Take a Sad Song is a novel in verse that surprised me in many ways. Set in the early 1970's, this is the story of June, later called Jude, who starts partying after her father dies and winds up in a juvenile detention center. Because of a strange law on the books, June is marked as a person in need of supervision and sent to a "Training School" in upstate NY. The school is just another way to say jail for kids. The girls realize that the only way that they will make it through their time at the school is to create their own families. This is a very quick read, but incredibly powerful. What makes it even more impactful is the author's note at the end of the book explaining that, while the story is fictional, the settings are real and the author's sister was sent to one in 1969. While these schools no longer exist, our justice system is broken for a lot of people and incarceration is still seen as a money making business.

The violence and the things these girls have to endure is heart wrenching. I loved the read but it's pretty dark. Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher and the author for a free e-arc copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I flew through this book and appreciated the compassion shown between characters, many of whom were sent to reform school without committing any crimes. It can spark empathy for incarcerated youth, youth in foster care, and youth who run away from unsafe living situations. All issues we face today. I realize this is supposed to be an easier read and could support reluctant and struggling readers, but I feel like the story ends just as I was getting invested. I would’ve liked to see Jude’s story play out more.

Take a Sad Song is a quick but impactful read. It's YA, historical fiction (one of my favourite genres), and a novel-in-verse, a format that tends to work for me. It explores social justice issues that remain relevant today. In other words, this was a book I expected to enjoy, and I wasn't disappointed. The plot revolves around 15 year old Jane, who, grieving the death of her father, resorts to partying. She sneaks out one night, her mother reports her missing, and Jane ends up being held in Spofford, a maximum security prison for children, before being sentenced to a year in the New York State Training School for Girls. One strand of the plot centres on how the girls cope with being incarcerated, the bullying and non-sensical rules, and everything else. It explores the bonds that form between the girls, particularly the Racket, a sort of found family where the girls take on new names, role play, have their own language and secret means of communicating, and where sapphic relationships and crushes thrive. It is, of course, banned and involvement can lead to a longer sentence. The other strand looks at efforts to expose the reality of the training school to ensure the public knew what went on inside its walls. Some surprising people were behind these efforts, and several of the girls got to contribute their thoughts and experiences. I found Jane a sympathetic character and felt the novel-in-verse style was really effective at conveying her emotions. The cast of minor characters was strong and highlighted several different reasons girls could end up in training schools, one being particularly heartbreaking. The 1970 historical setting was well-captured by all the musical references. There is a complete list of songs at the back of the book, and if there isn't a playlist on Spotify, there should be. I, of course, raged at the injustice of her being incarcerated when she clearly needed support for her grief - and for her mother to find a better way of coping than resorting to alcohol. Reading the author's note at the back and learning of the personal connection which lead to her researching and writing this book made it all the more impactful. Lest you think that this is all in the past, today there are still far too many young people incarcerated or facing other punitive sanctions when what is often required is family support, counselling, and other social interventions. Training schools like the one Jane was sent to have been closed down, but there are similar organisations operating today, often privately run and with no official oversight.

Thank you so much to West 44 Books / Rosen Publishing and Netgalley for the ebook to read and review.

This novel-in-verse is told through the perspective of Jane, a troubled teenager sent to a "training school" for girls after her mother essentially gives up on her. While there, Jane endures bullying and abuse but eventually finds a sense of belonging with a group of girls called the Racket. As she grows closer to them, Jane even falls in love with one of the girls, and together they organize to fight for change.

One critique is that the ending feels too abrupt, leaving the girls' futures open-ended. I would have preferred a bit more closure about where they end up. Despite that, I appreciated the added depth from the playlist and resources at the back of the book. While the verse flows smoothly, especially for an adult reader, the novel explores heavy, impactful themes, particularly the power of found family and the importance of listening to teens—especially young girls.

Knowing that the author has personal experience with these types of facilities made the story even more poignant. I also loved how the book includes research resources, which, as a history enthusiast, I found fascinating. And, of course, the playlist at the end was a wonderful touch!

Thank you to West 44, Rosen Publishing, and NetGalley for the eGalley to review!

I really enjoyed this novel in verse. It is told from the perspective of a troubled teenager, Jane, who gets sent to a "training school" for girls after her mother essentially gives up on her. Through the process she is bullied and abused, though she ends up finding family in a group of some of the other girls, called the Racket. She even falls in love with one of them and together they organize for change.

