1. Where is the book on the narrative continuum?
☐ Highly narrative (reads like fiction)
☑ A mix (combines highly narrative moments with periods of fact-based prose)
☐ Highly fact based (has few or no narrative moments)
2. What is the subject of the book? Social justice—the book discusses US criminal justice system and a lawyer's pursuit of compassion in American justice.
3. What type of book is it? A memoir in narrative form.
4. Articulate appeal
What is the pacing of the book? A measured pace. It reads quickly without rushing or crowding the storylines.
Describe the characters of the book. The life stories of the various inmates comprise the bulk of the work. The main characters are Walter McMillan, a man sentenced to death for a murder he did not commit, and Bryan Stevenson, a lawyer who defends the wrongly condemned.
How does the story feel? Even in its gruesome description of the conditions imposed on imprisoned individuals, the book keeps its inspiring and uplifting tone. However, it purposely is not warm or comfortable for the reader, disturbing enough to evoke emotion and cause action.
What is the intent of the author? To draw attention to the flaws of the criminal justice system (particularly for people of color) and call for an end to mass incarceration and capital punishment in America.
What is the focus of the story? The wild injustices endured by innocent people in the United States, often related to their class or race.
Does the language matter? No.
Is the setting important and well described? It is critical to the gravity of the work that the stories are set in modern-day America, particularly in the southern United States. Since the book focuses on the lawyer's efforts in courtrooms and prisons, the setting is only described to the degree that it allows the reader to empathize with the characters.
Are there details and, if so, of what? The details included in the work focus on the injustices suffered by innocent characters and the absurdity in the criminal justice system.
Are there sufficient charts or other graphic materials? Are they useful and clear? None.
Does the book stress moments of learning, understanding, or experience? All three: learning about injustices that the public is largely unaware of, understanding how race still plays an issue in America's criminal justice system today, and experiencing the failings of the system to provide justice and mercy, along with the subsequent frustration and impetus to effect change.
5. Why would a reader enjoy this book (rank appeal)?
1. Learning
2. Setting
3. Tone