Book Review: Endangered by Jean Love Cush

Hey! I still have a blog! But lucky you: I read a book and I'm going to tell you about it. I'm trying this new thing, too. I recently heard someone say "I hate book reviews that include a synopsis. If I don't want to read the book, then I don't want to read a synopsis, and if I want to read the book, then I don't want you to spoil it for me." I thought that made a lot of sense, so I am going to try this one without any summary and see how it goes. (Comment here if you have strong feeling either way about that comment, would you? I'm interested to see what people think.)

ANYWAY, I was offered a copy of Endangered by Jean Love Cush to review, and it was a hard read, to say the least.

Don't get me wrong -- the book is well-written, the characters are well-developed, and the plot is engaging. The reason it is a hard read is that it highlights a horrible aspect of our society -- the treatment of African American men in the legal system -- and focuses on a parent's worst nightmare -- a child wrongly accused of a crime. Seriously, I read the synopsis and felt the waterworks building.

I think it's easy for white middle-class Americans to turn a blind eye to the injustices many people face in this country, and I feel horrible for all the mothers and fathers out there who have to explain to their children that people in positions of power are likely to treat them differently simply due to the color of their skin or where they live. Spending a few hours reading about it made my heart ache.

The only thing I didn't love about this book was what seemed like a gratuitous love story that seemed to simplify the mother character into a woman who needed a man to save her. Then again, the romance storyline might seem perfectly well-placed to you, what do I know. Maybe Cush included it so you had something to think about besides the injustices of the legal system and the horror of an innocent child being arrested? Now that I'm writing it out ... that's probably it. But I happen to be the type of person who rolls her eyes while reading romance novels, so you can take my opinion for what it's worth.

I was pleased to read this book, and recommend it wholeheartedly. An interesting and important read, for sure.

This book was provided to me free by TLC Book Tours, but I was not compensated for this review. All opinions are my own.