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whatstephisreading's review
4.0
Last year I picked up this little-known book The Hiding Girl, not expecting much but falling in love with Emily Calby, a fierce 13 year old doing whatever she can to survive. Her story had heart and humor so I was excited to reconnect with her three years later as she finds herself in a juvenile detention facility.
I enjoyed this story as Emily still finds herself still getting into (and out of) troubling situations, and you get her same entertaining and endearing attitude and curiosity. This story shows her softer side as she has to rely on her mind and not just her body to solve conflicts. I thought I was going to miss Lucas' presence in this, but I loved the various female friendships Emily built throughout the story both in the facility and the courtroom.
If you like a story of perseverance and resilience, Emily Calby the girl for you. She is strong and will use any resource to her advantage, including tackling the law library within the prison to defend herself. I do recommend reading The Hiding Girl first so you get her full background, but loved this sequel to continue her story.
Thank you to BookishFirst, NetGalley, and author Dorian Box for my copy in exchange for an honest review.
I enjoyed this story as Emily still finds herself still getting into (and out of) troubling situations, and you get her same entertaining and endearing attitude and curiosity. This story shows her softer side as she has to rely on her mind and not just her body to solve conflicts. I thought I was going to miss Lucas' presence in this, but I loved the various female friendships Emily built throughout the story both in the facility and the courtroom.
If you like a story of perseverance and resilience, Emily Calby the girl for you. She is strong and will use any resource to her advantage, including tackling the law library within the prison to defend herself. I do recommend reading The Hiding Girl first so you get her full background, but loved this sequel to continue her story.
Thank you to BookishFirst, NetGalley, and author Dorian Box for my copy in exchange for an honest review.
sashacarpenter's review
4.0
Emily Calby--or Alice Black, depending on who you ask--has had a rough life. After witnessing the murders of her mother and sister, while previously having lost her father, Emily barely escapes with her life, and she has been on the run ever since. Luckily she has been able to make a new “family” for herself as she attempts to navigate her new life. Unfortunately, Emily is forced to face a new obstacle when, after pulling an illegal handgun on some bikers with bad intentions, she is picked up on an old warrant in Louisiana. Facing juvenile prison politics, a victimized cell mate who reminds Emily of her sister, and a prosecutor determined to lock her up for life, Emily finds herself in a fight for her life and her freedom.
The Girl in Cell 49B is the second installment in the Emily Calby series, The Hiding Girl being the previous novel. I have not read The Hiding Girl, and while there were quite a few references to previous events--Emily’s warrant is the result of something that happened in The Hiding Girl--I never really felt lost or confused, but I do wish I had read the other novel first. I often felt as though there was a Shawshank Redemption vibe to the story. The characters are well developed and well written. They seem very honest and authentic as they truthfully reveal the inherent faults within the system, along with the far-reaching consequences of poor or nonexistent families and support systems. Emily is a tough, smart girl who the reader can easily root for as she fights for what she thinks is right. I really enjoyed the buildup within The Girl in Cell 49B and the ultimate conclusion that these events led to. There were some things and events that seemed a little too convenient and depended too much on chance, as well as a couple that went just past unbelievable, but this didn’t really take away from my enjoyment of the story itself.
The Girl in Cell 49B is an entertaining and thrilling novel that I recommend to anyone who likes novels with tough females taking on the system. The Girl in Cell 49B will be available on March 1st, so get ready! Thank you to NetGalley and Friction Press for sending me an electronic copy of The Girl in Cell 49B, given in exchange for an honest review; all opinions are my own.
The Girl in Cell 49B is the second installment in the Emily Calby series, The Hiding Girl being the previous novel. I have not read The Hiding Girl, and while there were quite a few references to previous events--Emily’s warrant is the result of something that happened in The Hiding Girl--I never really felt lost or confused, but I do wish I had read the other novel first. I often felt as though there was a Shawshank Redemption vibe to the story. The characters are well developed and well written. They seem very honest and authentic as they truthfully reveal the inherent faults within the system, along with the far-reaching consequences of poor or nonexistent families and support systems. Emily is a tough, smart girl who the reader can easily root for as she fights for what she thinks is right. I really enjoyed the buildup within The Girl in Cell 49B and the ultimate conclusion that these events led to. There were some things and events that seemed a little too convenient and depended too much on chance, as well as a couple that went just past unbelievable, but this didn’t really take away from my enjoyment of the story itself.
