Contents ( 46)
- Contents
- One
- Two
- Three
- Four
- Five
- Six
- Seven
- Eight
- Nine
- Ten
- Eleven
- Twelve
- Thirteen
- Fourteen
- Fifteen
- Sixteen
- Seventeen
- Eighteen
- Nineteen
- Twenty
- Twenty-one
- Twenty-two
- Twenty-three
- Twenty-four
- Twenty-five
- Twenty-six
- Twenty-seven
- Twenty-eight
- Twenty-nine
- Thirty
- Thirty-one
- Thirty-two
- Thirty-three
- Thirty-four
- Epilogue
- Author’s Note
- Acknowledgments
- About the Author
EMERSON: But I want you to know, I found a place of good earth.
EMERSON: And I’m alive.
This phone call has been disconnected.
Emerson’s story is, unfortunately, that of too many young trans and nonbinary people. If you’re a trans, nonbinary, or questioning reader and you’re in need of support, please consider reaching out to the Trans Lifeline, a trans-led organization that connects trans people to the community, support, and resources they need to survive and thrive.
United States (877) 565-8860
Canada (877) 330-6366
translifeline.org
Author’s Note
The fictional Hope Juvenile Treatment Center is set near the equally fictional town of Sam’s Throne. The details and makeup of the Hope Center, however, are as real and representative as I could make them. That includes the overwhelming racial inequalities in the juvenile justice system, the lack of support for disabled youth, and—though exaggerated for the purposes of this story—the way people in the justice system are often left forgotten in the wake of a pandemic. Mass incarceration is a human rights disaster, and criminal reform is sorely needed.
In spite of those overwhelming racial inequalities, I chose to make all three of the main characters in this book white. I did so because I do not want to take away space from a writer of color. And because I don’t believe the experience of teens of color in the U.S. criminal justice system is my story to tell.
So instead, I’d love to point you to other spectacular books. If you wish to continue reading about teens interacting with the criminal justice system, these YA titles are a fantastic place to start:
- Monster by Walter Dean Myers
- Dear Martin and Dear Justyce by Nic Stone
- Allegedly by Tiffany D. Jackson
- This Is My America by Kim Johnson
- Punching the Air by Ibi Zoboi and Yusef Salaam (based on a true story)
If you would like to know more about the history of mass incarceration, Michelle Alexander’s The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness is a necessary read.
In addition to the titles above, if you wish to keep educating yourself, I would also recommend:
- Just Mercy: A True Story of the Fight for Justice by Bryan Stevenson
- Teen Incarceration: From Cell Bars to Ankle Bracelets by Patrick Jones
- Free Cyntoia: My Search for Redemption in the American Prison System by Cyntoia Brown-Long
Acknowledgments
I wrote this book while recovering from Covid-19, and during a time when we were (and are) all dealing with our loss of normal, learning to shape our lives around this new fear, and uncovering both the fault lines and the strongest links of our communities. While the virus may not discriminate, the response to the virus often did. So this one goes out to the essential workers, the researchers, the helpers, the teachers, the day-by-day survivors. Thank you.
I was incredibly lucky to work with two amazing agents while writing this book. Thank you to Jennifer Udden, for being such a supporter of this book and every single book of mine in the years we worked together. Thank you to Suzie Townsend and awesome assistant Dani Segelbaum for being there for the next steps. I’m thrilled to work with you and so excited for many more literary adventures on the horizon. And, of course, to everyone on Team New Leaf: you’re the absolute best.