The Justice Project

September 1, 2019
A former high school football star attempts to prove a convicted murderer's innocence while adjusting to a permanent injury. Champion quarterback Matt Barnes' life and identity revolved around football. After a snowboarding accident left him with a permanent limp, Matt feels adrift. He finds a new role when he accepts an internship with Justice Project, an organization that defends wrongfully convicted prisoners, and takes on the case of a man serving time for murdering his parents 21 years before. Unfortunately, Matt's partnered with Sonya, his brilliant, if irritating, rival, and their search for the real killer seems hopeless; the remaining witnesses would rather discuss the state championship than long-ago murders, and promising leads hit dead ends. His hometown's obsession with football lends sympathy to Matt's depression and occasional self-pity, and Matt's halting steps toward self-acceptance are believable. Though Betcherman's (Face-Off, 2014, etc.) expository prose and dialogue slow the pacing and render emotional topics somewhat flat, his overview of wrongful conviction and its psychological toll on prisoners and their families may compel readers to seek further information. An author's note explains the real-life cases that inspired the plot and provides links to related websites. Most characters default to white, but naming conventions and hairstyles may be intended to imply some racial or ethnic diversity; Sonya is gay, closeted, and possibly black. Thought-provoking if not especially engaging. (author's note) (Mystery. 14-18)

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September 1, 2019
Grades 8-11 A freak accident leaves high school senior football star Matt Barnes disabled and unable to play sports any longer. With his college plans completely changed, Matt struggles to find a new purpose and identity. Along with his high school rival Sonya, he lands an internship at the Justice Project, a nonprofit organization that works to get innocent prisoners out from behind bars. Together, Matt and Sonya try to prove that a man who has been in jail for 20 years is innocent of murdering his parents, all while their friendship grows and Matt struggles to come to terms with his lost identity as a football hero. Betcherman is juggling topics that are both lighthearted, such as sports and some mild romance, and sensitive, such as murder and wrongful imprisonment. These issues are successfully blended into a well-rounded novel that, in tandem with interesting characters and a thrilling murder mystery, will grip readers' attention until the very end.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2019, American Library Association.)