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4.72 AVERAGE
4.72 AVERAGE
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
medium-paced
I can’t even count the amount of times I cried reading this book. A hopeful nonfiction that might inspire you to get involved in criminal justice reform. Bryan Stevenson is both a legal and literary genius, as well as an all-around good guy. If you weren’t convinced before, you’ll be persuaded that the death penalty should be illegal (and never should’ve existed) by the end of this great read.
This is one of, if not the, best book I’ve ever read. I’ve worked and will continue to work in the prison abolition/public defense world — if you are similar, either in profession or values, you must put down everything and read this book now. I read it as an audiobook, which I really recommend because Stevenson’s voice brings humanity and care to the very difficult material. Of course, that would be the case for the written book as well.
Not only is the subject material deeply moving and important, the writing is incredible and the narrative is extremely compelling. The structure of the book makes the hard stories both easy to follow independently, and also ensures that the reader sees how they all weave together to illustrate the egregious web of oppression, racism, and community harm at the center of the prison industrial complex. But Stevenson doesn’t just leave it at that; he writes, too, about hope and perseverance, about family and love. He writes with such care. I only hope one day I can come close to following his example.
This book is simply incredible. I would give it ten stars if I could. It’s deeply moving, lyrical, and beautiful at the same time as it is political and powerful. Literally stop what you’re doing and listen to or read this book right now.
Not only is the subject material deeply moving and important, the writing is incredible and the narrative is extremely compelling. The structure of the book makes the hard stories both easy to follow independently, and also ensures that the reader sees how they all weave together to illustrate the egregious web of oppression, racism, and community harm at the center of the prison industrial complex. But Stevenson doesn’t just leave it at that; he writes, too, about hope and perseverance, about family and love. He writes with such care. I only hope one day I can come close to following his example.
This book is simply incredible. I would give it ten stars if I could. It’s deeply moving, lyrical, and beautiful at the same time as it is political and powerful. Literally stop what you’re doing and listen to or read this book right now.
dark
informative
sad
medium-paced
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
A must-read for every American. Stevenson portrays the reality of our “justice” system and how it plays out for too many of us. His incredible writing and attention to detail make this a page turner of heartbreaking power.
challenging
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
challenging
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
This book details and exposes the racist practices of people in positions of power in the law, who used them to imprison and kill overwhelming amounts of people. I went into this book knowing about the equal justice initiative, firmly hating the death penalty, and hating the American prison system. I do not believe in prisons, period. This book has not changed my mind on anything. What was unique to this book is the perspective. We get about as inside a look as you can possibly get. We see the constant and horrific racism from those in power (judges, cops, etc), not just in the south, but across the country. Stevenson's perspective is an incredible read, and learning about his work directly from the source is very important. This is a book that should be read by everybody. The government should not have the right to kill people, and the system requires not just reform but a complete rewrite, with a lot of aspects thrown away altogether. No review can do the book justice. Just read it.
I have never had a book make me both so hopeful and yet so MAD like Just Mercy. Mad that a man like Bryan Stevenson, a literal freedom fighter helping the innocently and unfairly incarcerated seek justice, is not a household name. Mad at the injustices taking places in the United States against the incarcerated, particularly African Americans in the South. Mad that a CHILD as young as FOURTEEN was EXECUTED in the electric chair for a crime he didn't commit. However, things in the US seem to be slowly yet surely turning around, much to the credit of Bryan Stevenson. I'm so glad that he has done the work he has done over his career and is making it known to the world, yet so mad and horrified that he had to do it in the first place.
I first became aware of Bryan Stevenson after reading [b:The Sun Does Shine: How I Found Life and Freedom on Death Row|34964905|The Sun Does Shine How I Found Life and Freedom on Death Row|Anthony Ray Hinton|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1496780260l/34964905._SY75_.jpg|56239899], which is one of my all-time favourites. This is what made me want to pick up Just Mercy, particularly the audiobook, which was narrated by Bryan Stevenson himself.
I must tell you, just listening to him read the introduction alone was worth the purchase. Some of the statistics he cited were shocking and horrifying: 1 in 3 black males born since 2000 are expected to be incarcerated at some point in their lives. There are children under the age of 12 in the US serving life sentences in adult prisons. $80B in government spending is spent annually on prisons, and for-profit prisons have all but abolished the will to rehabilitate, and instead generate profits off the backs of the US's most vulnerable. How Stevenson describes this system makes it completely unthinkable, yet it continues to run without much care or notice by the general public.
Stevenson also tells many stories of the different cases he's seen over the decades, some of his stories touching, some of them very upsetting. The stories of his own life and his own journey to starting the Equal Justice Initiative was very compelling as well, and it's amazing what he was able to accomplish with so little.
I feel like nothing I can say will do this book justice (no pun intended), so you just have to pick it up. And LISTEN, because Bryan Stevenson's story needs to be heard.
I first became aware of Bryan Stevenson after reading [b:The Sun Does Shine: How I Found Life and Freedom on Death Row|34964905|The Sun Does Shine How I Found Life and Freedom on Death Row|Anthony Ray Hinton|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1496780260l/34964905._SY75_.jpg|56239899], which is one of my all-time favourites. This is what made me want to pick up Just Mercy, particularly the audiobook, which was narrated by Bryan Stevenson himself.
I must tell you, just listening to him read the introduction alone was worth the purchase. Some of the statistics he cited were shocking and horrifying: 1 in 3 black males born since 2000 are expected to be incarcerated at some point in their lives. There are children under the age of 12 in the US serving life sentences in adult prisons. $80B in government spending is spent annually on prisons, and for-profit prisons have all but abolished the will to rehabilitate, and instead generate profits off the backs of the US's most vulnerable. How Stevenson describes this system makes it completely unthinkable, yet it continues to run without much care or notice by the general public.
Stevenson also tells many stories of the different cases he's seen over the decades, some of his stories touching, some of them very upsetting. The stories of his own life and his own journey to starting the Equal Justice Initiative was very compelling as well, and it's amazing what he was able to accomplish with so little.
I feel like nothing I can say will do this book justice (no pun intended), so you just have to pick it up. And LISTEN, because Bryan Stevenson's story needs to be heard.