I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. I read this in one sitting! I liked how some of the stories were based on real events. I figured it out just a little bit before the characters did so it definitely kept me interested! 4/5 stars!

There were lots of things I enjoyed about this book. I like that it was based on real life individuals who were wrongfully imprisoned. I like the mystery aspect that kept me wondering who actually committed the murders. I also thought the friendship that developed between Matt and Sonya was interesting.

Unfortunately, I did not like the fact that the teens went virtually unreprimanded for the laws and rules they broke while investigating, which I found unrealistic. I also felt like Matt's injury and the investigation were two separate stories that didn't really fit together.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with the ARC. I was both excited and weary about heading into this one. Disability, bullying, depression are all very heavy topics for me personally to read as I am myself disabled. I really enjoyed this read though! I really connected with the characters and felt the struggle on a deep level in the intense parts. Will read more from this author in the future, definitely!

I was absorbed in this book from the beginning. While I felt there were a few elements that could have been fleshed out - Matt’s acceptance of the effects of his injury could have been worked in a little more, for example - I enjoyed how the way Ray’s case unfolded progressed. There is room for a little bit of fluff writing, since this book is a little shorter than I expected, but Betcherman keeps his writing pretty tight. There wasn’t any wasted space on the page, and I think that helped to really keep the story moving.

I enjoyed Matt and Sonya’s developing friendship, though I kind of wish it had slow burned juuuust a bit. I liked the way they challenged each other at first and would have enjoyed just a little more of it. Matt’s anger and sadness over his injury and his resulting limp never enter the arena of being overly dramatic, which was nice to see. Coming from a small football town, it was nice to see Matt’s father, who basically raised Matt to be a quarterback, not turn resentful when Matt’s football career is abruptly ended. Supportive parents for the win.

It’s purely coincidence that I read this book so quickly after reading Bryan Stevenson’s JUST MERCY - the true story of an attorney who takes on death row cases - but these two books work well with each other. The agony of knowing someone is innocent and not having the resources or the evidence to prove it is a common thread in both. I really, really enjoyed The Justice Project and would actually read more of Matt and Sonya working together if Betcherman ever considered it.

I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. Thank you NetGalley!!

Matt & Sonya had very unique personalities. It was easy to follow along and enjoy their roles in the books.

It also should be known that two cases in the books were about REAL cases where they were wrongfully accused of their crimes. So interesting!

** Thank you Netgallery and the publisher for providing me with an E-arc in exchange for an honest review. **
The Justice Project was the perfect book to read while I was in the mood to read crime. Don’t get me wrong, I’m always in the mood for crime i.e. watch the ID channel whenever I can but it’s different from actually reading a crime book that’s not just a half an hour long and narrated by an intimidating voice. As a criminology major, this book really spoke to me because a lot of issues they address in this book, I learned in depth in my classes. The justice system is there to help prevent crime and to get justice, but just like anything else, it can be flawed. The author’s mention of low income people getting sub par attorneys, coerced confessions, and people being convicted guilty when not all the evidence was there or tested is what really gets my blood boiling. It really puts your life in perceptive because yes this is a book, but this stuff actually happens to real innocent people in the world. I like how the author mentioned how characters in this book were based off real people who had the death penalty, but were found innocent years later. It gives these people the recognition they deserve to show what they went through in life and how we as a society can help. Sorry for my tangent, but my criminology side came into play after graduating 4 months ago. This book has a lot of growth with the main character, Matt, after a traumatic accident and I like how he did accept life for him wouldn’t be the same, but he knew it wouldn’t take just two weeks for him to feel normal again. It would take family, friends, and time to help him heal. I would definitely read this book if you want a good book on things happening in the justice system today, overcoming hardship, and how having just one advocate on your side can change everything.

This was an easy and entertaining read. I’d hoped it would have been a bit more and go deeper in the themes, but it wasn’t bad and should have appeal to a lot of readers.

