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Prison Nation

by Jenni Merritt (Goodreads Author)

3.62 of 5 stars 3.62 · rating details · 601 ratings · 131 reviews

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...more

Paperback, 302 pages

Published December 2nd 2011 (first published December 1st 2011)

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Jan 26, 2013 Haley rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: ebooks-read

More accurately, I'd give this book a 3.5
I'm trying to decide if I should buy a paperback copy instead of simply owning the ebook.

Prison Nation was yet another cleverly done Dystopian book, which I thoroughly enjoyed!

Millie has spent her entire life, born and raised, in Spokane, one of the four prisons in what is now the walled in country of the United States. Since her parents, not she, are the ones who committed the crime which resulted in her life in prison, at the age of 18 she is finally g...more

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Nov 15, 2012 Matt Schiariti rated it 3 of 5 stars

I have to start by saying I loved the premise of this book. Imagine our country in the future. A future where it's easier to get thrown in prison than it is to stay out of it. A future where a massive wall has been erected round the entire country, cutting us off from the rest of the world. Imagine a world where if you're born to criminals in prison you're forced to pay for THEIR sins, unable to be released until your 18th birthday.

That's the world in which Millie 942B is born into. Her mother a...more I have to start by saying I loved the premise of this book. Imagine our country in the future. A future where it's easier to get thrown in prison than it is to stay out of it. A future where a massive wall has been erected round the entire country, cutting us off from the rest of the world. Imagine a world where if you're born to criminals in prison you're forced to pay for THEIR sins, unable to be released until your 18th birthday.

That's the world in which Millie 942B is born into. Her mother and father are lifers. They committed a crime when they were young and had Millie while they were incarcerated in the Spokane Prison, one of four such city sized prisons throughout the country. Millie is a Jail Baby. Jail Babies are taught how great The Nation is, that they must be the good and the strong to make sure the Nation survives.

As I said, the premise is fascinating. It's the execution where the book failed to rivet me.

Prison Nation is split into three parts. The first is set entirely within Spokane Prison. It's basically the setup for the rest of the book. And it's very very slow. I think my main issue with the novel is how stiffly the characters are portrayed. Everyone has a very stilted way of talking. "I had not..I did not..I would not.."..even the narration, which is first person told through Millie's perspective, is the same. It came off as a little dry.

The second part is shorter but is also slow as well. Some new characters are introduced and we learn, through Millie's experiences that the Nation is not at all what she learned it was in the Prison. We also learn that not everyone in Prison is guilty. A good many of them are in fact, innocent. Once again, some interesting turns here but still, the dialogue and narration is stiff and stuffy at times.

The third part is the shortest and kind of throws several things together at once. It begs a sequel as well.

All in all, a solid read. I just wish it would have been a little more well balanced between the three acts and that the people read a little more fluidly.

I don't mean to bash the author in any way. She's come up with a very cool idea and told the tale. It's also her first book and I know that writing isn't easy. It's not easy to develop a voice. I think if a sequel did come out I would certainly read it just because I think, if she hits her stride, we'd be in for something special. Also, the premise is too interesting not to see how it would turn out. (less)

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Sep 16, 2012 Literatta rated it 3 of 5 stars

A good YA novel. A story which makes one think of the direction of our country and what government will do for control. This moral was a bit too spelled out for my taste but I think it's fitting for the target audience. The bits and pieces, the little clues as to the mystery of who is who, was again, too clearly laid out, almost like I was being spoon fed them. Again, I understand the need because of the target audience. I most enjoyed Millie's feelings and perspectives and her troubled relation...more

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Sep 03, 2012 Joy Findlay rated it 4 of 5 stars

I actually read this book before reading any other reviews on it. The cover and title was enough for me to buy it. I don't do this with every book, please believe me, but I guess this one just intrigued me enough to click 'buy'.