The Girl in Cell 49B is an entertaining and thrilling novel that I recommend to anyone who likes novels with tough females taking on the system. The Girl in Cell 49B will be available on March 1st, so get ready! Thank you to NetGalley and Friction Press for sending me an electronic copy of The Girl in Cell 49B, given in exchange for an honest review; all opinions are my own.
lsmoore43's review
4.0
I read the first book in this series and enjoyed it. There were a couple of things in it that got under my skin but overall it was a good read. This is the sequel and it's another very good one.
Emily has had a horrible series of troubles. Her mother and sister were assaulted and murdered in the first book. Emily barely escaped. She was on the streets and finally taken in my a very smart and caring man. To say she got revenge on the ones that did what was done in the first book is to put it mildly. She is a very strong and resilient young girl. But she does go through a lot. Some pretty bad things almost happened to her but she escaped. Now she will have to face the consequences of that. Even though we know it's not her fault. She acted in pure self defense. Only doing what she had no other choice but to do.
Now Emily is on trial and we root for her all over again. The prosecutor is a horrible, crooked, sorry excuse for a human being. He doesn't care why Emily did what she did. He just wants to win no matter what. Will she get justice for all the things that happened to her in her young life or will she get life? Can things possibly keep getting worse for her?
This book continues Emily's story and will have you weeping in part. Very angry in other parts. And definitely rooting for her overall. She's so easy to love. No matter what she does it's for survival. This book will pull at your heartstrings. No doubt about that.
Thank you #netgally, #dorianbox, #frictionpress for this ARC. This is my own true feelings about this book.
4/5 stars and a high recommendation. Be warned it will make you cry and hold your breath a lot.
Emily has had a horrible series of troubles. Her mother and sister were assaulted and murdered in the first book. Emily barely escaped. She was on the streets and finally taken in my a very smart and caring man. To say she got revenge on the ones that did what was done in the first book is to put it mildly. She is a very strong and resilient young girl. But she does go through a lot. Some pretty bad things almost happened to her but she escaped. Now she will have to face the consequences of that. Even though we know it's not her fault. She acted in pure self defense. Only doing what she had no other choice but to do.
Now Emily is on trial and we root for her all over again. The prosecutor is a horrible, crooked, sorry excuse for a human being. He doesn't care why Emily did what she did. He just wants to win no matter what. Will she get justice for all the things that happened to her in her young life or will she get life? Can things possibly keep getting worse for her?
This book continues Emily's story and will have you weeping in part. Very angry in other parts. And definitely rooting for her overall. She's so easy to love. No matter what she does it's for survival. This book will pull at your heartstrings. No doubt about that.
Thank you #netgally, #dorianbox, #frictionpress for this ARC. This is my own true feelings about this book.
4/5 stars and a high recommendation. Be warned it will make you cry and hold your breath a lot.
jessica42980's review
dark
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.0
Three years after The Hiding Girl ended, we pick back up with Emily (aka Alice) on her sixteenth birthday. This day is far from the “sweet sixteen” like most girls have. It is another day where her whole life changes: She is arrested and also finds out she is wanted for murder. She is then put in a corrupt for-profit juvenile prison.
Pochachant prison is our main setting with the courtroom second for Emily’s court case. We see what life is like for Emily at Pochachant as she has to adjust to ‘life on the inside’ dealing with the other detainees (not inmates as they are juveniles) and corrupt correctional officers while also ‘working’ for .17 an hour in the library. There are also boys at the prison, and the genders are only mixed when they are taking GED classes where Emily meets a boy that becomes special to her.