While this book is a work of fiction, the settings and the Racket are real, according to the author's note in the back. It was written after Gritz discovered what her sister went through at the real Spofford, a way to immortalize the history of such awful institutions so they aren't swept under the rug. It is a message to girls going through trouble that there is love and connection for them out there and real change can be made to create a better life for everyone.

My only issue with the book is that it felt cut off at the end. I wanted some sort of resolution that told me where these girls ended up, but we get one that is very open-ended. It felt too abrupt and incomplete. Other than that, I also appreciated the playlist and resources included in the back of the book. Gritz definitely meant to teach readers about the real Spofford and to get readers acquainted with the songs that influenced Jane and her situation.

I didn’t enjoy the book, some of the pages were good but most just wasn’t for me. I did like that it stated how people grieve differently and that family is found like the racket but that’s the only parts I enjoyed

This book messed with my head. I’m not huge on poetry as a writing style but I just connected with the characters so much.

The words flowed so well but I was left wanting to know what comes next so the book really stays with you reminding me of The Shawshank Redemption where you can picture what the rest of their lives will be and just hope you are right.

This book is a great option for struggling students. It's not too long and grabs their attention. The fact that it's based on a true story can appeal to reluctant readers and also helps draw them into the story.

What a beautiful and poignant story about part of young women's life. It teaches us to listen. It was a beautiful way to address a chapter in womens rights.

Thank you to West 44 Books for providing the e-ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

The story follows Jane, a 15 year old girl who is imprisoned after her mother calls the police, concerned about her well-being. In the 1970s, this was legal, and many girls ended up in “boarding schools” where they had very little rights. Jane ends up being sent to the New York State Training School for Girls, where she meets friends and finds a family, including Jo-Jo, someone she thinks may be more.

This story covers a lot in very short amount of time - each poem is succinct and less than one page.

The premise was really good but didn’t feel like it was able to go deep enough, or linger in the feelings/friendship/found family like I hoped it would. The history was interesting and I really like how the author based the story on true settings and events. I would have liked to read more and think that a full length novel would have given the story justice - I think I just liked the characters enough that I wanted to see it go deeper, or give it time for the relationships to develop.

I'm so excited that the author of my recent favorite book, The Space You Left Behind, has released another YA novel-in-verse, Take a Sad Song. This one takes place in the 1970s, with song references like The Beatles' and Frank Sinatra's, and sad reality that there once was a prison for teenage girls committing "crimes". The story has bigger cast than Space, historical aspect that the previous book doesn't have, and ALSO cute layout that matches the cover design!

The first time I read Ona Gritz's writing, I was instantly in awe at the way she defines hi/lo. This time is no different. I read the poems with ease, enjoying how plot and characters are intertwined with each other. Jane's—or Jude's—life in an unfamiliar environment with her new family and new overwhelming feelings about her identity and place in the world is told in even pacing, not too fast and not too slow. Her relationships, whether it's with Jo-Jo, Heatwave, Ms. Coleman, or even Denise are in equal portion that leads to satisfying, crucial points towards the ending.

There is no shocking plot twist like in Space, but that isn't what makes me slightly favor the other more than this book. For me, Space feels more intimate. Take a Sad Song covers wider scope of issues—which, yes, makes it an important book, but also makes the focus not only on Jane. I still like reading it, and sometimes I think about Heatwave. These girls, although fiction, portray real situation that has happened, and I hope we do better this time.

Thank you West 44 Books and NetGalley for the eARC. I'm looking forward to reading more Ona Gritz's works in the future!

Thank you to NetGalley, Wesst 44 Books, Rosen Publishing Group, and Ona Gritz for the opportunity to read Take a Sad Song in exchange for an honest review.

Take a Sad Song is a hi-lo novel-in-verse that takes place in New York in the 1970's. The story follows Jane, who recently lost her father and copes through partying. When her mother thinks she ran away, she calls the police, which later leads to a court date to be sent to a home for troubled youth. Her mom cannot change her mind after claiming her daughter needs the help.

Thus Jane is sent to the New York State Training School for Girls, a penitentiary or confinement "camp" in leu of juvenile hall. The author's note explains that these were meant for minor implications of "wayward girls" such as running away, drinking, or being involved in sexual activities, and historically, they were later outlawed.

During Jane's time there, she is bullied and finds solace in isolation, but not every girl is awful. She learns about the Racket, a group of girls that get together to have fun with role-playing, listening to music, exploring romance, and enjoying the company of found family. The catch is that the Racket must remain secret, otherwise they may find their time at the Training School increased. For many, it's not like there is much of a home to go back to anyway...

I enjoyed the characters and the historical context. With Juvenile Justice such a hot topic for youth and education today, this novel offers yet another perspective to some of the negative aspects of locking youth away for menial acts. 

