Prison Nation [Kindle Edition]

Jenni Merritt (Author)

Book Description

In the Nation, no one is innocent - not even the children born behind bars. Millie 942B has spent her entire life locked away with her criminal parents and countless other inmates. She believes in the Nation, in its strict laws and harsh punishments. 

But when Millie is released on her eighteenth birthday, she finds things are nothing as she was taught. People vanish, never to be seen again. Lies cover every word. Trust is as fragile as ice.

And then there is Reed. Born and raised outside the Prison walls, his dreams and thoughts cause Millie to doubt everything she has ever believed. 

What is truly worth fighting for? If she pushes too hard, she could lose her freedom. If she stays silent, she could lose herself. The clock is ticking, and Millie must find the truth before it is too late.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Jenni Merritt was born and raised on a small island in the Puget Sound. From a young age she discovered and fell in love with the world of writing and has been happily obsessed ever since. She is now married to the love of her life, and has two crazy but amazing little boys. When not busying herself with being a stay-at-home mom, writing books, keeping her blog, and diving into photography, Jenni sometimes manages to snag some much needed sleep.  

To find out more about Jenni and her writing, visit JenniMerritt.com

Product Details

• File Size: 399 KB
• Print Length: 304 pages
• Page Numbers Source ISBN: B0085T59F4
• Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.
• Language: English
• ASIN: B006H4LPZW
• Text-to-Speech: Enabled
• X-Ray: Enabled
• Lending: Enabled
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #58,781 Paid in Kindle Store (See Top 100 Paid in Kindle Store)

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

89 of 94 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars prison nation March 20, 2012

By blakey

Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase

if i had paused after reading only the first section of this novel and written a review, i would have given it five stars.

this is a very interesting premise. millie is born in prison and the laws of the nation (a reformed usa) requires that the children of prisoners are held within the city-sized prisons until reaching adulthood. the first section of the novel begins as millie faces her approaching release. she has lived her entire life in a cell shared with her parents, both serving life sentences. she has rarely been outside, has never touched a tree and exists within the rhythm of lockdowns and the stomping boots of guards. once millie reaches her birthday, she is allowed out into the world to find that the great nation lives up to the cynical nickname spoken in whispers: prison nation.

i loved the concept. the scenes set within the prison are brilliant. i was ready to start recommending the book to everyone i know. for me, though, the story came apart with millie leaving the jail behind. the first section was so amazing, it built up such high expectations that the rest couldn't live up to. while the first section was gritty, poignant and touching, the rest felt underdeveloped and simplified. i was disappointed by the plot. characters act to help millie in a really irrational way. the situation with jude just didn't make sense to me. i was annoyed by every little scrap of plot and character being woven up into a neat little bow. for a novel that starts so dark, it ends with a bit too much sunshine and hugging (metaphorically speaking). the end was too tidy, everything just lining up too neat and pretty. the grim start did need to be balanced but it was overdone and came off like artificial sweetner- so sugared it makes you wince.
it is a good book but the lack of balance between the sections left me unsatisfied. it was too unbelievable, moving from this horror prison situation to the final scenes. i feel that the characters weren't developed enough. it seems like they'd just spent their lives hanging around and only when millie appears do they choose to act. it didn't make any sense to me why jude made his gift to millie or why the boys decided to escape- without any kind of real plan or reason even though they maintain it was always going to happen. there are too many holes in the plot at the end.

the spokane prison fascinates me. i would love to read another novel set in this world. i want to experience more of the prison nation. i just hope that in the next story, the plot unfolds in a way that is more natural. the action was thought out but the motivation was lacking or confused. with more thought into the characters, the background and the concept, i can see one of the best young adult novels of the year being written.

29 of 30 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful ideas and strong start, shaky conclusion March 24, 2012

By las

Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase

This is harder to review than things usually are. I wish I could have two criteria - one for the plot line (which I'd give 4 or 5 stars - it's a refreshing new take on the dystopian society) and one for the plot execution (which would get 2).

Millie is a young adult who has grown up inside a state prison, condemned there for 18 years with her parents while still unborn and is now facing entrance into the outside "free" world. This is dystopian society at it's most gritty. The problem is that after that rock solid introduction, the plot becomes very fuzzy. There are logical leaps that left me scratching my head, and too many strong coincidences to swallow. The conclusion was a sudden, frenzied jolt and I was left feeling like I'd just been dropped on my head.

I think it's a great first novella, if indeed it's the author's first, and I'm slightly sad she didn't start with something else and hold this in reserve to be a better book once she had more experience and a better editor under her belt.

23 of 24 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Amazing debut! December 12, 2011

By Kimmel

Format:Kindle Edition

I read this book in two days because I couldn't put it down. I am amazed that this is a debut novel.

The world of Prison Nation is fascinating and the main character, Millie, is no exception. From the first page I was invested in finding out what happens to her, what her life is really like inside of a prison, and what will happen to her if/when she is finally released. Her relationship with her parents is particularly interesting and definitely worth reading the book just to discover the intricacies of that relationship.

The author's way with words is amazing. She paints such a clear picture with just a few sentences. She has an amazing ability to provoke emotion from the reader, which isn't an easy thing to do. This book had me laughing and crying. I was genuinely sad to see it end. I'm sincerely hoping that there will be a sequel in the near future.

More About the Author

Jenni Merritt was born and raised on a small island in the Puget Sound. From a young age she discovered and fell in love with the world of writing and has been happily obsessed ever since. She is now married to the love of her life, and has two crazy but amazing little boys. When not busying herself with being a stay-at-home mom, writing books, keeping her blog, and diving into photography, Jenni sometimes manages to snag some much needed sleep.