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4.27 AVERAGE
4.27 AVERAGE
A fantastic memoir (narrated by the author) that dives into addiction, mental health and the broken prison system. Keri openly discusses her life experiences leading up to her time in jail and then her trajectory after her release. I love stories about second chances and forgiveness and this one was powerful, raw and wonderfully written.
Corrections in Ink is the incredible memoir written by Keri Blakinger. In a raw and honest fashion, Keri Blakinger tells of her early years as a figure skater with a promising career. As a young girl fighting with eating disorders. As a young woman who becomes involved with drugs - both abusing and selling them. As a young woman who sold her body for drugs. As a young woman who was arrested with a large quantity of drugs. As a young woman who spent nearly two years behind bars. As a woman who had more than one gift, that of writing and that of advocacy.
In her incredible journey, Keri experienced the highest highs and the lowest lows, but she came out on top. In fact, with a job now as a reporter for multiple outlets, one who speaks for the rights of prisoners, while revealing flaws and corruption in a broken prison system, Keri is now a woman who has become a hero.
Keri's life was never easy. The expectation of perfection was what she struggled to achieve while on the ice, but it was this struggle that opened the doors to some of the tragic experiences she endured. However, this strong young woman never gave up on life (well, she did have a particularly sad experience along this vein), but she soldiered on, and now proves to be a fine example for anyone who rises above tragedy and hopelessness, proving to be a beacon of hope, strength and courage for anyone who reads her story.
Her life experiences were difficult to read, and the life she experienced behind bars was devastating and heartbreaking, but she kept a light shining. A light that would get brighter once she was on the other side of those prison bars. She got a second chance in life, one that she grabbed with both hands, and one who proves that anybody and everybody can be redeemed. She was and her light continues to shine.
Many thanks to St. Martin's Press and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.
Please also enjoy my detailed YouTube video review - https://youtu.be/NBXINwaDMM0
In her incredible journey, Keri experienced the highest highs and the lowest lows, but she came out on top. In fact, with a job now as a reporter for multiple outlets, one who speaks for the rights of prisoners, while revealing flaws and corruption in a broken prison system, Keri is now a woman who has become a hero.
Keri's life was never easy. The expectation of perfection was what she struggled to achieve while on the ice, but it was this struggle that opened the doors to some of the tragic experiences she endured. However, this strong young woman never gave up on life (well, she did have a particularly sad experience along this vein), but she soldiered on, and now proves to be a fine example for anyone who rises above tragedy and hopelessness, proving to be a beacon of hope, strength and courage for anyone who reads her story.
Her life experiences were difficult to read, and the life she experienced behind bars was devastating and heartbreaking, but she kept a light shining. A light that would get brighter once she was on the other side of those prison bars. She got a second chance in life, one that she grabbed with both hands, and one who proves that anybody and everybody can be redeemed. She was and her light continues to shine.
Many thanks to St. Martin's Press and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.
Please also enjoy my detailed YouTube video review - https://youtu.be/NBXINwaDMM0
Blakinger conveys the boredom, arbitrariness, and abuse that takes place in prison, and conveys how she got through it through a combination of support from her family and friends, white privilege, and also her dog Charlotte. For me, the most touching part was the last part of the memoir where she conveys just how fortunate she was to find people who would hire her despite her felony conviction for heroin use. She makes it clear that her success is in spite of, not b/c of prison, and her continued reporting on mass incarceration should be important to anyone who is interested in social justice.
A raw and devastating look into the struggles of a drug addicted Cornell figure skating athlete. Keri shares her ups and downs with her drug addiction, the demoralizing and humiliating experience in the defunct prison system, and her determination through rehabilitation to find her calling to help others. Truly an emotional and gripping read. Thank you for sharing your story, Keri!
A brilliant, beautiful, and deeply-compelling read. I will read again for sure!
This searing memoir takes a bracingly clear-eyed look at an early life of eating disorders, addiction, and imprisonment after a hyperachieving youth. I loved it because of its raw honesty, and my longtime obsession with figure skating (Keri becomes an elite figure skater before the wheels come off). It also left me with a vivid picture of what it's like to be in jail and prison, and I'll likely have nightmares from her depiction of solitary confinement.
At the end, it's a story of redemption and survival, and she makes clear that white privilege helped pave the road to both of those places. Highly recommended.
At the end, it's a story of redemption and survival, and she makes clear that white privilege helped pave the road to both of those places. Highly recommended.
Raw, honest, shocking, depressing and ultimately hopeful, this book is a brilliant look at how how we treat people in the prison system. It is also a memoir of a life of privilege and setbacks, consequences from bad choices and determination to fix them, and a real resolution to be redeemed by doing works. “Corrections In Ink” is a brilliant and brutally frank story, told with heart. I loved it.
The very beginning of this book had promise,and the very end had some important themes that could have been an entire book on their own. The middle 90% meandered, and was not very compelling and definitely was not as powerful or engaging as many other books on the subject. I think maybe if I just listened to the NPR interview with her it would have been enough.