Review: Actually 4.5 stars!
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 04 20, 2014
I am a great fan of JF Smith, and will read anything he's written.  He draws really good and deep characters, and doesn't rely too much on purposeful lack of communication, though in this book lack of communication is a key issue.  Lots of well placed back story so we get to see why these characters are where they are - in prison.  There's quite a bit of violence and sociopathic behaviour in this story, so its not for the faint hearted, but I don't think JF Smith overpaints the horror of prison life. He doesn't dwell on it needlessly either, but it is a fact if life and he doesn't shrink from it (why oh why do we have these, where the guards are almost as bad as the prisoners?). Well written, interesting story, but I don't think it's going to appeal to those who like girly men.  All JF Smith's characters are actually men, not 13 year old girls!  I'd recommend this, but it's not a pretty tale.