the novel.
Finally, Sadie’s relationships with her sister, her niece, her mum and particularly her dad were quite fascinating, and had me tearing up towards the end. There are still so many questions unanswered when the book ends and there’s no sequel planned, but on this occasion I’ve accepted that I’ll just never know and that this time that’s ok.
The word that springs to mind when I think about this novel is authentic – there is no sugar-coating and no real sympathy, and that’s what makes it so good. I think Juvie would be an excellent book to put in schools to help encourage kids to think about their actions, because the consequences can be very real and completely awful, even if you’re under the age of 18.
lexiww's review against another edition
2.0
Bleak. That’s what six months locked up in juvie looks like for 17-year-old Sadie. She isn’t anything like the conniving, lethal girls in surrounding cells. Sadie’s first and only offense was inadvertently trafficking drugs while carting home her strung-out teen-mom sister, Carla. Sadie took the fall to keep Carla out of adult jail and her beloved niece, Lulu, out of foster care. But heroism doesn’t dull Sadie’s fear or her longing: for Lulu, for her motorcycle, for a promising basketball career, for an erstwhile boyfriend. Watkins (What Comes After, 2011) has created a compelling first-person narrative anchored on Sadie’s self-reflection: “Just when you start to feel good about your life because of some little thing that might go well, there are fifty other reminders about where you are and where you’re going to be for a long time, and how you got here, and what everybody back home thinks about you now, and will probably think about you for the rest of your life.” A haunting story of loyalty, regret, and the fervent hope for second chances. —Lexi Walters Wright. First published October 15, 2013 (Booklist).
sc104906's review against another edition
4.0
Honor roll, college bound, basketball star, Sadie is going to juvie for several months. Caught in the wrong place at the wrong time, Sadie is busted for dealing drugs. She bears the brunt of the responsibility, in place of her older sister, who is a single mother. Was it worth it to trade in her entire future? Sadie must come to terms with her decisions and how they affect the people in her life. Compelling novel about life within the corrections system.
This novel touched on the good, the bad, and the ugly of human nature, especially as it relates to the prison system. It is a more tame version of Orange is the New Black and other similar memoirs.
This novel touched on the good, the bad, and the ugly of human nature, especially as it relates to the prison system. It is a more tame version of Orange is the New Black and other similar memoirs.
vanities's review against another edition
1.0
There's really nothing heart wrenching or real about this silly book. Idk who wrote that very dishonest summary. This is a boring book about a decent girl from a hick town who plays basketball with a piece of shit sister, a lovable niece, a typical teenage boyfriend and a lazy but kind mother. Sadie isn't someone I relate to at all and this little story was really really boring.
heykellyjensen's review against another edition
3.0
3.5.
There's a difference between being not guilty and being innocent, and this is a story about Sadie coming to learn that lesson in a very difficult way. What happens when you're given the choice of saving yourself or potentially putting yourself in a tough spot in order to save someone else who needs that saving more than you do?
Longer review to come. An excellent, realistic, and believable story of a girl who chooses to take on the fault of someone else -- and herself, she's not innocent -- and what happens when she gets more than she's prepared for in juvie. Excellent appeal to reluctant and non-reluctant readers alike.
There's a difference between being not guilty and being innocent, and this is a story about Sadie coming to learn that lesson in a very difficult way. What happens when you're given the choice of saving yourself or potentially putting yourself in a tough spot in order to save someone else who needs that saving more than you do?
Longer review to come. An excellent, realistic, and believable story of a girl who chooses to take on the fault of someone else -- and herself, she's not innocent -- and what happens when she gets more than she's prepared for in juvie. Excellent appeal to reluctant and non-reluctant readers alike.