The Girl in Cell 49B (Emily Calby Book 2) by Dorian Box can definitely be read as a stand-alone and I found it an interesting read. It had a lot to do about our justice system or lack there of. It’s hard to prove assault for a lack of a more precise word and the subject matter could be triggering for some. This brave girl turned an awful situation into a way for her to function and survive. I thought it was well written.
Thanks Fiction Press via NetGalley.

This book was everything I look for in a book. It was so exciting. The plot was fantastic. It really had me on the edge of my seat, and my heart racing. It was very well written and flowed well.

It was ok but not brilliant I've read worse books but just didn't get gripped by it. So it wasnt for me

A good legal suspenseful thriller. The second book in the series but could be considered a stand-alone book. Quite enjoyable and a fun suspense ride!

I absolutely love this trilogy! This is the second installment in the Emily Calby series and while it could be read as a stand alone, I don’t recommend it. You’re enjoyment of this story would be so much better reading them in order. These books are dark and gritty but also full of hope. In the first installment Emily escapes a horrific event and eventually teams up with an unlikely sidekick, Lucas. I love their relationship, their banter, and their adventures together. In this installment, Emily is called to account for an event in the first book and it plays out brilliantly! I can’t wait to read the third book and find out how Emily’s life continues to unfold.

Thank you Netgalley, Friction Press and Dorian Box for this eARC in exchange for my honest review.

When I started reading this book, I didn't realize it was the 2nd book in a series. I looked on Amazon Unlimited, and the rest of the series was there for free. Yay! I loved this whole series, and I'm so glad I read it.

In the first book, you meet Emily whose mom and little sistered were slaughtered when she was 12. Emily escaped and survived on her own for four years. Then she met Lucas, a huge man that survived on doing things illegally and was a past gang member. He took Emily in as if she were his own daughter. I loved reading how their relationship develops. There was some pretty gruesome parts in the first book, which is why I wouldn't recommend it to my students.

In the 2nd book, this one, Emily gets into trouble using some self-defense strategies she learned while living with Lucas. She ends up in prison and ends up representing herself in court by studying law in the prison library. I love stories that take place in prison. This was my favorite book out of the whole series. Emily, a strong and brilliant female, is someone I wish I could meet in real life.

In the 3rd book, Emily is studying to be a lawyer at a law school. Of course, she still can't keep out of trouble because she likes to solves the world's problems.

I gave THE GIRL IN CELL 49B five stars, and the other two books four stars. Emily is a character that I will remember for a long time. I do recommend reading the whole series in the correct order. Although Dorian Box, the author, does fill you in on what happened in previous books, I just don't think I would have enjoyed it as much. If you like mystery thrillers, then this book is for you.

I was given this book for my honest review.

Unique, suspenseful, coming of age story for adults.

The Girl in Cell 49B stars, and is told in the first person voice of blond, 16-year-old Emily Calby. The female, teen equivalent of Jack Reacher. Following the rape and murder of her mother and sister in a home invasion 3 years ago, she carries the burden of survivor guilt, having escaped the 2 murderers, now deceased at Emily's hands. So masquerading as Alice Black, Emily has been underground, in hiding from US authorities for 3 years.

She's been living in a converted bus with her adopted (unofficial) father, Lucas Jackson, an African American ex veteran, ex-gang member. His wife, Emily's adoptive mother, Viona, is working in Las Vegas. Emily met Lucas on the hunt for false identity documents, and he has been bringing up 12-year-old Emily, both incognito, ever since, training her in self defence.

On her 16th birthday, Lucas gives Emily an illegal 9 millimeter pistol that she'l has wanted. The police arrest her soon after she storms out, when she turns the gun on 2 abusive bikers. Her fingerprints on the gun prove that Alice is Emily, sought in Louisiana for the murder of yet another man. She is transferred, and incarcerated in Pochachant, a corrupt juvenile detention center.

Emily is accepted to work in the detention centre library, where she discovers a hidden law library. She spends many hours there with the Pochachant librarian, the marvellous Miss Mava, trying to avoid unscrupulous correction officers and violent juvenile offenders. While laying low, Emily starts researching her case up to and during her trial. Her aim is to learn more about the law for juvenile offenders, and to help her ailing lawyer, Paula.

