Tell Me How This Ends Well

David Samuel Levinson's new novel Tell Me How This Ends Well takes place in the near future, the year 2022 to be exact when antisemitism is basically ubiquitous. At the heart of the story is Jacobson family's Passover meal. The family includes three adult children, Mo, Edith, and Jacob, their harsh and iron-fisted father and the soft-hearted mother. The book's strongest suit is its character development. All of the characters are complex and multi-layered. with the author masterfully describing their feelings and emotions throughout the book.

Overall, I found Levinson's novel to be an enjoyable read. It's not easy reading, but it's very crucial in today's world.

Disclaimer: I received this book for free from Blogging for Books in exchange for an honest review.

Writing My Wrongs

Shaka Senghor writes a powerful memoir of his time in prison in his book Writing My Wrongs. He tells his story like it is without any sugarcoating. Shaka Senghor was born in the midst of America's crack epidemic in the 1980's and was an honor roll student at school. However, at home he faced daily beatings from his mother which forced him to run away to the streets and become a drug dealer. At 19, he killed a man and was sentenced to 20 years in prison. He spent seven of those years in solitary confinement. During that time, he began to reflect on the choices he made that got him in prison. When he was released, he became a social activist whose mission was to prevent young men from going down the wrong path. In addition, Senghor writes about America's criminal justice system and how it needs to be reformed.