Staff Writer: Kimberly
Published Date: June 10, 2025
Number of pages: 466
Format: physical book
Genre: Adult Fiction
Tags: Literary Fiction, Contemporary, Book Club, Substance Addiction, Prison, Crime, Emotional
Cardigan rating: 4 out of 5
Thoughts:
There's been a lot of buzz surrounding this book since it was recently published, and when I read the Goodreads summary, it mentioned that the main character, Corby Ledbetter, becomes friends with his prison librarian. As a librarian myself, I thought, “This book is right up my alley! Gritty contemporary fiction, overcoming life’s hardships, a friendly librarian offering hope, and a feel-good ending.” That’s not exactly what the summary said, it’s just what I assumed I was getting.
I was wrong.
Nothing about this book could be described as “feel-good.” There is resolution, and I experienced a flood of emotions, like anger, despair, pity, hope, frustration, but I can’t call it a rollercoaster because there were no real “ups.” I never once smiled or felt anything close to happiness while reading it. It was tough to get through, yet absolutely compelling.
It begins with an unimaginable tragedy. In fact, I almost stopped reading because the event was so awful to contemplate. To be clear, the writing isn’t gory or graphic, but the tragedy itself is so unthinkable that some readers may not even want to imagine such a thing happening. Still, I was drawn back in. I had to know how it would all work out.
We follow the aftermath: how Corby ends up in prison, how he struggles to come to terms with who he is and what he’s done, and the steps he takes to make amends and piece together some kind of life. I’m not sure I ever came to like Corby, and I don’t think I could ever forgive him myself. At first I disliked the ending, but in retrospect, maybe it was for the best. I suspect many people will disagree with me about that, and I think that disagreement would make for a good discussion.
I should probably rate this 5 stars because it’s profoundly thought-provoking. Despite a few tangents that felt unnecessary to the main story, I was eager to reach the end. When I did, there were tears in my eyes. I normally give any book that moves me that deeply an automatic 5 stars. In this case, I haven’t, because I don’t think I could ever recommend it to anyone. This is a book that you have to stumble across yourself and decide on your own whether you’re ready to read it.