This novel is an enjoyable quick read that teen readers, especially girls, will find enjoyment with, and perhaps even a connection to the narrator that they weren't expecting.

I haven't read much poetry for a Young Adult audience before and was pleasantly surprised. This is an important part of history and the author ensures that the style is snappy and vivid enough to engage a younger audience while still dealing with some dark subject matter, such as teenage runaways, sexual abuse, and life in prison.

The story flows easily and the characters are likeable, even the ones who initially seem otherwise. There's a thread of hope throughout the story as Jane establishes friendships, finds love, and grows into who she is despite losing a parent and her freedom and being discarded for being too difficult by her remaining parent.

This was an engaging and easy read about some dark circumstances around unjust laws and worth a read.

Jane is grieving the death of her father while her mother tries to drown hers in vodka. Jane finds herself in court and her sentence is a girls' training school. Less of a school and more of a prison, Jane starts to create a family with some of the other girls there. When she learns their stories, she starts to see that all of them are carrying pain. Based on the experience of the author's sister, this powerful novel-in-verse is an amazingly difficult read. This novel shines a light on a very dark part of the history of women in the United States.

Take a Sad Song by Ona Gritz is a quick read reminiscent of Go Ask Alice and books written by Ellen Hopkins.

I appreciated the topics and themes explored in Take A Sad Song as they are as relevant today as they were in the 1970s: women’s rights, LGBTQIA+, racism, the justice system, foster care, and child abuse. However, it felt as though Ona Gritz tried to tackle too many of the issues at once leaving the plot and character development lacking. Unfortunately, this made it harder to connect to and care about the characters. Thankfully the songs mentioned and explored throughout the book helped to piece some of these missing elements together.

I received a free electronic ARC of this book from NetGalley in return for an honest review.

Such a great read! Jane has just lost her father, and finds herself incarcerated for "running away." Moved from jail to an all girl's reform school, she discovers the importance of found family and speaking up to make a difference.

As an adult reader, I cruised through the verse easily, but that's not to say it is a "simple" read. The topics tackled in this novel are deep and meaningful. The power that found family can give. The idea that listening to things teens, especially teen girls, are saying can be critical. Knowing that the author had a direct connection with these facilities also made the story that much more touching. She lists the resources she used as she researched the writing which, as a history nerd, I really appreciate. I also adored the addition of the playlist at the end!!

This was intensely interesting. It was also more than a little frightening. Teenage girls incarcerated for no good reason. This book of narrative poems takes a shameful part of our history and brings it to life. It is fiction based on reality. Each poem advances the narrative as Jane finds herself in a situation she never could have anticipated. Very affecting.

Thank you so much to West 44 Books / Rosen Publishing and Netgalley for the ebook to read and review.

Jane is sent to a girls training school in New York, but it’s more like a prison for juvenile delinquents. Her reason, her mother didn’t know where she was one night and called the police. At this place they are treated like prisoners and forced to work, the only way to survive is to join the Rackett a role- play family of girls brought there for different reasons, but it’s not a guarantee it will survive if they’re found out.

This was very beautifully written, telling such a story in a setting like it was, but adding into it all the humanity and the love that these girl experience that is never told or shared about for those in these experiences. I really loved the care the author took to tell this story and if you read the author note at the end you’ll understand why she was so dedicated and caring toward this storyline.

So many girls used to get sent to these places and it’s always heartbreaking, any little thing that they do wrong or someone decides they do wrong they get sent there. I really loved that through Jane going through this we learn so much more about the other girls, about their lives before being there, whilst being there and how they’ve formed such bonds and created a family.

Jane was still struggling with the loss of her dad, then the loss of her mom that abandoned her, then to try and figure out a new family, new love. It was scary though as you didn’t know when or if the group of girls in The Rackett were going to be found out and then her new family destroyed it left me on edge hoping they’d be okay.

I really did enjoy this story, it’s a verse story written so beautifully and delicately. It’s something I’m sure not a lot of teens really don’t know about at all, it’s a piece of history that is quietened and so this will be great for them to read and learn something of what girls their ages would have possibly gone through.

4.75 stars

"Take a sad song, and make it better" has never rung more clearly than in this tale of a girl falsely accused of being a runaway and sent to a children's prison, then to a training school.

I love a good novel in verse, and this is a great read for a queer audience. There are lots of music references and a sweet Sapphic crush. The story hits that much harder knowing the author based the story on a real place and the author's sister.

Thank you to NetGalley and publisher for the opportunity to read and review.