It is a tough life and Pochachant is one of the toughest prisons for juveniles. And then Emily also has to deal with a district attorney who seems to have a personal vendetta against her.
As with The Hiding Girl it just seemed like Box just likes to put our heroine Emily against so many obstacles against her. We get several twists and unexpected angles, some of them just seemed just a little too far fetched for me, which was the reasoning of the four-star rating. I also missed Lucas!
49B is not light on the violence and corruption of the inside of the prison, so same as with The Hiding Girl, this novel might not be for everyone. We do get a conclusion at the end of this novel, but this reader is ready for more!
This is the second in the Emily Calby series and Box is currently working on book three. At this point I am so invested in Emily, I must know what happens with her next! The Girl in Cell 49B could be read as a standalone as her past is mentioned, but I do not recommend it! You MUST read The Hiding Girl to get Emily’s full story with what happened to change the course of her life into what it became.
The Girl in Cell 49B is highly recommended reading after The Hiding Girl! I am ready to see what happens next!
I received an electronic copy from the publisher via Bookish First.
Pochachant prison is our main setting with the courtroom second for Emily’s court case. We see what life is like for Emily at Pochachant as she has to adjust to ‘life on the inside’ dealing with the other detainees (not inmates as they are juveniles) and corrupt correctional officers while also ‘working’ for .17 an hour in the library. There are also boys at the prison, and the genders are only mixed when they are taking GED classes where Emily meets a boy that becomes special to her.
It is a tough life and Pochachant is one of the toughest prisons for juveniles. And then Emily also has to deal with a district attorney who seems to have a personal vendetta against her.
As with The Hiding Girl it just seemed like Box just likes to put our heroine Emily against so many obstacles against her. We get several twists and unexpected angles, some of them just seemed just a little too far fetched for me, which was the reasoning of the four-star rating. I also missed Lucas!
49B is not light on the violence and corruption of the inside of the prison, so same as with The Hiding Girl, this novel might not be for everyone. We do get a conclusion at the end of this novel, but this reader is ready for more!
This is the second in the Emily Calby series and Box is currently working on book three. At this point I am so invested in Emily, I must know what happens with her next! The Girl in Cell 49B could be read as a standalone as her past is mentioned, but I do not recommend it! You MUST read The Hiding Girl to get Emily’s full story with what happened to change the course of her life into what it became.
The Girl in Cell 49B is highly recommended reading after The Hiding Girl! I am ready to see what happens next!
I received an electronic copy from the publisher via Bookish First.
kasfire's review
5.0
5/5 Stars
Disclaimer: Mentions of rape and murder
In this continuation, we follow Emily- now going by Alice- three years after the conclusion of The Hiding Girl. This time, instead of being on the run, she is charged with murder and must figure out how to save herself from becoming convicted.
I LOVED Emily's growth in this one! Is she still the justice driven girl? Yes, but this time she uses the law to help her. She takes in strays at the prison she's held at, including her roommate and others. We see how Emily's mind works and how much she wants to help everyone that has been wronged.
Our new assortment of characters are all interesting and evoke intense feelings in the reader. Rebecca- Emily's roommate- reminds her of her younger sister, while Ben is the first boy Emily crushes on. Paula is Emily's attorney that has health issues when she gets stressed. Which is very likely to happen with Emily as her client.
The trial was so intense that even when I knew what was being revealed I didn't know how it would end. And with the fact that the reveal was even insinuated in the first book was so awesome since that made sure it wasn't just thrown in your face.
I hope that we continue to follow Emily's story, (ESPECIALLY with the decision she makes at the end) and I cannot wait to read it.
Disclaimer: Mentions of rape and murder
In this continuation, we follow Emily- now going by Alice- three years after the conclusion of The Hiding Girl. This time, instead of being on the run, she is charged with murder and must figure out how to save herself from becoming convicted.
I LOVED Emily's growth in this one! Is she still the justice driven girl? Yes, but this time she uses the law to help her. She takes in strays at the prison she's held at, including her roommate and others. We see how Emily's mind works and how much she wants to help everyone that has been wronged.
