What Set Me Free (The Story That Inspired Major Motion Picture Brian Banks) is an emotional and heartfelt story that was very well written. The author, Brian Banks himself tells a compelling story. Great job.

A fantastic read a young man wrongly incarcerated for five years ,finally gets released.and makes the most of his freedom a true stand up and cheer story.Ab inspiring read.#netgalley #atriabooks.

This book was captivating in every way. For fans of Just Mercy, this is a continued look at the way the justice system has failed our African American brothers and sisters. I hope people invest in this story and this movie and then move forward with conviction that we cannot continue to let people experience what Brian has had to.

Stories like this one always hit me in the feels.. It's so hard for my mind to wrap around the fact that people were (and are) treated differently because of their skin color. The true story of a man whose youth was torn from him due to false allegations and an eventual prison sentence is just so saddening. Makes me think of the abortion industry and how these children don't have a chance because they're seen as an inconvenience and someone else's "choice." It's gross and immoral. Allow people to thrive and change the world regardless of what they're viewed as!

This book was mesmerizing, horrifying, and ultimately uplifting and exhilarating. Written in the first person, though it was written by a ghost writer, it came across as true and authentic in Brian's voice. The descriptions of prison were terrifying and I could feel his hopeless disbelief this was happening to him. It's especially possible in today's "me too" culture that people can be wrongly accused. This woman who accused Brian hurt not only him, but all the woman who are really victims. For every horrible person like Wanetta who wrongly accuses someone, there is a woman who is not believed even though her accusations are true.

I was in tears at the end of this book that Brian had the strength and the faith in God to come through his ten years of unbelievable conditions and be a positive person ready to make something of his life and serve as inspiration to others.

This is a sad story, but also one of triumph. It shows how you can make the best of your life despite the odds. I found this hard to put down.

I would like to thank netgalley and the publisher for providing me with a copy free of charge. This is my honest and unbiased opinion of it.

Thank you to NetGalley for my copy of this book.

What a fabulously delicious book. This book has a fantastic story line, excellent characters and is just unputdownable. I would highly recommend this book to anyone and I enjoyed it immensely.

Powerful. Particularly in the age of #MeToo, Banks' story stands out as remarkable - and his grace and restraint even moreso. While the cynic in me wants to look at most of these types of memoirs as little more than PR, the endless optimist desperately hopes that the Banks portrayed in this book is the real deal. His final recommendations seem warranted, particularly in light of how his own case has turned out. Possibly the one narrative change I would have made would have been to end it at what Joe Public would generally see as the climax of his story - the moment he stormed the field as an NFL player and knelt in prayer at the 50 yard line. But Banks himself sees that as just one moment among many, and does a remarkable job of showing his public priorities of the several years now since that moment. Truly a remarkable book, and absolutely one anyone interested in the US criminal justice system in particular should read.

Because the publisher wants it, I'll note here that I am writing this review on June 22, 2019 - 10 days before publication of this book. Meaning that it is in fact an Advance Review Copy. As is my own standard for *all* of my reviews, ARC or not, my review is my honest reflection of my experience with the book.