At times this is a difficult book to read because it is unflinchingly honest, but it is a necessary book. I learned a lot about the American justice system reading this book and believe it is an essential addition to any library. This is an excellent nonfiction social justice book to pair with popular fiction titles such as The Hate U Give and Dear Martin.

This intense, inspirational, and deeply troubling memoir about fighting mass incarceration, the life imprisonment of children, racial injustice, the criminalization of poverty, and the death penalty was an illuminating read, especially in light of the 2016 U.S. election. I highly recommend it.

Stevenson's book had been on my "to read" list for a long time. So, when I saw there was a young adult adaptation, I decided to preview this for school use. I'm very glad I did. While I was aware of disparities and problems in the US justice system, Stevenson's experiences made real the people whose lives are impacted when justice is not carried out properly or is not tempered with mercy. Highly recommended for readers of all ages, not just YAs.

Note: I listened to the audio of Stevenson reading his own work. As a lawyer, he's very articulate, so unlike some authors, he was definitely able to do his work justice (no pun intended.)

Walter McMillian is a black man in rural Alabama who is having an affair with a white woman. He is accused and convicted of the murder of a white woman, when all evidence suggests he was no where near the vicinity of the scene. He is sentenced to life in prison and is put on death row. By all accounts, one would imagine that this case happened in the 1950's, but no, it was in 1988. Bryan Stevenson, who created the Equal Justice Initiative to help people who were wrongly incarcerated, fought to get him out of jail. The book not only chronicles Walter's case, but includes the details around many cases that Stevenson defends, which all deal with people being unfairly sentenced to death row. Stevenson talks about how the stigma of being poor and black is generally a factor in the convictions and his firm works tirelessly to upturn those convictions. This was the YA version, and I wonder if the adult version just has more facts around the case or includes additional cases.

If you are not aware of JUST MERCY by Bryan Stevenson, you should be, especially since he spoke locally and an adaption for young adults was released today. JUST MERCY deals with America's incarceration system and the racial inequities which it exhibits. This is a high interest topic for our students and many will benefit from exposure to the young adult version which closely parallels the original.

This book deals with disturbing situations, but is truly inspirational as well and in a related note, I am continually amazed at PBS' "Brief but Spectacular" segments. Here is the one featuring Stevenson:

embedded video from https://www.youtube.com/embed/Zj91x5H5ohY

In addition, view this moving tribute from PBS to the National Memorial for Peace and Justice founded by Stevenson’s Equal Justice initiative whose mission it is to protect basic human rights for the most vulnerable. The young adult adaptation of JUST MERCY received starred reviews from both Booklist and Kirkus.

Links in live post:
http://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/evanston/community/chi-ugc-article-eths-hosts-family-action-network-event-with-a-2015-03-17-story.html
https://www.pbs.org/newshour/brief/212727/bryan-stevenson
https://www.pbs.org/newshour/nation/opinion-facing-history-at-the-national-lynching-memorial

Bryan Stevenson is an inspiration. This book had me in literal tears at times (and this was my lunch break book!). It also made me angry (which the state of our nation should make us all upset). I hope this young adult adaptation reaches more young people and inspires them to take up Stevenson's mantel and be social justice advocates. I would highly recommend this book for any high school library collection and a great addition to the young adult collection at public libraries as well.

This is a must read for anyone interested in social justice, equality and reform in the criminal justice system in America. Consider adding this as a required read in a Government class.

Thank you for the free review copy, Random House. I couldn't put it down! In the young adult adaptation of Just Mercy, Stevenson illustrates a glimpse at our broken justice system. With his personal and heartbreaking stories, readers will see the many ways that a broken system targets and hinders those who are marginalized in our society. Stevenson uses grace and compassion to draw readers into the stories of human beings in difficult situations. This book is more than just stories of injustice our legal systems, but also one of great empathy and compassion. Many readers are introduced to To Kill a Mockingbird in high school, and this would be an excellent nonfiction companion to continue the discussion.