Our new assortment of characters are all interesting and evoke intense feelings in the reader. Rebecca- Emily's roommate- reminds her of her younger sister, while Ben is the first boy Emily crushes on. Paula is Emily's attorney that has health issues when she gets stressed. Which is very likely to happen with Emily as her client.
The trial was so intense that even when I knew what was being revealed I didn't know how it would end. And with the fact that the reveal was even insinuated in the first book was so awesome since that made sure it wasn't just thrown in your face.
I hope that we continue to follow Emily's story, (ESPECIALLY with the decision she makes at the end) and I cannot wait to read it.
ab1646's review
4.0
4.0 - This courtroom drama thriller is a continuation of the first book in the Emily Calby series, but I didn't read the first book and still loved this one. My favorite part of the book was the characters. Lucas is a great minor character and Rebecca ends up being a developed side character as well. But Emily is just such a lovable main character and you can't help but empathize with her, no matter the things she has done. She stands up for herself in an admirable and fights for herself.
The blurb explains it all, and maybe gave a little too much away. Emily is faced with the law and learns as much as she can to explore how to defend herself in the courtroom. Some parts of the book were super frustrating because of the way that detainees are treated in prisons and in the courtroom. Being a minor, Emily had a court-appointed public defender, who ended up doing her best to help Emily in her trail. I liked how the Judge was honest and stuck to the law, but didn't have it out for the defendant right away. Some parts of the book were predictable, but I really enjoyed this book. I read it within a day, and it was an easy, but captivating thriller read. I definitely want to go back and read the first book in the Emily Calby series.
The blurb explains it all, and maybe gave a little too much away. Emily is faced with the law and learns as much as she can to explore how to defend herself in the courtroom. Some parts of the book were super frustrating because of the way that detainees are treated in prisons and in the courtroom. Being a minor, Emily had a court-appointed public defender, who ended up doing her best to help Emily in her trail. I liked how the Judge was honest and stuck to the law, but didn't have it out for the defendant right away. Some parts of the book were predictable, but I really enjoyed this book. I read it within a day, and it was an easy, but captivating thriller read. I definitely want to go back and read the first book in the Emily Calby series.
m_lyons's review
4.0
This is the second book in the series. Although it can be read as a standalone, I think I was somewhat at a disadvantage by not having previously read the first. With that being said, I found this to be a very good read — although it is a pretty dark story of 16-year old Emily, who previously dealt with the rape/murder of her mother and sister and who now has been put in a juvenile prison for an alleged murder. Amidst the darkness are bits of humor (especially the scene in the courtroom when Emily is the witness on the stand as well as the attorney) and plenty of twists and turns. I look forward to reading the next in this series — and to going back to read the first before then!
Thanks to the publisher and to NetGalley for providing me with an ARC.
Thanks to the publisher and to NetGalley for providing me with an ARC.
camdenellese's review
4.0
This book, the second installment in the Emily Calby series, updates readers about what Emily has been up to since we last saw her. Emily goes from travelling around the country in an RV with Lucas to being incarcerated in a juvenile detention facility fighting murder charges. Yet another tumultuous and traumatic turn in Emily's life.
I really struggled with the first book in this series quite a lot. I did not really like Emily and I found a lot of the book to be pretty unbelievable and far-fetched. I am happy to say, this book is a pretty drastic improvement over the first. Emily is believeable and much more likeable. She is able to make connections, and meaningful ones, with people in her life. This book was also more believable in general, outside of Emily. It was clear the author spent a fair amount of time researching law, the juvenile justice system, etc. I also really appreciated the author's note that he had to take a few liberties with certain elements to make the story work. I saw some of those, but they weren't objectionable. I am now really excited and curious to learn what else (if anything) happens to Emily!
