I received a free copy from NetGalley. I read this as a stand alone and had no problems following the story or seeing character development because it is the forth in the series. Jailed for having trying to make friends at a new school by sharing two marijuana cigarettes he found, things just get worse for this young offender. Having family in the law helps and soon the FBI and an innocent project lawyer are helping with his case, that turns up more that just an overly extreme jail sentence for a first offender who is now on the run and missing.

This book was fast paced with many twists and turns. I thought it was well written and had a very good plot which was realistic. It kept me engaged from beginning to end.
Many thanks to Thomas & Mercer and to NetGalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

This novel gripped me, since as a mom I hate to think about a child in trouble. The juvenile justice system is very scary!

Frankie was an Army brat, moved from place to place frequently. His father Alex was MIA in the Middle East, his brother Bobby in the Marines. When Frankie's mom, Jessica, moved him to a public school in FL, he wanted to be accepted. What he did set him on a journey through the court system, a juvenile detention facility and other places no child should ever have to see and endure. This might be a novel, but the things depicted in this story do happen. Maybe not to one child all at once, but too often to be discounted.