Hell on Earth...Jersey style
Being locked up in an all-male juvie jail is bad enough-far worse when you're tormented by a sadistic guard and your own lifelong demons of rage and rejection. SONG OF THE CAGED BOYS takes place inside the fictional Rankin Hall as seen through the eyes of 17-year-old Clint Mosier. Clint would like nothing more than to take down his Number One scumbag nemesis, Officer Rafael Creed, but past failures keep him from even trying. Enter a motley mix of allies: the drug-dealing, origami-making genius, the brother of a terrorist, the feisty little Islamophobic, and the captivating psychologist. Follow Clint on this wild romp as he tries to navigate from angry isolation to collaborative friendship. (Book 1 of 2)
This coming-of-age novel takes a deep dive into such timely issues as anger management, intolerance, and the imperative need for critical thinking in this age of fake news.
BRETT HARTMAN is the author of the acclaimed YA novel CADILLAC CHRONICLES and the memoir HAMMERHEAD 84. He's also a clinical psychologist. His experience running an anger management group for teens and evaluating inmates at the county jail served as inspiration for this novel. He lives in Albany, NY with his wife and two sons.
Praise for CADILLAC CHRONICLES
"Fresh and gritty...The mix of humor, gravity, and angst will keep readers engaged, and this debut novel has enough of all three elements to appeal to reluctant and eager male readers alike." -School Library Journal, ★ starred review
"Cadillac Chronicles is a fine addition to young adult fiction collections, a solid coming-of-age story, highly recommended."-Midwest Book Review
"Angry, just-turned-16-year-old Alex, a white boy, and equally angry but very old Lester, a black man, are unlikely road-trip buddies in this novel that transcends its conventions...Alex learns to drive, comes to understand a little of the hard truth of race in post-Civil Rights-era America and spectacularly loses his virginity in a scene that will surprise readers as much as Alex...If there's little doubt about the end of the trip, readers will be happy they've gone along for the ride." - Kirkus Reviews