I really enjoyed reading The Justice Project! This was a well written novel focused on Matt, a former football player who has lost a bit of his identity due to a very serious injury. He finds himself involved in The Justice Project with fellow classmate, Sonya. The Justice Project works to help find justice for wrongful convictions. This was a great story about the justice system and written in a way that teenagers would have their interest grabbed. I really like that this wasn't driven by a romance or really any romantic relationships, just a good mystery that captured my attention. Thank you netgalley for this arc in exchange for my honest opinion!

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an E-Arc in exchange for an honest review.

This book was so much more than I expected. I was thinking it would be contemporary with a hint of mystery. Here I am with my mind blown that it was the exact opposite. It was a mystery with a bit of contemporary.

This had me hooked from page one I read this book in one sitting. I could not put it down I needed to find out what happened next and to whom. I was so attached to the story and the characters. This novel was very relatable because all of the situations, as well as the people, were realistic. Not a single thing seemed too good to be true.

I loved the plot as well, to follow Matt and Sonya through their journey in becoming themselves whilst helping others was amazing. I really learned a lot and fell in love with these characters. They seemed like that were real people in the real world doing real things.

I gave this book 4.5/5 stars. It had everything I look for in a mystery and it kept me engaged the whole way through. Again, I could not put this book down it has earned its stars for a reason. This book should have tons of hype and it is well-deserved hype.

I enjoyed this quick and easy read... Enjoyable characters, intriguing plotline, and just enough red herrings to make it interesting. Great social justice message about the death penalty and the horrifying number of innocents in prison and even on death row. The author's note shares two true stories of innocent men imprisoned for murder and links their stories to fictional characters in the book- really interesting tactic. This is a good one!

I received an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review. Thank you to #NetGalley, the author, and publisher for this opportunity! #TheJusticeProject

Thank you to @netgalley and @orcabook for this ARC for review.

This is one of those unique YA books in that it isn’t centered around angsty love relationships. It discusses the topics of the death penalty, as well as, wrongful conviction and incarceration of the innocent. The book presents the story like an unsolved mystery, and the pieces need to be put together to help free a man who may be innocent. What I really enjoyed was that the story showed how people can have differing opinions on issues, but they can still come together and hear each other out - even be friends.

Matt Barnes is the star quarterback who led the Snowden Falcons to the State Championship. He has a scholarship to USC. But a freak snowboarding accident changes everything. Not only will he not play football ever again, he now walks with a gangly limp - permanently. Feeling down and without a purpose, Matt looks for summer work, but stumbles upon an internship with The Justice Project, an organization that is set up to help defend those who were wrongly convicted of crimes. Turns out Sonya Livingstone, a girl from Matt’s high school who seems to have it out for football players like Matt, is the other intern.

Matt and Sonya quickly form a team when they hear of an inmate, Ray Richardson, who has been convicted of killing his own parents 21 years ago. They feel that he is innocent, but The Justice Project can’t take his case unless there’s new evidence. Matt and Sonya decide to investigate on their own. Following leads and chasing clues, Matt and Sonya find they are becoming real friends. Reopening Ray’s case could cost Matt everything, but Matt finally feels like he has a purpose again.

░P░u░b░l░i░s░h░ ░D░a░t░e░ ░1░0░/░1░/░1░9░

4-4.5 stars

I wasn't sure what to expect when I started this book, but it absolutely grabbed my attention, especially once the main character stopped feeling so sorry for himself. Instead, he learns that there are more important things in life than football when he works with a fellow classmate to clear the name of a man who was wrongly convicted of his parents' murder. The author did a good job keeping you guessing all the way to the end, even after you knew who the guilty person was--the question was always about how to prove the innocence of the man imprisoned and how to prove the guilt of the real murderer (once they figured out who it was).

I also liked that Matt and Sonya, who hated each other at the beginning, end up being good friends, rather than the usual romance thing between partners working to clear someone's name.

Overall, this was a good mystery novel with likeable characters with a convincing argument (I thought) against the death penalty.

Thanks to Netgalley, the publisher and the author for this ARC in exchange for my honest opinions.

