Helena Hawoode Henry is brilliant in her choice of character names, words, and the book’s title, Last Chance Live!. She masterfully threads together the story of Eternity, a death row teenager waiting… Waiting in an interrogation room only to be “hoodwinked ‘ into confessions. Waiting for the opportunity to participate in the reality show that could save her life if, for once in her life, she wins. If only to visit what, Disneyland, a place that Eternity longed for—a place of belonging, happiness, and community.

Haywood Henry’s storytelling is both poetic and more like nonfiction. Inner-city dialogue and vivid descriptions make the characters real. One could almost shudder to taste the institutionalized prison food described. Because the writing wraps the reader into the story, when Eternity admits to committing a horrible crime, her humanity challenges the reader to examine oneself and ask the question, ‘Does my life have enough value to be forgiven?’

Spoiler alert: Last Chance Live! will leave readers longing for ‘the happy ending’. But true to the author’s style. And be sure to read the Author’s Note, which provides hope and a challenge to take part in change.

Review written by Sidney Frazier-Barker, edited by Kristi Bonds