It's been awhile since I've read this book so bear with me. This is a contemporary YA story about Violet, who causes the death of her younger sister. As part of her atonement, and as is formalized in the criminal justice system for juveniles in this world, she goes through "trials", which are "punishments" designed by the victim's family designed to bring justice for the victim and rehabilitate the offender. The situation for Violet is especially interesting because her victim's family is also her family. There is complexity for both sides: Violet as she wrestles with both her guilt at killing her sister, and her anger as she feels abandoned by her family, and her family as they try to do justice by the kids, both dead and alive.
There's some heavy topics in this book. I enjoyed the book exploring all different angles - from the POV of Violet, her parents, her brother, the other inmates. I think the book succeeds in painting the nuanced emotional landscape of making mistakes and recovering from mistakes, even those mistakes that are unrecoverable and irreversible. While at times I felt that the book was saying contradictory things and not necessarily coherently, I appreciated that this was a thought provoking read.
There's some heavy topics in this book. I enjoyed the book exploring all different angles - from the POV of Violet, her parents, her brother, the other inmates. I think the book succeeds in painting the nuanced emotional landscape of making mistakes and recovering from mistakes, even those mistakes that are unrecoverable and irreversible. While at times I felt that the book was saying contradictory things and not necessarily coherently, I appreciated that this was a thought provoking read.