No Choirboy: Murder, Violence, and Teenagers on Death Row

This book is amazing. The subject matter is a surefire draw, but the execution (no pun intended) is perfection. Teens will be drawn to this because of the cover, the title, and the subject matter, and will not be disappointed. They will undoubtedly recommend it to friends, and I'm sure that no matter how many copies I buy for my high school library, I won't be able to keep up with the demand.

The stories in NO CHOIRBOY came from the author's research and her interviews with young men on death row. This book (and the young men who tell their stories) pull no punches on what life is like behind bars. I wasn't sure what to make of the sympathetic tone. All of these young men got a raw deal from the system, but let's face it...they are accused (and convicted, although they may be appealing) of committing or helping commit murder, which is what landed them in the position they are in. The chapters are partitioned into fairly short and very readable sections, which will appeal to the intended audience of young adults. Photographs and drawings sprinkled throughout help visualize these teens as more than "throw away" vicious killers. I liked the information at the end (glossary, further reading, web sites,notes and index.) The author has obviously taken care with her research, and I can see a number of ways this book might be used in an educational setting.

Death Row is a place where few men would dare to tread, yet children are headed there in larger numbers than we would dare contemplate. Murder and mayhem inflicted on people for very little reason by teens who are somehow lacking in reasoning faculties lands them in living nightmare facilities. Roy, age sixteen, admitted he was there when a friend was murdered, but he didn't pull the trigger. He tried to warn Kevin that the other boys had planned to kill him, but somehow the words never managed to sink in. The judge sentenced him to death. Instead of being raised by his mother, the inmates of death row would have to substitute for her. When they executed men, the others would "scream in protest." It unnerved him as they would "scream at the top of their lungs." Sixteen-year-old Roy Burgess was living in a war zone. And there were others. Mark Melvin was fourteen years old. His brother asked for his help, not to do a bit of yard work or help him fix a car, but rather something much more insidious. He wanted him to kill a man. When he shot the man he knew his life was over. "I knew I was going to prison . . . I kept thinking, I just killed a man. And I was just as guilty of killing the wife, too, `cause I was there." Mark also knew he had been had and that he had serious mental issues. He would also soon encounter members of the Crips, the Disciples, the Bloods, El Rubens and fear. This book was extremely sobering page turner. The voices of these teenagers cry out from the pages of this book, not asking for forgiveness, but for the reader to listen to their hearts, not their spur of the moment actions from the past. Susan Kuklin's research and writing was superb. The intended audience for this book is the young adult, but should be required reading for every parent. In the back of the book there is a glossary, an index, notes, and additional recommended books and web sites. The several young men portrayed in this book may not be choirboys, but they were children when they were incarcerated.

This book gives you an inside look at death row --- from the eyes of teenagers. I enjoyed this book because of the unique point of view and the raw feeling behind it, on the downside I found a few curse words and some themes that might be disagreeable in some homes so parents might want to pre-read to approve this book for their children. Overall, this is a great read for those wanting to look into teens in jail or those interesting in the justice system and what happens afterwards.