Vendor
	Mohrbooks Literary Agency Sebastian Ritscher
Original language
English
Categories
Children’s, Teenage & Educational

FORGIVE ME NOT

Jennifer Baker

In this searing indictment of the juvenile justice system, one incarcerated teen weighs what she is willing to endure for forgiveness.

All it took was one night and one bad decision for fifteen-year-old Violetta Chen-Samuels' life to go off the rails. After driving drunk and causing the accident that kills her little sister, Violetta is incarcerated. Under the juvenile justice system, her fate lies in the hands of those she's wronged -- her family. With their forgiveness, she could go home. But without it? Well . . .

Denied their forgiveness, Violetta is now left with two options, neither good -- remain in juvenile detention for an uncertain sentence or participate in the Trials. The Trials are no easy feat, but if she succeeds, she could regain both her freedom and what she wants most of all: her family's love. In her quest to prove her remorse, Violetta is forced to confront not only her family's grief, but her own -- and the question of whether their forgiveness is more important than forgiving herself.

Jennifer Baker is a publishing professional of almost 20 years, creator/host of the Minorities in Publishing podcast, and faculty member of the MFA program in Creative Nonfiction at Bay Path University. Formerly a contributing editor to Electric Literature, she received a 2017 NYSCA/NYFA Fellowship and a Queens Council on the Arts New Work Grant for Nonfiction Literature. In 2019, she was named Publishers Weekly Superstar for her contributions to inclusion and representation in publishing. She has volunteered with organizations such as We Need Diverse Books and I, Too Arts Collective, and spoken widely on topics of inclusion, the craft of writing/editing, podcasting, and the inner-workings of the publishing industry. Her fiction, nonfiction, and criticism have appeared in various print and online publications.

Available products
Book Published 2023-08-15 by Nancy Paulsen Books
Book Published 2023-08-15 by Nancy Paulsen Books

Comments

Though the justice system in the novel is clearly fiction, the parallels with our current system - especially Baker's depiction of the unequal way justice is applied - are unmistakable. A sharp indictment, Baker makes a powerful and passionate statement about real justice embedded in a well-constructed plot populated by vivid characters.

Through resonant alternating perspectives, debut author Baker empathetically examines the harsh treatment of Black youth in the justice system. Affecting depictions of addiction and reform contribute to the novel's overarching interrogation of blame, guilt, and self-forgiveness.

Jennifer Baker crafts a riveting, heartbreaking, and ultimately redemptive tale with nuanced characters that are perfectly flawed and relatable. Forgive Me Not is an astute social commentary on the juvenile justice system and a powerful reflection on who deserves second chances. A groundbreaking debut that will stay with the reader long after the story ends.

Brilliant, bold, and deeply moving, Forgive Me Not shines a necessary and dignifying light on the young people trapped in a broken system of justice. This novel radiates with the redemptive power of love and forgiveness.

Unflinching and character-driven, Forgive Me Not confronts difficult questions about identity, family, and forgiveness. A potent reminder of the personal and societal harm caused by dehumanizing systems.

Baker's writing excels at showing rather than telling through vivid details.