***Thanks to NetGalley for providing me a complimentary copy of THE JUSTICE PROJECT by Michael Betcherman in exchange for my honest review.***

The Justice Project follows a senior high-school student, Matt Barnes, whose dreams about being a college football star ripped away from him following a snowboarding accident. Matt, now depressed, must find out how to go through this new life with a different stride. He gets pulled into interning for the Justice Project. Matt and his fellow intern (as well as high school nemesis) work together to help an individual who they feel was wrongly convicted of murdering his parents.

I overall really enjoyed this book. As someone who works in the legal world, I find it difficult to come home and read fiction when I live it every day. But for that reason, it made me appreciate this book so much more. I consider this the John Grisham books for teens; the investigation, the legality, the situational issues without the weight. We all live through high school thinking those are the best days of our lives and will ultimately define our future. The Justice Project enlightens the reader on not only the real issue of wrongly convicted prisoners but also the depression and self-esteem issues that all high school students go through when graduating.

Betcherman kept the writing "light" compared to the overall theme and plot of the book. The book is not worded for lawyers or those in the legal field; any person can read it. But be prepared, once you start, you will get pulled in. Betcherman kept it interesting as the obvious solutions were not actually what you were expecting them to be... Occam's razor. I kept getting pulled in to find out what would happen next and would these high school children actually be able to 'free' a person who they felt was innocent. The real spin on this? The cases that Betcherman used in the book are based on real cases which helps to bring forth the social dilemma of the death penalty v. life sentence for hundreds of people when there is a possibility of innocence.

Thank you Orca Books and Net Galley for the opportunity to read this book.

Thank you to Orca Book and NetGalley for providing me with a complimentary copy of this book! All opinions expressed in this review are my own.

When high school football star Matt Barnes is left with a permanent injury from a snowboarding incident, he thinks his life is over. In his eyes, he's lost everything - his girlfriend, his football scholarship, and his chance to pursue the career he's been training for his entire life. At the height of his misery, he gets an internship with the Justice Project, an organization dedicated to freeing the wrongly convicted. The Justice Project is run by someone who knows firsthand what that is like; Jesse Donovan was in prison for over 20 years for a crime he didn't commit because of incompetence and lies, and now works with the woman who helped free him and who eventually became his wife to make sure that other innocent people get a second chance at life. Sonya Livingstone, a future Harvard University student, is the other intern with the Justice Project, and she's Matt's opposite in almost every way. She has her whole future ahead of her and is extremely passionate about justice, and she isn't afraid to speak her mind and start a debate. Matt and Sonya start as enemies but grow to have immense respect for each other as they work together on Ray Richardson's case after Jesse tells them that the Justice Project can do nothing to help him.

While the summary of The Justice Project intrigued me, it was actually my own intention of becoming a lawyer and my experience working in a law office that made this book a priority for me. There are some minor grammatical and formatting errors which is to be expected in any ARC. The writing style is simplistic, and somewhat awkward and stilted due to the breaks in the narrative, but the story and characters are so captivating that it barely matters. What starts as a competition between rivals turns into a mission to free a man wrongly convicted for the murder of his parents, and the progression of Matt and Sonya's relationship showcases that justice is more important than any differences in opinion the two of them have. To everyone around them, they're fighting for a lost cause and should give up, especially because they're only high school students, but Matt and Sonya don't let the naysayers deter them. They believe Ray is innocent, and that's enough to keep them going. I've also seen how a life-changing accident can affect a young teenager who was previously on top of the world, and even though Matt can never fully recover from his physical injury, I cannot stress enough how important his mental and emotional road to recovery is, and the part that community support plays in that.

The story and the characters are compelling, and the fact that the two cases featured in The Justice Project are based on true stories drive the main themes of the book home. It's one of those situations where the events in a book can be directly translated to real life because they're based on real events. The Justice Project is a necessary commentary on the United State's justice system and the part race plays, and gives us the other side of the story in the midst of all of the crime documentaries that have been released lately. I think that with a little refinement and extra editing, The Justice Project could shape up to be a big hit.

First of all, thank you to Orca Books and NetGalley for gifting me this ebook in exchange for an honest review.

