Scan barcode
allison_sirovy's review against another edition
5.0
This was a difficult book to get through because the content was intense and real. There’s not action in the typical sense, but there was “action” in a way that made you think. I’m not sure how I feel about the ending of the book. I will be pondering it for a while.
jnfilippelli's review against another edition
4.0
I bumped it to 4 stars because the writing is good. Gripping story. Two to three solid twists in the last 100 pages. Keeps readers engaged. More violent than originally expected.
A little weary of the message it's trying to send. Worried how readers would read into the messages, especially without conversation and discussion around it.
A little weary of the message it's trying to send. Worried how readers would read into the messages, especially without conversation and discussion around it.
coco_lolo's review against another edition
4.0
This was one of the most difficult books I've read in a while because the topics it covers and the way they are presented nearly gutted me. Conviction wasn't an easy book to read, nor did it have that picturesque happy, hopeful ending that we often expect; rather, Loy told a story that was much more realistic in its highs and lows, and she didn't shy away from tackling subjects such as morality and abuse. I loved seeing Braden walk this line of trying to be everything he was expected to be, all while struggling with religion, his family situation, his love for baseball, and a sense of guilt that practically saturates the text. What really hit me about the book was the family dynamic and how dysfunctional it was. I loved seeing the nuance of the brothers' relationship and them trying to build something better, and Trey was such an interesting character who added another layer of depth to the story. As for the abuse, it was handled in a delicate and realistic way that made me ache for Braden. The dialogue between Braden and his abuser, as well as Loy's decision to make into a fully fleshed out character, were astounding; these passages were so painful to read, especially because of Braden's notion that he deserved whatever was done to him, that he'd asked for it—that hurt me more than anything else. I'm also amazed by the ending, because while I was emotionally wiped out by that point, it made me question if I would do the same thing were I in Braden's position.
I don't think the story needed any romance; instead, I would have liked to see Braden interact more with his friends on the baseball team. And from the synopsis, I thought the cop's nephew would play a bigger role—perhaps he and Braden would forge some sort of unlikely friendship, which clearly didn't happen. I enjoyed Loy's second novel Picture Us in the Light better, but Conviction was one of the strongest debut novels I've read from a contemporary YA author.
Spoiler
his fatherI don't think the story needed any romance; instead, I would have liked to see Braden interact more with his friends on the baseball team. And from the synopsis, I thought the cop's nephew would play a bigger role—perhaps he and Braden would forge some sort of unlikely friendship, which clearly didn't happen. I enjoyed Loy's second novel Picture Us in the Light better, but Conviction was one of the strongest debut novels I've read from a contemporary YA author.
mary_binzley's review against another edition
4.0
still on my mission to read the books that have been on my to-read shelf the longest. i have NO recollection of why i added this to my to-read shelf in 2016, but wow this book was depressing
kkereakos's review against another edition
did not realise it would be heavy in christianity. not interested.
eesh25's review against another edition
4.0
After I finished reading, this book was on my mind for hours. But it wasn't till I started the review a couple of days later that I realized that I hadn't yet thought about much to write in it. That's very unusual for me, but I understand why. This is a pretty heavy book, and it gives you a lot to think about.
The protagonist is Braden. He's seventeen, his older brother Trey left ten years ago, and his father, the only parent he's known, has been arrested for the murder of a police officer. Because of that, Trey's returned. And throughout the book, we learn of the kind of upbringing Braden had at the hands of his father, we experience his conflict on what to say in court since he's a key witness in the case, and we see what relationship he has with his brother.
And again, I want to say that this is not a happy book. The events range from frustrating to deeply upsetting. And I want to provide a Trigger Warning for physical and emotional abuse, gaslighting, homophobia, and depression.
Now, there's a lot of things I could discuss here. But they're all plot elements, and I feel like you should just read those for yourself. The book moves from past flashbacks leading up to the incident with the cop, (I actually preferred those, for once) to the present with Braden's conflict about his testimony. I had no issues with how the past chapters were done. And the book as a whole is very well-written and definitely delivers on the perspective and emotion we need to understand where Braden is coming from.
The present... I had a few issues. The first isn't really an issue with the story, but just the frustration and anger I often felt toward Braden for some of the things he thought or said. But they made more and more sense as we learned about everything he's been through.
