Absolutely engrossing real life tale of the injustice of American “justice” system.
In this book the struggle of Wright Jr. is palpable to the verge of tears and desperation.
I glad he wrote this book, I’m glad I read it.I

First of all, I just. have to say, I love receiving acceptance for audiobooks on netgalley! It's a great way spend my time while also consuming both fictional and educational content on this platform. Memoirs are specifically my favorite content to consume through an audiobook, because whether or not the author is narrating the copy, I feel like I'm going on a journey with our main storyteller.

Marked for Life is an amazing story. It is powerful, thought-provoking and one that made me very angry. It follows Isaac Wright Jr's journey through an unjust and corrupt justice system. He was wrongly accused, and used by a system that was more concerned about appearing to be cleaning up the drug situation than actually finding and putting the real culprits behind bars. This is a story about never giving up, not letting something that could break you actually break you and fighting for what was right. There are bad apples in every walk of life and every profession, but learning about this case was eye opening. How often does this happen? It definitely makes the death penalty look less appealing as a consequence for crime. I was in awe of what Isaac Wright Jr. did with his life, he could have gone in so many different ways. Not only did he finally get justice for himself, but for so many others as well. Using his time while incarcerated to become a lawyer and spend his life helping others who were wrongly imprisoned is inspirational. I listened to this book and it was narrated by the author. Hearing him tell his story made it easy to connect and be pulled in to his life. If you enjoy memoirs, books about finding justice, books about characters (in this case real) who make the best of terrible situations and never give up, then you need to read this book. Thank you Isaac Wright Jr for sharing your story and reminding us that everything is not what it seems. I definitely recommend Marked For Life.

I have read a lot of books about wrongful conviction and by wrongfully convicted people. It's something that is so insidious in our society and I try to learn as much as I can about it. Every time someone shares there story it is powerful and so important for people to hear. That said this book was beyond anything I have read before. It is phenomenally written. It stays compelling, infuriating, devastating, and inspiring. Listening to it read in his own voice is so powerful. Beyond the writing, the story of this man that was targeted and had his life torn apart but did not let his destiny lay in anyones hands but his own is incredibly inspiring. He took it upon himself to take down an entire criminal enterprise within the justice system and helped others navigate their way through their own cases.

In a situation which anyone would be justified in feeling helpless and hopeless, he saw a challenge, trusted his abilities, and went against incredible odds. Then when he finally found justice for himself he dove back in to help others. Remarkable man, remarkable story. Even if you think crime books are not for you, I highly recommend you pick this one up. It will inspire you to take action, use your voice, and never let something that seems insurmountable stop you from doing what is right. I cannot sing enough praise for this book. Ten stars. When I finished I wanted to start back at the beginning and read it again.

Thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for this ARC!

Marked for Life is the legal memoir of Isaac Wright, Junior, and it is a compelling story. At age 28, Wright was framed as a “drug kingpin,” though he had never used or sold drugs, and when he rejected the plea deal offered him, he was convicted and sentenced to life plus seventy years. Through his own efforts, he was able to prove his own innocence and regain his freedom. This book is for sale now, and you should get it and read it.

My thanks go to Net Galley and Macmillan Audio for the review copy. Listening to the recorded version is all the more powerful, because the author reads it himself. Readers should know that this book starts out painfully harsh, with the blow-by-blow events of the day he is arrested, and his subsequent treatment. There’s not a tremendous amount of physical violence, but the emotional toll could just about bring me to my knees; imagine how it must have been for Wright, who lived through it! I begin to fear that I will dread listening to it, and so I promise myself that this will be my car book; I will listen to it while I am driving around, and when I get home, I will turn it off. However, only the beginning is harsh, and once I am twenty percent of the way into it, it becomes so interesting that I quickly change my mind, and it joins me in the kitchen. So reader, don’t be afraid of this book. The rough part is all in the first few chapters.

Wright is targeted by corrupt local officials, who are under the misapprehension that he has a small fortune socked away in the safe in his bedroom. In fact, Wright is a successful businessman; he starts as a music producer, then moves into management, touring with Run DMC, and indeed, he and his family live well. Although he doesn’t say as much, part of me wonders if that is his crime, in the eyes of the local cops and courts: he’s a Black man with money. As soon as he is arrested, the shakedown begins. Give us the money, Wright, and we’ll make it all go away.

He doesn’t, and they don’t.

