nikkihrose's review against another edition
4.0
This book was incredible. It was infuriating. It was incredibly infuriating. Bryan Stevenson knows how to appeal to his readers’ emotions because his emotions have been just as destroyed through these experiences – likely more – as ours are just from reading about these events.
Young children sentenced to die. People convicted of crimes they never committed. Justice officials ignoring key evidence in order to save face. Condemning people to death, the electric chair, the loss of their pride and dignity – all because they’re too afraid to be wrong. They’re too afraid of what they don’t understand. And the racism that underlines all of it is horrifying.
This book is a must read. There’s no way around it. It’s tragic and traumatic and I couldn’t read it all in one sitting – but it’s the least I can do for those experiencing this lack of justice. This lack of mercy.
Young children sentenced to die. People convicted of crimes they never committed. Justice officials ignoring key evidence in order to save face. Condemning people to death, the electric chair, the loss of their pride and dignity – all because they’re too afraid to be wrong. They’re too afraid of what they don’t understand. And the racism that underlines all of it is horrifying.
This book is a must read. There’s no way around it. It’s tragic and traumatic and I couldn’t read it all in one sitting – but it’s the least I can do for those experiencing this lack of justice. This lack of mercy.
intensej's review against another edition
5.0
Bryan Stevenson is "beating the drum for justice." Bryan Stevenson, executive director of the Equal Justice Initiative in Montgomery, Alabama, sheds light on the faults of America's criminal justice system. Stevenson works to free people who were wrongly imprisoned and are waiting on death row. Just Mercy draws attention to minors who are imprisoned as adults (for non-violent and violent crimes), prisoners who suffer from untreated mental illnesses, the death penalty, and racism. Stevenson explores our understanding of justice and discovers what it means to have mercy. This book is heart-breaking, inspiring, and full of hope. Just Mercy should be required reading.
Passages that stood out to me:
- “Bryan, capital punishment means ‘them without the capital get the punishment.’ We can’t help people on death row without help from people like you."
- “My work with the poor and incarcerated has persuaded me that the opposite of poverty is not wealth; the opposite of poverty is justice...The true measure of our character is how we treat the poor, the disfavored, the accused, the incarcerated, and the condemned.”
- “The power of just mercy is that it belongs to the undeserving. It’s when mercy is least expected that it’s most potent--strong enough to break the cycle of victimization and victimhood, retribution and suffering. It has the power to heal the psychic harm and injuries that lead to aggression and violence, abuse of power, mass incarceration.”
Passages that stood out to me:
- “Bryan, capital punishment means ‘them without the capital get the punishment.’ We can’t help people on death row without help from people like you."
- “My work with the poor and incarcerated has persuaded me that the opposite of poverty is not wealth; the opposite of poverty is justice...The true measure of our character is how we treat the poor, the disfavored, the accused, the incarcerated, and the condemned.”
- “The power of just mercy is that it belongs to the undeserving. It’s when mercy is least expected that it’s most potent--strong enough to break the cycle of victimization and victimhood, retribution and suffering. It has the power to heal the psychic harm and injuries that lead to aggression and violence, abuse of power, mass incarceration.”
kerstiejo's review against another edition
5.0
Incredible book! A must read! Everyone needs to read this eye opening book!
rayaan_'s review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
slow-paced
3.0
tylercritchfield's review against another edition
5.0
"Each of us is more than the worst thing we've ever done. . . There is a strength, a power even, in understanding brokenness, because embracing our brokenness creates a need and desire for mercy, and perhaps a corresponding need to show mercy."
"The power of just mercy is that it belongs to the undeserving. It's when mercy is least expected that it's most potent - strong enough to break the cycle of victimization and victimhood, retribution and suffering. It has the power to heal the psychic harm and injuries that lead to aggression and violence, abuse of power, mass incarceration."
Remarkable. Hard to read and hard to put down. This book opened my eyes to the major issues facing criminal justice reform that I didn't ever give thought to until now and helped change my perspective. Bryan Stevenson is my hero.
"The power of just mercy is that it belongs to the undeserving. It's when mercy is least expected that it's most potent - strong enough to break the cycle of victimization and victimhood, retribution and suffering. It has the power to heal the psychic harm and injuries that lead to aggression and violence, abuse of power, mass incarceration."
Remarkable. Hard to read and hard to put down. This book opened my eyes to the major issues facing criminal justice reform that I didn't ever give thought to until now and helped change my perspective. Bryan Stevenson is my hero.
lizzardwilliams's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
4.5
tatianamgriffin's review against another edition
5.0
Bryan’s work and passion floored me. The work he does as a “stonecatcher” humbles me. Never before have I read a book equal parts tormenting and hopeful like this one. Never before have I understood the deeply biased and rooted system of oppression existent in prisons and the justice system like now. This book has the power to educate, move, and inspire all of us to do better for others in marginalized communities, BIPOC, poor people living in the margins of society and unable to advocate for themselves when they are deemed guilty of crimes they didn’t commit. It is our job to help society find ways to honor and heal from the deeply profound terror that slavery was, and continues to be. We can’t undo past mistakes. But we can commit and do better. There’s still much work to do. This book is not to learn in your brain or heart. It’s not a fictional story of an imagined world. It is a reality. As such, this book is a call to action.
jazminelee's review against another edition
4.0
Good book. Great insight into the criminal justice system and how things have changed.
sara_carey's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
4.0