Damn this book! It made me think, it made me squirm, it made me swallow my Adam's apple, made me grin, made me uncomfortable, and didn't stop the whole time. Basically, it did everything I love a book to do to me.
Set in a prison housing the worst of the worse, the author tackles the moral issues surrounding eye for an eye revenge vs. the system, and he did it so well that I felt exhausted after reading it. This is one of the highest compliments I can give. This story pulled me in so deep it exhausted me.
I don't want to divulge details because the book is more of an experience than a read. It reads with authenticity and an insider's knowledge, making the rabbit hole that much wider and deeper. I found my sympathies getting torn the deeper I read, and it tickled a very dark piece of my soul - the one that lights up at injustice.
Prison stories are always uncomfortable, even if we all have a grim fascination with them (there wouldn't be so many if we didn't) and everyone loves a story of revenge against injustice. That's all you see in Hollywood these days - heroes vs. villains. In a way, this is exactly what this story is about, only this story is different. It's like an exchange program where you get to live the life of the prison world and experience it first hand - the reality of heroes and justice vs. villains. I held my bladder for the last third of the book because I didn't want to put it down.
If you like gritty prison stories, you'll be hard pressed to find a better one. Mike Kelso is one to watch.