The most fascinating part of this is learning how a prisoner is able to study the law and represent himself. Obviously, not everyone is as literate and intelligent as Wright is; he makes himself indispensable to other prisoners by assisting them with their own cases also. His ability to juggle a lot of moving parts—his own appeal, his fellow inmates’ cases, and the rigors and restrictions of the prison system, along with the endless pressure on him from those that framed him—is impressive. A lot of his success lies in his perception of what other people want. What does the warden want? What do his fellow prisoners want and need? If this had been me, I don’t think it would have gone well. I’d have been good with the research and the paperwork, but I doubt I could have read the wishes and intentions of those around me as successfully as Wright has done. Ultimately, it is an inspirational story.

This is a terrific book, and I highly recommend it to you.

This would be an excellent companion read to Brian Stevenson's JUST MERCY. The audio experience is especially immersive, and I always appreciate audiobooks narrated by the author.

I could not put this audiobook down! I devoured all 9 hours in less than a day. I do hope this man is getting ongoing therapy for this personal and collective trauma brought about by an unjust Prison Industrial Complex. He is just one of so many men and women that get trampled by the systemic racist practices within the judicial system and throughout society. They took down this man robbing his wife, child and family members years of uncertainty as he spent years in prison. Yall got to #audiobook this! I don't want to reveal any spoilers. How folks can harbor such evil is beyond comprehension!

I have to say, listening to this author reenact his calculating defense as he represented himself in court was #ORGASMIC! There is a podcast and TV series he Executively Produced on PrimeTime ABC7NY. I am not sure I can handle watching this unfold on screen though. To experience this all to common injustice from a victim turn lawyer, gives the reader a unique view and exposes how jacked up the written law is and what it allows. These laws and the systemic injustices allows the perpetuation towards poor BIPOC folks. His passion reminds me of the lawyer #BryanStevenson, his book gives similar accounts of the lunacy atrocities and inhumane conditions of prison life! This is a #MustListen! I hope a YA version will follow, this is a book that should be added to every curriculum and made available to those imprisoned.

#MarkedforLife #NetGalley #NewJersey #HipHop #PoliceBrutality #ABC #MiniSeries #FORLIFE: #ThePodcast #SetUp #ChompedUpCharges #LifeImprisonment #MUSTREAD #ForLife Macmillan Audio #50Cent #ARC

Marked for Life is the story of Isaac Wright Jr. who was wrongfully accused and convicted of drug related crimes. The story shows how the system let him down, forcing him to take matters into his own hands. He ran the law library at the prison and taught himself the law in order to defend himself and eventually get his conviction overturned.

This is an incredibly sad yet hopeful story. It stood out to me when he made the point that his court appointed attorney wasn’t going to go head to head with the prosecutor’s office so he had no one to trust and had to figure out a way to freedom for himself. It make you wonder how many other wrongfully convicted people remain in jail for crimes they haven’t committed doing time they shouldn’t be doing.

His story is inspiring and amazing. After he was acquitted of all his crimes, he went on to become a lawyer and continues to assist others who have been wrongfully accused and convicted. I’m glad I took the time to read/ listen to this. The law aspect is so fascinating to me.

Thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for access to the audiobook as well as St. Martin’s press for my physical copy.

Marked for Life by Isaac Wright Jr. quickly became one of my favorite books of 2022. Powerful and impactful, Wright writes with his emotions first and then reinforces those feelings with facts. As a white woman in America I understand that I will never understand what Isaac Wright Jr. and others who look like him, face on a day to day basis but it is stories like Wright's that make me stand up and fight too. He did not deserve the injustices handed to him, no human being does, and it is frustrating to know we still have the same laws and bias' in place that allow it to happen.

This is a book I hope every American reads. This is a book I hope every teenager in America reads because they are the future who will dismantle the oppressive systems we have in place now.

Great job, truly, I know this feedback is a bit messy and I'm not generally an emotionally reviewer but this book will stay with me forever.

Thank you to Macmillian Audio and NetGalley for allowing me access to an audioARC in exchange for feedback.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the audio version of Marked for Life. Everything I write is of my own thoughts, feelings, and opinions. I am writing under my own free will.
I initially heard of Isaac Wright, Jr from a ABC television series. I was and am highly interested in his story. When I heard he wrote a book I just had to read it. I am highly impressed that he is such an amazing person. He was wrongly accused put in prison, yet he used his situation to better himself and those around him. He was motivated to educate himself to take his terrible situation and make it right. I love when the author takes the time to read the story- that way you can hear the tone the writer is conveying. This is a great book