Her 15 y.o. cellmate, Rebecca, reminds Emily of her little sister, Beccy. Rebecca, disillusioned, dry and cut off, is a hard nut to crack. Her bullying at the hands of bigger detainees makes her retreat into herself. Emily finds out not only Rebecca's secrets but those of her chief bully and first love, Ben. Then, she sets out to be a Jack Reacher character. The reader puts their faith in Dorian Box, and he does not disappoint. By about 30% in, the novel moves up several notches, and only rises from there.

Ben and Rebecca become her friends and allies, with Emily mutually protecting them from the threats within the juvenile centre. Emily finds herself fighting for justice in the courtroom, while also trying to protect and defend her teen inmate friends from lifelong incarceration and danger in Pochachant.

In Pochachant Centre, Emily has her first romantic feelings, learns to trust again, to build friendships within her own age group, and significantly, the law. For.Emily faces off against a prosecutor, Leslie Tierney, who stoops to underhanded actions to win, that will result in incarcerating juvenile offenders for life. Initially her enemy, the law becomes Emily's learnt powerful tool against crime. Finally she learns the lesson Lucas has been inculcating in her, that you are your own most powerful weapon. The novel satisfyingly resolves at the end.

My investment in the book just intensified as Emily's character strengthed, her intelligence shone through and she thought through all the options to battle against Leslie Tierney. Page turning!

The writing style of Dorian Box, a former law professor, is knowledgeable yet engaging. Written in plain English, teaching the reader while Emily learns USA criminal law. Great and unique premise. Short chapters, cliffhangers, twists and turns - all keep the plot moving at a clip. This is underlined by a powerful heroine with a big heart, warm characters - for example, Lucas, Miss Mava, Rebecca, Ben, the teacher, Longmont, Paula, Emily's public defender - and redemption. I love books with redemption at their core, like this one.
Being in Emily's head, allowed me to feel that I was in the courtroom watching the proceedings unfold.

I've been accepted for the third book in the series and am looking forward to reading it. A recommended gritty, suspenseful legal thriller. There should be a trigger warning for: rape and attempted rape of female minors, violence sometimes graphic, gang activities, description of incest.

Thank you #netgally, #dorianbox, #frictionpress for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

'The Girl in Cell 49B' deserves recognition like that received by 'Women in the Window' and 'Girl On A Train'. A protagonist to root for. An author to watch out for.

Let me just say that I am beyond sad that this book is over. I'm in a bit of a book hangover at the moment because of how amazing the Emily Calby saga was. Legal thrillers are not my cup of tea, but holy cow did this book make me reconsider that thought. Trying to survive in prison, Emily shocked the heck out of me in this sequel as her intelligence is pushed to the limit in a race to prove herself in the courtroom. Every part, beginning to end was beautifully crafted.

I wish I was half the writer as Dorian Box so that I could give this book review the justice it deserves. Sadly the best I can do is to simply state that this has been one of the best books I've read this year, and possibly one of the best book of this genre. If you're on the fence about reading this saga - do yourself a favor and just read it. You won't regret it.

I thought that the book, was such a page turner. A great read. I loved the book. The plot was very well written and enticing. I cannot wait to read another book by this author.

Dorian Box can write a compelling story!
This is the second in the series. I loved the first book and this one also.
Emily has had a hard life. Her mother and sister were attacked and murdered. She managed to escape and has been on the run from the men ever since. She has had a little help along the way from some great characters.
Now Emily/Alice is in juvenile detention and on trial.
Yes, Emily is a criminal. Yes you will root for her anyway!!
A great story that I enjoyed very much.

Thanks to netgalley and Friction Press for the opportunity to read and review this book.

Emily Calby disappeared after a home invasion, and is found on her sixteenth birthday following being arrested for carrying a handgun for Lucas, who she has been with since her disappearance.
In prison, Emily has her identity protected.
Emily discovers a hidden law library and sets about reading the law for her own case and that of another inmate.
Wish that I had read the first book of Emily as this is a great read and would have given me more insight to her.

The pace is steady, the plotline is gripping and i was hooked after a few chapters. This is one of those books you can't say too much about as I would spoil it for potential readers. There were times when i was on the edge of my seat. I couldn't put the book down.

I loved this book! it had so many elements to it, sadness, cruelty, love and the will to go on. It was brilliant, cant wait to read more by this author!

