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A review by lit_vibrations
The Garden of Second Chances: A Novel by Mona Alvarado Frazier
4.0
This was a pretty decent debut novel that can be viewed as both heartbreaking and empowering. Mona Alvarado Frazier gives the reader a raw and emotionally realistic narrative that will have you sympathizing with the MC and praying for a happy ending. The opening of the book will immediately pull you in but as the book progresses the pacing is up and down.
The novel follows Juana Ivanov a young teen currently incarcerated for the murder of her husband. No one believes her when she claims she's innocent, not even the prison staff or the gang leader in her block who torments her relentlessly. But Juana is determined to prove her innocence so she can get back to her baby Katrina whom she left in the care of her sister in Mexico. But as Juana struggles to survive the dangers lurking in prison, the threat outside grows even more terrifying.
I enjoyed the author’s perspective surrounding youth incarceration, maintaining one’s innocence, and life in prison. It was very intense but also thought-provoking to read the things some of the characters dealt with while in prison and their reasons for ending up there. Although this is a YA novel it’s very mature and there are quite a few content warnings that involve domestic violence, suicide, teen pregnancy, immigration, and gang activity. I thought Juana was a very strong character. We watch her undergo a major transformation mentally by the end of the book.
In the beginning she struggles with fear and anxiety as she deals with being in prison. This tested the strength of her faith but she found a way to push through every obstacle thrown her way. For a moment it did seem as though all hope was lost and she’d be forced to serve her maximum sentence. But there was a loop hole in the case that granted her the freedom she desired.
Overall, I found the book to be rather enjoyable a little repetitive in some areas but gripping enough to keep you invested. The author did an amazing job creating a novel that pulls from her own experiences dealing with incarcerated youth to offer us an authentic depiction of prison conditions and the complexities of social issues teens also deal with. Special thanks to the author, sparkpress publishing, & @netgalley for my advanced copy!!!!
The novel follows Juana Ivanov a young teen currently incarcerated for the murder of her husband. No one believes her when she claims she's innocent, not even the prison staff or the gang leader in her block who torments her relentlessly. But Juana is determined to prove her innocence so she can get back to her baby Katrina whom she left in the care of her sister in Mexico. But as Juana struggles to survive the dangers lurking in prison, the threat outside grows even more terrifying.
I enjoyed the author’s perspective surrounding youth incarceration, maintaining one’s innocence, and life in prison. It was very intense but also thought-provoking to read the things some of the characters dealt with while in prison and their reasons for ending up there. Although this is a YA novel it’s very mature and there are quite a few content warnings that involve domestic violence, suicide, teen pregnancy, immigration, and gang activity. I thought Juana was a very strong character. We watch her undergo a major transformation mentally by the end of the book.
In the beginning she struggles with fear and anxiety as she deals with being in prison. This tested the strength of her faith but she found a way to push through every obstacle thrown her way. For a moment it did seem as though all hope was lost and she’d be forced to serve her maximum sentence. But there was a loop hole in the case that granted her the freedom she desired.
Overall, I found the book to be rather enjoyable a little repetitive in some areas but gripping enough to keep you invested. The author did an amazing job creating a novel that pulls from her own experiences dealing with incarcerated youth to offer us an authentic depiction of prison conditions and the complexities of social issues teens also deal with. Special thanks to the author, sparkpress publishing, & @netgalley for my advanced copy!!!!