Review: Allegedly

Allegedly by Tiffany D. Jackson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Mary has spent most of her very young life in what she calls "baby jail." She's now been put into a group home, but it's not much better. The others girls are dangerous, the two women who run the place are mean and don't care about any of them--especially Mary. They all know why she's there--she killed a baby. Allegedly.

When Mary finds herself pregnant, she begins to feel as if she might have a chance. She and her boyfriend (who is also in a group home) can run away and start a new life together. But first she'll have to not get killed by her housemates, save up enough money at her job, and manage to get the ankle bracelet off her.

Tiffany D. Jackson makes us take a hard look at the life of Mary. She's tough, yes. But she's also vulnerable and young and there is no one out there looking out for her. And how did it come to be that she's been accused of such a crime? Although most of this book is realistic fiction, it's also a mystery: What really happened when Mary was younger?

We also see quite a lot of side characters--all with their own issues. Some have serious mental health issues that have brought them to this point and others have fought their way here because of their environment. This is a compelling read, but it's dark and dirty too. It will be difficult to put down as you try and piece together what really happened to Mary and what happened to that baby.

This book does contain very mature material. I would not recommend it to students who are in middle school and if you are recommending to high school students, I would be aware of their maturity level and their family/personal as well as any triggers.

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