Juvie

Gr 9 Up—Sadie, the sensible one, didn't want to go to the party. She wasn't into drinking, and she had a bad feeling when two skuzzy boys asked for a ride. Despite her misgivings, Sadie is in the driver's seat when an undercover cop appears. Carla is already on probation, and everyone assures Sadie she'll just get a slap on the wrist if she takes the fall. Things go wrong in court, however, and Sadie winds up sentenced to six months in the juvenile detention center, where she meets a rich cast of inmates, including Good Gina, Bad Gina, Chantrelle, and the Jelly Sisters. The characters are realistic, from Sadie's boyfriend to C. Miller, a female guard who shares Sadie's love of basketball. The chapters alternate between a timeline that moves from the party towards the court date, and one the progresses from Sadie's first body-cavity search to her third month in juvie. Whitney Dykhouse's slightly husky voice works well for Sadie. She isn't as convincing voicing the male characters, particularly the prison guards. Since most of this well-written and surprisingly humorous story (Candlewick, 2013) deals with young women, it doesn't distract from the ultimately hopeful story. Sadie is a strong protagonist and listeners will root for her as she serves her time.—Maggie Knapp, Trinity Valley School, Fort Worth, TX