My other issue has to do with all the baseball. Some of the baseball parts were relevant to the story and to understanding Braden, but not all. And the amount of detail the author put wasn't needed at all. At one point, I just started skimming the baseball paragraphs. And maybe it's partially because I know nothing about baseball and don't care to, but caring about baseball shouldn't be a requirement.
I liked the ending. Though I didn't like how much of the jury's decision seemed to hinge on Braden's testimony. He was not the only witness. Also, the prosecution was seeking the death penalty. Did it occur to no one that having Braden testify was maybe not a great idea for various reasons.?
Overall, I thought this book was very well done. I can't say I "enjoyed" it because it was sad as fuck and it slowed down toward the middle, but it was a great read, and I would recommend giving it a try. It'd been on my TBR for over 5 years, and I'm glad I finally picked it up.
The protagonist is Braden. He's seventeen, his older brother Trey left ten years ago, and his father, the only parent he's known, has been arrested for the murder of a police officer. Because of that, Trey's returned. And throughout the book, we learn of the kind of upbringing Braden had at the hands of his father, we experience his conflict on what to say in court since he's a key witness in the case, and we see what relationship he has with his brother.
And again, I want to say that this is not a happy book. The events range from frustrating to deeply upsetting. And I want to provide a Trigger Warning for physical and emotional abuse, gaslighting, homophobia, and depression.
Now, there's a lot of things I could discuss here. But they're all plot elements, and I feel like you should just read those for yourself. The book moves from past flashbacks leading up to the incident with the cop, (I actually preferred those, for once) to the present with Braden's conflict about his testimony. I had no issues with how the past chapters were done. And the book as a whole is very well-written and definitely delivers on the perspective and emotion we need to understand where Braden is coming from.
The present... I had a few issues. The first isn't really an issue with the story, but just the frustration and anger I often felt toward Braden for some of the things he thought or said. But they made more and more sense as we learned about everything he's been through.
My other issue has to do with all the baseball. Some of the baseball parts were relevant to the story and to understanding Braden, but not all. And the amount of detail the author put wasn't needed at all. At one point, I just started skimming the baseball paragraphs. And maybe it's partially because I know nothing about baseball and don't care to, but caring about baseball shouldn't be a requirement.
I liked the ending. Though I didn't like how much of the jury's decision seemed to hinge on Braden's testimony. He was not the only witness. Also, the prosecution was seeking the death penalty. Did it occur to no one that having Braden testify was maybe not a great idea for various reasons.?
Overall, I thought this book was very well done. I can't say I "enjoyed" it because it was sad as fuck and it slowed down toward the middle, but it was a great read, and I would recommend giving it a try. It'd been on my TBR for over 5 years, and I'm glad I finally picked it up.
ellenmc07's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I have not read something this thought provoking in a long time. To the point where, I'm not actually sure how I feel about it. You just want to give everyone in this book the biggest hug possible because they need it. Plus, whew the trauma!! Having said that, it was still a very solid read. Go into this with an open mind and see where it will take you. It certainly didn't take me where I thought I was going but, maybe, that was the point.
danicapage's review against another edition
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
My Overall Thoughts/Impressions: Any book that has me thinking about it still days and books later is a good book in my book. This one is a heart-wrenching book in so many ways. It deals with a lot of heavy themes. The writing was great and so were the characters. I was engrossed in this one from start to finish. The author did a great job slowly revealing the story and leaving you in suspense about what would happen.
I did turn off my lawyer brain for the courthouse scenes as you have to suspend belief a little bit, but it's fiction, and it's okay to deviate. One of my favorite young adult books of the year and definitely one I'd recommend. For teen readers, parents may want to read first so they can decide if appropriate for their teens. I'd recommend parents discuss this one with kids who read it.
Content:abuse, child abuse, alcohol, strong language, suicidal ideation I'd put this at 16+.
Love,
Danica Page
My Overall Thoughts/Impressions: Any book that has me thinking about it still days and books later is a good book in my book. This one is a heart-wrenching book in so many ways. It deals with a lot of heavy themes. The writing was great and so were the characters. I was engrossed in this one from start to finish. The author did a great job slowly revealing the story and leaving you in suspense about what would happen.
I did turn off my lawyer brain for the courthouse scenes as you have to suspend belief a little bit, but it's fiction, and it's okay to deviate. One of my favorite young adult books of the year and definitely one I'd recommend. For teen readers, parents may want to read first so they can decide if appropriate for their teens. I'd recommend parents discuss this one with kids who read it.
Content:
Love,
Danica Page