The premise of this book was very exciting and is part of a bigger trend of books on wrongful incarceration. It's fantastic that more light is being shed on this issue and the inclusion of real life cases within the storyline was a powerful addition. Matt and Sonya, the two main characters, are familiar and very likable. The reader has no problem backing them. Betcherman does a good job of showcasing their intelligence without overhyping it and making the teenagers far more intelligent than the adults.

However, the characters do lack complexity and the plot was oftentimes predictable. It's a quick, well-paced read in which all the questions are answered and the world is happily put to rights.

I really liked this book. Matt, a high school senior who was injured in a snowboarding accident has had a negative look on life ever since he was hurt. He was the state champ quarterback earlier in the year and is now having a hard time dealing with his permanent injury. He is taking a law class and when a speaker comes in who had been imprisoned for 20 years for a crime he didn't commit and then freed, Matt is intrigued. He ends up working at the speaker's law office where they investigate cases of prisoners who were wrongfully imprisoned. He and Sonia, a classmate start investigating a case in their own town. The plot in this book is great, interesting and real. Matt is funny but bitter yet smart and industrious once he starts working at The Justice Project. The writing was somewhat basic but the story was so interesting that I could not stop reading once I started. Great book! Thanks to Net Galley for the ARC!!!

This was a quick read that I finished in a few hours. I think that this is a very important book for people to read. It may be a work of fiction, but it is based on the truth. There have been many cases where innocent people have ended up behind bars, when they were actually innocent.

good quick read. The combo of solving an old murder to prove the innocence of the man convicted and the struggle to move on after a life changing event played well together. I loved that what seemed set up to be the typical boy and girl hate each other and then find they are alike and fall in love wax tinted into something better, a friendship.

Hello, I will be adding this review to my Instagram, Goodreads, and blog on September 19th, 2019. I will be including the links once they are posted. Thank you!

Title: The Justice Project
Author: Michael Betcherman
Genre: YA Contemporary
Publication Date: October 1st, 2019
eARC provided by publisher through NetGalley. All opinions are my own.



Synopsis: "High-school football champion Matt Barnes was on the top of the world until a freak snowboarding accident left him permanently disabled, ending his promising sports career. People gawk with horror and pity and don't know what to say as Matt careens down the street. As he struggles to accept his changed body, Matt becomes depressed and isolated. Instead of college football camp, he faces a summer job at the local golf club. Then by chance Matt lands an internship at the Justice Project, an organization that defends the wrongly convicted. The other intern is his high-school nemesis, Sonya Livingstone, a quick-witted social activist with little time for jock culture. The two slowly develop a friendship as they investigate the case of Ray Richardson, who was convicted of murdering his parents twenty-one years ago. Matt and Sonya are soon convinced that Ray is innocent--but how will they prove it? Unraveling the cold case takes them on a journey filled with twists, turns, deception and danger. It will take dedication, perseverance and courage to unmask the real murderer. Can those same qualities help Matt move on to a life not defined by football?" (Goodreads)



My Review:
This book was a very quick read but one that brings a topic that isn't discussed much to light. There are inmates who have been wrongly accused and this story sheds more light on the matter, including the death penalty.

I remember hearing about a website that talked about people who were wrongly accused for crimes and so this book sparked my interest. The plot is based around a high school football player, Matt, who can't play anymore do to an accident. He finds himself working for a couple who tries to help inmates who are innocent and get them exonerated. It is very personal for the couple because one of them was wrongly accused and the other helped to solve the case.

I enjoyed the characters and although there wasn't much character development, the plot kept me engaged throughout. I also liked that there wasn't any relationships to take away from the plot and the message that was portrayed in it.

There are some plot twists throughout the book and a few were obvious. Although I saw them coming it didn't bother me and I kept reading on.

Overall, I liked this book and the topic that was included. I feel that this book is perfect for anyone that likes contemporaries or wants to learn about this topic in a new way.

I wanted to like this book but something about it just didn’t work for me. Luckily it wasn’t a big book so I was able to finish it without giving up.