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A review by emleemay
Allegedly by Tiffany D. Jackson
4.0
“Well, people tend not to think clearly when a black girl is suspected of killing a little white girl,” Ms. Cora says.
[b:Allegedly|30037870|Allegedly|Tiffany D. Jackson|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1476974718s/30037870.jpg|50000013] is dark, gritty and disturbing. Sometimes the best kind of books are those that make me sad, afraid and just FURIOUS for the characters - and this was one of those books. If you want to be angry, then put this on your reading list.
In fact, it was a solid five-star read up until the very last chapter. The ending took a turn that I thought weakened the story; throwing in a last minute "oh my god!" for the sake of thrills, but losing some of the powerful messages that had been built throughout. That being said, I would still recommend this to anyone with a strong stomach and a liking for thought-provoking reads that shine a light on some of the darker aspects of the world we live in.
Mary B. Addison is a black teenager who allegedly killed a three-month-old baby when she, herself, was nine. The white baby girl, Alyssa, was left in the care of Mary and her mentally ill mother, but when her parents returned later that evening, Alyssa was heavily-bruised and no longer breathing. Fast forward to the present and Mary has just been transferred from "baby jail" to a group home.
Most of my life, no one has bothered to explain anything to me. It’s been one “’cause I said so” scenario after another. I stopped asking questions and in six years I have not run into one adult who would do me the common courtesy of explaining why something is happening to me.
It is told in a very straightforward style without feeling emotionally manipulative, complete with urban slang/AAVE. For me, this kind of narration is all the more powerful for its simplicity - the only authors who can pull a strong emotional reaction out of me are the ones who don't seem like they're trying to.
Mary is an extremely complex and sympathetic human being, bullied by the other girls she lives with and the women who work at her group home. She longs to take the SAT and go to college, but doing so requires a lot of complicated hoop-jumping, and those in charge of her well-being constantly discourage her by pointing out how colleges and employees will not want a murderer.
She is stuck; unable to change her life, better herself, or make any of her own decisions. If I wasn't already pissed, I would have been the minute she becomes pregnant and the adults decide that her baby will be adopted. As someone who is an advocate for reproductive rights/choices AND a new mother, I was enraged. It also prompted me to do some further reading about the babies of pregnant prisoners being taken away and the high depression rates of those women - it is truly so heartbreaking and scary.
“What does it mean when you love and hate someone at the same time?” I ask.
He laughs. “It means they family.”
Mary suddenly finds new reason to fight for her freedom when they threaten to take her baby away. But it's a complicated battle and it seems like the whole world is against her. She is torn between her natural desire to protect her sick mother, and her need to tell the truth. She hits roadblock after infuriating roadblock in her quest for justice.
Though I desperately wanted many things to turn out different, I also felt that Jackson made it very easy to understand Mary's reactions and decisions, for the most part. She also highlights the importance of black female friendships and support - something so rare in YA, where people tend to celebrate the inclusion of the lone non-white character - and it is extremely moving.
Seventeen out of eighteen chapters were utterly fantastic. I just can't help feeling let down by that ending.
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