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ihateprozac's review against another edition
3.0
WTF WAS THAT DISSATISFYING ENDING.
This was shaping up to be a 5 star read for its unsettling portrayal of a girl trapped in a hopeless situation as a result of a toxic mother, but the ending fucked it all up. The ending was SO cheap and there’s no sense of justice, leaving me frustrated as fuck!
There’s no question that Tiffany D Jackson knows how to write gritty stories about teens who are failed by the systems and adults meant to protect them, but twice in a row she’s introduced a twist at the end that’s almost ruined the entire book for me. The theatrics are so unnecessary.
This was such a great hard hitting contemporary but I wish I could pretend the final 10 pages never happened ;____;
This was shaping up to be a 5 star read for its unsettling portrayal of a girl trapped in a hopeless situation as a result of a toxic mother, but the ending fucked it all up. The ending was SO cheap and there’s no sense of justice, leaving me frustrated as fuck!
There’s no question that Tiffany D Jackson knows how to write gritty stories about teens who are failed by the systems and adults meant to protect them, but twice in a row she’s introduced a twist at the end that’s almost ruined the entire book for me. The theatrics are so unnecessary.
This was such a great hard hitting contemporary but I wish I could pretend the final 10 pages never happened ;____;
kkandj's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
marcosbedbooks's review against another edition
4.0
Mary B. Addison allegedly killed a baby as a child. Mary knows that she didn't really kill this baby, but no one believes her. Now she is stuck in a group home until she turns 18. She's fine with people thinking she's guilty, but once she finds out she's pregnant, she knows she has to prove her innocence to keep her child.
Allegedly is a dark and uncomfortable book to read. A large potion of this novel is about Mary going through the justice system and it's frustrating. It's a book that easily makes you angry with the system and sympathize with the main character.
Everything about this book was great. The only thing that stopped me from giving it five stars was the ending. The last chapter ruins the main focus and theme of the book and cheapens it.
Allegedly is a dark and uncomfortable book to read. A large potion of this novel is about Mary going through the justice system and it's frustrating. It's a book that easily makes you angry with the system and sympathize with the main character.
Everything about this book was great. The only thing that stopped me from giving it five stars was the ending. The last chapter ruins the main focus and theme of the book and cheapens it.
tansheart's review against another edition
5.0
WOW!! That is the only word I can think of to describe this read. Mary Allegedly killed a baby and she is sharing her story. You are on an emotional roller coaster as your heart goes out to her because of her unfortunate events in life and THEN...... WOW!
zenzi2read's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
This is interesting contemporary fiction with mysterious elements. Hard for me to call it a mystery or thriller because the mystery is not the primary objective of the book. I like the journey that he characters went on and the since that was in danger from the beginning from all sides. No one is pure good or evil. Everyone has an angle in this book. Themes of family, relationships, and criminal justice are explored. The pacing could’ve been done a little bit differently. It was hard to tell how much time was going by.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Violence, and Vomit
Minor: Child abuse
charliegirl21's review against another edition
1.0
This book is bullshit.
1) Teenage mothers in foster care are allowed to keep their children. It is called mutual care, and I guarantee the state of NY has it.
2) Child services is garbage in a lot of ways, but the level of neglect in this book is unrealistic. As a foster parent and bff to a previous manager of a group home who is now therapist to an entire large county in another state, I can tell you that the bureaucracy of child welfare would not allow this level of abuse and negligence simply because they are a giant machine that dots it’s i’s and crosses it’s t’s to avoid lawsuits. Abuse slips through the cracks but there is no way a kid would make it years without seeing lawyers, therapists, and social workers because those entities have to check in and report to judges. An entire group home with rodent infestation, physical signs of abuse, and this level of chaos would be reported by at least one of the many people who would have to meet with these girls. To believe not one of their lawyers or caseworkers or parole officers would do their job as mandatory reporters is completely unrealistic. Single kids get lost and hurt in the system, but not an entire household to this level.
