Reviewed by Sam@WLABB on
Whenever there is a murder, and someone is convicted and sentenced to death, we automatically feel for the victim's family. This book challenged me to look at it from the other side.
The story is told from the point of view of Joe, a 17 year old man, who's brother had received his execution date after 10 years on death row. Joe was quite young, when his brother was incarcerated, but was determined to be with him during his final days.
I really loved the way Crossan showed them reconnecting. We saw their interactions in the present, as well as flashbacks, which clearly illustrated Joe's love, affection, and admiration for his brother. Crossan also clearly illustrated the emotional toll Ed's impending death was having on Joe. He was dealing with some deep abandonment issues, and this just compounded those.
The issue of capital punishment was what inspired this book, but it was the focus on the family dynamic, which captured my heart. The book is heartbreaking and left me in tears, but there was this underlying idea of family and love, which touched my heart.
*ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.
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Reading updates
- Started reading
- 17 May, 2018: Finished reading
- 17 May, 2018: Reviewed