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samanthapearl's review against another edition
4.0
Really gets you thinking and opens a lot of questions
mponschke's review against another edition
5.0
Wow. This one hit close to home for me as both a Catholic and as a forensic science student. Sister Helen Prejean recounts to stories of two men on death row - men that she believes to be innocent. She takes the moral issues behind the death penalty to a new level, dissecting both cases and uncovering all of the injustices both men had to endure. She takes apart religious arguments that "favor" the death penalty, providing her own religious arguments against the death penalty. This a powerful, brave, informative, well-researched book that takes on the ultimate moral issue that our government deals with daily: is the death penalty constitutional? It's by no means an easy read... but it's well worth your time.
pennyriley's review against another edition
3.0
I enjoyed, although I am of course aware that is a poor choice of adjective, the first two chapters with the accounts of Dobie Williams and Joseph O'Dell awaiting their executions. They were compelling in showing how evidence can be manufactured and manipulated, and served to bolster my belief (most of the time, although I occasionally find myself wandering from that belief) that the death penalty cannot be justified under any circumstances. However I found the last two chapters less interesting and found myself getting bogged down. One of the things I have never got to grips with here in the States is that the same crime can have completely different outcomes as far as punishment goes, depending on the State where the crime was committed or that the perpetrator is tried in.
somechelsea's review
4.0
Not a fun read, and not one I would comfortably say I "liked", but a worthwhile read. I don't have much to say, because I'm the proverbial choir Sister Prejean is preaching to, but even though I was put off by the frequent religious arguement a against the death penalty, I still think it's a disconcerting insight into a process that many of us would prefer to never think about.
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