I really struggled with the first book in this series quite a lot. I did not really like Emily and I found a lot of the book to be pretty unbelievable and far-fetched. I am happy to say, this book is a pretty drastic improvement over the first. Emily is believeable and much more likeable. She is able to make connections, and meaningful ones, with people in her life. This book was also more believable in general, outside of Emily. It was clear the author spent a fair amount of time researching law, the juvenile justice system, etc. I also really appreciated the author's note that he had to take a few liberties with certain elements to make the story work. I saw some of those, but they weren't objectionable. I am now really excited and curious to learn what else (if anything) happens to Emily!
brinley's review
4.0
I didn't expect to enjoy this, but I ended up loving it! Instead of just being a thriller like I was expecting, it turned into a legal thriller that really made me think.
My favorite thing about this was definitely the characters. Emily was an amazing main character, I loved her so much. She was an inspiration, and I loved spending time inside her head. Watching her defend herself in the courtroom had me on the edge of my seat, and it was something completely different than I had read before.
Even better is the side characters. Rebecca, Paula, Leslie, and Lucas all had their own distinct personalities, and I loved them. I hate it when books have one dimensional side characters, and this book avoided that so well. Every character was complex, and it was amazing.
I do want to mention that even though this is book 2 in a series, I read it as a standalone. I honestly feel like I preferred that experience, because I came in completely blind to Emily's attitude. I'm not a real fan of thrillers, so I'm not sure how much i would've enjoyed book 1. I may go back and read it, but this read perfectly as a standalone
Id definitely recommend this to fans of legal thrillers! I was caught unaware by several twists, which is something I always love. This was a great book!
Thanks to BookishFirst for providing a free copy in exchange for an honest review!
My favorite thing about this was definitely the characters. Emily was an amazing main character, I loved her so much. She was an inspiration, and I loved spending time inside her head. Watching her defend herself in the courtroom had me on the edge of my seat, and it was something completely different than I had read before.
Even better is the side characters. Rebecca, Paula, Leslie, and Lucas all had their own distinct personalities, and I loved them. I hate it when books have one dimensional side characters, and this book avoided that so well. Every character was complex, and it was amazing.
I do want to mention that even though this is book 2 in a series, I read it as a standalone. I honestly feel like I preferred that experience, because I came in completely blind to Emily's attitude. I'm not a real fan of thrillers, so I'm not sure how much i would've enjoyed book 1. I may go back and read it, but this read perfectly as a standalone
Id definitely recommend this to fans of legal thrillers! I was caught unaware by several twists, which is something I always love. This was a great book!
Thanks to BookishFirst for providing a free copy in exchange for an honest review!
munevver's review
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
First of all, I didn’t read the first book in this series so I’m not making any comments on that. Second, I’m still not 100% sure if this is YA or adult fiction. I can see the pros and cons of both. As far as the book, I was entertained but there were many many problems with it.
The story centers on Emily Calby a teenager girl whose family was murdered and she is living life on the run, hiding from I don’t really know who. I’m guessing that’s all in the first book. This book centers on her being caught and charged with a murder that she committed, again I’m guessing in the first book. She’s sent to a juvenile prison while awaiting trial. That’s all fine and good. The book includes too many cliched moments. The guards are raping some of the girls, the guards have created a fight club where they bet to see which girl will win, the prosecutor has a personal vendetta that no one but the main character knows about and the judge lets a 15 year old represent herself in court. It’s too much.
I will not be going back and reading the first book neither will I be reading any other book that may come out in this series. And yet I was entertained for a bit while reading it.
The story centers on Emily Calby a teenager girl whose family was murdered and she is living life on the run, hiding from I don’t really know who. I’m guessing that’s all in the first book. This book centers on her being caught and charged with a murder that she committed, again I’m guessing in the first book. She’s sent to a juvenile prison while awaiting trial. That’s all fine and good. The book includes too many cliched moments. The guards are raping some of the girls, the guards have created a fight club where they bet to see which girl will win, the prosecutor has a personal vendetta that no one but the main character knows about and the judge lets a 15 year old represent herself in court. It’s too much.
I will not be going back and reading the first book neither will I be reading any other book that may come out in this series. And yet I was entertained for a bit while reading it.