A review by yvo_about_books
Marked for Life: One Man's Fight for Justice from the Inside by Isaac Wright Jr.

4.5

Finished reading: November 3rd 2022

"It is impossible to put away an innocent man without a conspiracy."

*** A copy of this book was kindly provided to me by Netgalley and St. Martin's Press in exchange for an honest review. Thank you! ***

I was invited to read Marked For Life back in June, and after I saw its comparison to non fiction favorite The Sun Does Shine I had no other option but to add it to my shelves. The blurb sounds indeed similar, and it made me go in with high expectations... And I have to say that those expectations were more than met. Marked For Life is not an easy read, and will most likely make you feel outraged by the racial discrimination and corruption on all levels. It's a true eye opener to just how unfair the whole justice system can be, and how hard it can be for someone innocent to fight that system and redeem himself.

Marked For Life is the memoir of Isaac Wright Jr. and mainly focuses on the time leading up to his arrest, what happens to him afterwards and how he was able to get his freedom back. There are also glimpses at his earlier life included, giving his background more color while also understanding his character better. It is truly admirable how he is able to overcome the injustice of his arrest and aftermath... Fighting corruption and false charges all around. It was inspiring to see him rise above it all, and using his intelligence to learn about the law and start fighting back.

The writing is very engaging and flows naturally, making it really easy to keep turning those pages. True, there is quite some legal talk included, but somehow it didn't slow down the pace and made the story feel even more authentic instead. The chapters set in prison were especially fascinating to read, and his road to redemption in general is very satisfying. It shows that there is always hope as long as someone is willing to fight for it, and that lies and corruption are very hard to successfully brush under the carpet indeed.

All in all Marked For Life turned out to be a very powerful and well written memoir that questions racial discrimination and police/justice corruption as well as the other side of the war on drugs. Highly recommended!