Tuesday, July 23, 2024

Break to You by Neal Shusterman, Debra Young and Michelle Knowlden

 

Adriana and Jon are both incarcerated at a juvenile detention center that keeps boys and girls strictly separate. Adriana has just come for a seven-month sentence and her most precious possession is her diary. When she accidentally leaves it in the facility's library, Jon finds it, reads it, and writes back to her. Thus begins a correspondence and romance between the two teenagers who connect deeply through their writing. Jon has been incarcerated since he was 13 years old, and when he turns 18 he will likely be transferred to the adult justice system. Jon and Adriana hatch a plan to meet and enlist their friends and acquaintances to pull off a heist-like operation to bring them together. However, no one knows who can be trusted and there are no fairy tales in the justice system. The adults running the center are pretty much terrible, and the other teens range from helpful to downright evil. It's a compelling and gritty glimpse into the justice system that will really speak to teens. Recommended for grades 8-up. 

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