3) While I thought the teenage impulsiveness portrayed in Mary was spot on, the Ted relationship was weird and inauthentic. Other posters have indicated consent in NY would allow an 18 year old and a 15 year old to have a relationship, which could easily be researched by our brilliant narrator and pragmatic boyfriend. Beyond this, the flip flopping of their relationship felt more like a plot device and less like how her character is written to behave. There is also no way, based on how Ted’s character was written that he would just walk away at the end the way he does. As far as the system, he would be the person to get the baby, as he aged out of foster care and had the savings to get an apartment in whichever state he was talking about moving where his cousin had a job. Adult parents who are not currently in the system or in jail would have legal claim to their kid. He would be the first person they would call, and after he showed up at the group home, people would know who he is.
4) There is a long line of melodramatic shit written about foster care. It is brutal in its own right without having to turn it into melodramatic schlock.
5) The twist at the end was trash. The author hinted that Mary was crazy but did not realistically write her as crazy. This is not like fight club where you get to the end and go, oh yeah! This was emotional manipulation that we are supposed to believe because the narrator is supposedly smart. The one part that was effectively chilling was her talking about how Benson would be a good baby and never cry.
6) What was the point midway through about alluding to the fact her mother may have had a daughter before? Does it really matter if her mom was really her mom? Pointless plot line.
7) Finally, a book that puts itself out there as some sort of testament about systemic racism probably shouldn’t make light skinned characters tropes of beauty and dark skinned characters (esp. Tara) written as ugly, dirty, and disgusting.
There is so much. It was a quick read and there were some excellent characters, but I spent most of it being pissed about being asked to believe the cage of DHS created her conflicts around her baby when none of it is actually how it works. The end was garbage.
1) Teenage mothers in foster care are allowed to keep their children. It is called mutual care, and I guarantee the state of NY has it.
2) Child services is garbage in a lot of ways, but the level of neglect in this book is unrealistic. As a foster parent and bff to a previous manager of a group home who is now therapist to an entire large county in another state, I can tell you that the bureaucracy of child welfare would not allow this level of abuse and negligence simply because they are a giant machine that dots it’s i’s and crosses it’s t’s to avoid lawsuits. Abuse slips through the cracks but there is no way a kid would make it years without seeing lawyers, therapists, and social workers because those entities have to check in and report to judges. An entire group home with rodent infestation, physical signs of abuse, and this level of chaos would be reported by at least one of the many people who would have to meet with these girls. To believe not one of their lawyers or caseworkers or parole officers would do their job as mandatory reporters is completely unrealistic. Single kids get lost and hurt in the system, but not an entire household to this level.
3) While I thought the teenage impulsiveness portrayed in Mary was spot on, the Ted relationship was weird and inauthentic. Other posters have indicated consent in NY would allow an 18 year old and a 15 year old to have a relationship, which could easily be researched by our brilliant narrator and pragmatic boyfriend. Beyond this, the flip flopping of their relationship felt more like a plot device and less like how her character is written to behave. There is also no way, based on how Ted’s character was written that he would just walk away at the end the way he does. As far as the system, he would be the person to get the baby, as he aged out of foster care and had the savings to get an apartment in whichever state he was talking about moving where his cousin had a job. Adult parents who are not currently in the system or in jail would have legal claim to their kid. He would be the first person they would call, and after he showed up at the group home, people would know who he is.
4) There is a long line of melodramatic shit written about foster care. It is brutal in its own right without having to turn it into melodramatic schlock.
5) The twist at the end was trash. The author hinted that Mary was crazy but did not realistically write her as crazy. This is not like fight club where you get to the end and go, oh yeah! This was emotional manipulation that we are supposed to believe because the narrator is supposedly smart. The one part that was effectively chilling was her talking about how Benson would be a good baby and never cry.
6) What was the point midway through about alluding to the fact her mother may have had a daughter before? Does it really matter if her mom was really her mom? Pointless plot line.
7) Finally, a book that puts itself out there as some sort of testament about systemic racism probably shouldn’t make light skinned characters tropes of beauty and dark skinned characters (esp. Tara) written as ugly, dirty, and disgusting.
There is so much. It was a quick read and there were some excellent characters, but I spent most of it being pissed about being asked to believe the cage of DHS created her conflicts around her baby when none of it is actually how it works. The end was garbage.
linshollo's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
4.0
lindzie_c's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
The last few pages of the book turn you on your head and make you question everything
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Violence, Blood, Murder, and Pregnancy
temarasykes360's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Violence, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Pregnancy, and Abandonment