“I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.”
I have to say I was pretty impressed with this story. I really truly liked Emily even though, at times, she had that hero complex that put her in bad situations; you could tell she was truly a good person. When I had requested this book, I did not realize that this was book two, but you know. Honestly, I felt it could be read as a standalone. Reading this book makes me want to read the first book because I feel like I would get to know Emily so much more. I am truly intrigued by her relationship with Lucas.
We are introduced to Emily and the horrible situation she is put in because of a crime committed, though it is more than that. Yet, as the story unfolds, we see that there is more than meets the eye with Emily, and we see that she can hold her own when need be. I liked how Emily was not always looking for trouble, but I see that it had a way of finding her. The ending was satisfying for me, but I wonder what legal and normal life can Emily do now!

What a great book. It was definitely a good legal suspense, thriller. Alice is on the run after her family is murdered. She doesn’t have much impulse control and it gets her into trouble… she ends up in detention and the story revolves around that and whether or not she will go to prison or get out. SO GOOD. Definitely kept me holding my breath wondering if the other shoe would drop- something more bad happen or would she get out? And if she did, then what? I haven’t read the first book in the series, but plan to now. Loved it. I’d say a good 4.5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Rounded up.

Thank you NetGalley for an advance copy of this book.

I read the first book in this series and enjoyed it. There were a couple of things in it that got under my skin but overall it was a good read. This is the sequel and it's another very good one.

Emily has had a horrible series of troubles. Her mother and sister were assaulted and murdered in the first book. Emily barely escaped. She was on the streets and finally taken in my a very smart and caring man. To say she got revenge on the ones that did what was done in the first book is to put it mildly. She is a very strong and resilient young girl. But she does go through a lot. Some pretty bad things almost happened to her but she escaped. Now she will have to face the consequences of that. Even though we know it's not her fault. She acted in pure self defense. Only doing what she had no other choice but to do.

Now Emily is on trial and we root for her all over again. The prosecutor is a horrible, crooked, sorry excuse for a human being. He doesn't care why Emily did what she did. He just wants to win no matter what. Will she get justice for all the things that happened to her in her young life or will she get life? Can things possibly keep getting worse for her?

This book continues Emily's story and will have you weeping in part. Very angry in other parts. And definitely rooting for her overall. She's so easy to love. No matter what she does it's for survival. This book will pull at your heartstrings. No doubt about that.

Thank you #netgally, #dorianbox, #frictionpress for this ARC. This is my own true feelings about this book.

4/5 stars and a high recommendation. Be warned it will make you cry and hold your breath a lot.

I didn't realize this was the 2nd book in a series so that threw me off. I had to go back and read book 1 in the Emily Calby series to see what I was missing. Not sure if that was my oversight but I feel like the book cover should allude to it being part of a series.

I really enjoyed this book. It's the second book in the series though both books could be read alone it helps to see the big picture and read both. I love Emily Calby and Lucas Jackson as if they are were my own family at this point. I love that this book ended with an inkling that there is more to come for this dynamic dou. I couldn't decide if I really wanted to read this book because I enjoyed the Hiding Girl so much I was fearful this would not hold up to it, or worse yet I'd be disappointed in Emily.... But fear no more because I fell in love even further with her character and choices.

This story just made me want to cry while pulling for the underdog.

This story is sick, twisted, and well written. “Alice” is a great character that’s been dealt a horrible hand in life. On the run since she was 12, life finally catches up to her at 16 when she’s thrown into juvenile detention.

That’s all I’m going to tell you. Read it to find out more. You won’t be disappointed.

Disclaimer: Mentions of rape and murder

In this continuation, we follow Emily- now going by Alice- three years after the conclusion of The Hiding Girl. This time, instead of being on the run, she is charged with murder and must figure out how to save herself from becoming convicted.

I LOVED Emily's growth in this one! Is she still the justice driven girl? Yes, but this time she uses the law to help her. She takes in strays at the prison she's held at, including her roommate and others. We see how Emily's mind works and how much she wants to help everyone that has been wronged.

Our new assortment of characters are all interesting and evoke intense feelings in the reader. Rebecca- Emily's roommate- reminds her of her younger sister, while Ben is the first boy Emily crushes on. Paula is Emily's attorney that has health issues when she gets stressed. Which is very likely to happen with Emily as her client.

The trial was so intense that even when I knew what was being revealed I didn't know how it would end. And with the fact that the reveal was even insinuated in the first book was so awesome since that made sure it wasn't just thrown in your face.

I hope that we continue to follow Emily's story, (ESPECIALLY with the decision she makes at the end) and I cannot wait to read it.