"After three years in juvie, Angela Davis is just a few months shy of release, and she'll finally be free from the hole that is Brunesfield Correctional Facility. Then Jessica arrives. Only ten years old and under the highest security possible, this girl has to be dangerous, even if no one knows what she did to land in juvie. As strange things begin happening to Angela and her friends that can only be traced to the new girl's arrival, it becomes clear that Brunesfield is no longer safe. They must find a way to get out, but how can they save themselves when the world has forgotten them?"Okay so this book is a crimey-paranormal-horror-thriller-sci-fi...I think. A book with an identity crisis? It's just WOAH, we were cramming all the genres in here! It's set in Juvenile detention, with sci-fi/government conspiracy theories and paranormal superpowers. For me, it was too much without enough detail to anything specific.
The story is of Angela who is in juvie and gets manipulated into taking care of this creepy 10-year-old girl Jessica who may or may not be setting things on fire. WITH HER MIND. As you do. Does Angela freak out over this? A little. Does she accept it pretty fast? Definitely. (ANGELA. WUT ARE YOU THINKING.)
The biggest problem I had was that it's super slow. I mean, it's a thriller, right?!?? With all the mundane details about kitchen duties and the clichés with the crabby guards and the evil scientist lady....I was pretty bored. Even creepy little Jessica couldn't save it for me because WE DIDN'T GET ENOUGH OF HER.
Also I was really disappointed with Angela's backstory. She narrates in 1st person and is lumped in with the "dangerous/high security girls" and is all "I'M NOT TELLING YOU WHAT I DID TO END UP IN JUVIE AND YOU CAN'T MAKE ME." Well obviously the truth does come out and it's incredibly tame. She ended up as the sort of "misunderstood and well intentioned" heroine all the while CLAIMING to be a monster. I just...no. Sit down. Plus we won't even talk about the random romance with the guard that made no sense, with no chemistry, and just...yep. Moving forward.
"Okay, grumpy guts, is there anything you liked?" you say.
Well yes, yes there is. I'm glad you asked.
L I K E S:
• Despite not being creepy enough, Jessica (the 10yo burning girl) still had some creeptastic moments!
• There is a cool friendship dynamic between Angela and her two roomies: Issie and Cara. Go awesome friendship.
• Plenty of characters of colour.
• Angela had dyslexia! I don't often read about that!
• Juvie is always an interesting setting. Reminds me why I'm a super good person and always keep on the right side of the law. (Except for that library fine that one time...)
• I just wish I'd liked the book more though....
All in all it's not a bad book by any means! I just wish the book had been creepier and faster paced. It also would've been nice if more stuff burned down, justsayin'. But Angela was still an interesting narrator and the epilogue was really thought-provoking.
Age rating I would say 13+. Quite abit of swearing, burning bodies and a few mentally unwell people hurt themselves in small ways.
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