A review by onemorepagecrew
Allegedly by Tiffany D. Jackson

dark mysterious tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

Allegedly is yet another Tiffany D. Jackson book that had my complete attention.  In it we meet Mary, a fifteen-year-old girl who is in the care of a state-run home after serving six years in juvenile detention.  When she was 9 years old, the 3-month-old baby that her mother was babysitting was murdered … and all signs pointed to Mary.  
 
But did she do it?  That’s the question you’ll be wrestling with the whole time. 
 
I loved the psychological guessing game in this one. Mary is intellectually gifted and processing trauma, so as a reader it’s hard to know if you can trust her inner monologue at times.  Her mother is perceived as a church-going, good person but as a reader we see glimpses of other sides of her personality.  Mary’s state-employed caregivers are rarely in her corner and sometimes working against her best interests.  And her boyfriend is desperate to keep them together, especially now that Mary is pregnant. 
 
You’ll think you know Mary.  You’ll think you see what’s happening.  But if you’re anything like me when reading this, you’re in for a satisfying storyline and ending.  In the beginning of the book, I felt like the characters were misreading each other and at some point, I realized I was misreading them too.  I really love when authors subtly toy with the reader like that – it’s the finesse of a psychological thriller. 
 
This book was the debut from the author and has her classic style of waving societal issues into tense storylines that keep you turning the pages.  She has a gift and to see that her first novel was this strong is impressive. 
 
Content warnings: Child death, Child abuse, Violence, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Mental illness 
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