Review Detail

Reader reviewed by bookworm9

Fans of Jack Gantos's humorous children's books may be surprised by this hard-hitting autobiographical account of the author as a young man. After drifting through his final year of high school living on his own in Florida, Jack is sucked into drug trafficking through a combination of circumstances, coincidence, and his own poor decisions. The aspiring writer spends what seems like an eternity with a crazy Englishman on a rusty boat that neither of them really know how to operate before pulling into NY with their drugs. After the selling takes place and Jack is just beginning to consider which college he wants to go to, the FBI intervenes and he is sentenced to a federal prison. He lucks out by becoming the prison's x-ray technician, thus having a private cell and not having to be a part of the daily violence (sexual and otherwise) that he knows is going on within the prison.

This is a gritty tale that is definitely meant for older (14 or 15+) readers. It is, however, an excellent read. Gantos relates his story with enough detachment that it is never maudilin or self-pitying, and he doesn't excuse his actions. This would serve as a good cautionary tale for teens who feel they have their own holes in their lives, or just as a good (if disturbing) read.