I found the pace of the first two parts of the book a little slow for me - hence the 4 star - but it basically follows Millie's personal journey from living as a captive 'Jail Baby' her whole life to learning what it means to live on the outside. She was schooled and made...more

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Jun 22, 2012 Alisha rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

A dystopian future that feels so real and realistic that you can almost see it coming. Millie is a young girl about to turn 18, and she was born and raised in prison. In this future, any small crime can land you decades in prisons as large as cities. Raised in blind belief of the system, by parents who rarely are focused on reality, Millie has always had to rely on herself. After reaching 18, she is finally released into the outside world, and allowed to meet people very different then her. As s...more

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Mar 30, 2012 Roxanne Crouse rated it 3 of 5 stars

This book is about a girl named Millie who has lived her entire life in a prison called Spokane because of her parents' crimes. She has committed no crimes herself and strongly believes in the laws of The Nation. On her eighteenth birthday she will be released from prison and become a citizen of The Nation. Once out, she learns The Nation isn't what she was taught to believe.

This book is set in a dystopian future where the United State no longer exists. In it's place stands The Nation that has b...more This book is about a girl named Millie who has lived her entire life in a prison called Spokane because of her parents' crimes. She has committed no crimes herself and strongly believes in the laws of The Nation. On her eighteenth birthday she will be released from prison and become a citizen of The Nation. Once out, she learns The Nation isn't what she was taught to believe.

This book is set in a dystopian future where the United State no longer exists. In it's place stands The Nation that has built a wall covering the entire boarder to keep people out, and to keep people in. The Justice system has been completely changed. A citizen is no longer innocent until proven guilty. Everything about the setting is interesting and well written by Jenni Merritt.

The plot of this novel is interesting as well. It starts a few weeks before Millie is released from the prison. The reader gets to experience Millie's everyday prison life and feel her anxiety over leaving her parents and the prison walls behind. At times, I feel it is described too well, to the point where it becomes redundant and I'm ready for the story to move forward again. For example, "During the day, a haze of sunlight would illuminate the thick plastic window, giving us our only sign it was no longer night. Daytime it glowed, nighttime it was dead black." The first sentence is enough to describe the window. The second slows the pace of the story. Dialog is interrupted a lot with the characters feelings and overreactions as well, but it wasn't to the point that I got annoyed and stopped reading. I did find myself on occasion reading only the first sentence or two of a paragraph, then skipping to the dialog to keep the pace moving. Once she is out of the prison, she meets Reed, born and raised outside the prison walls, and from him, Millie starts learning the truth about the world of The Nation. The prison part of Prison Nation was so well developed that when you get out of the prison, it's disappointing. Not so disappointing that I stopped reading, but enough to make me shake my head. From the time she leaves the prison, the plot and other characters become contrived. The way the plot wraps up with everyone somehow connected to each other seemed too unrealistic to me, too coincidental. The world Jenni Merritt creates is fascinating, but the plot in the second half of the book didn't work for me.

The main character, Millie, had a lot of depth, but the rest could have used more. Why did the parents never tell Millie the truth during the eighteen years they spent together in a cell? They had plenty of down time for it to come up. I didn't feel a good enough reason was ever presented to explain why they didn't tell her the truth before she discovers it. Why does Reed suddenly decide to do something? I never felt a good enough reason was given to explain his sudden change. When the characters come across Maria's situation, why didn't they help her? They just decided to leave and left her to her doom.

Overall, I liked the world this story was set in and I liked the main character Millie. I liked where I plot seemed to be going until it didn't. It never got dangerous enough. The ending did leave room for sequels so maybe we'll see more of this world. I liked the story enough that I would give a second book a try. (less)

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Mar 26, 2012 Wendy Hines rated it 5 of 5 stars

The United States has left the UN and have built a wall around it's perimeter. No one gets in and no one gets out. There are new rules and new laws, the government called the Nation, no longer United.Within these walls are three large prisons. Criminals are granted no leniency. You are no longer innocent until proven guilty. Lady Justice no longer exists, nor do lawyers or judges. Thieving? Twenty years. Murder? Your in for life. If you are born in prison, you stay in prison until you earn your...more

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Apr 21, 2013 Amy rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2013, dystopia, fantasy

This was a really enjoyable story, which I managed to get though in a single day. It was an very interesting read about the future of America after they get rid of lawyers, change the idea of criminal trials and make the punishments harsher for all crimes as well as pulling away from all other countries and constructing a wall around the country to keep everyone else out. Children who happen to be born in Prison are kept in with their parents with all the other criminals until they turn 18 and t...more

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Oct 24, 2012 Kami (WickedKarma) rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I downloaded Prison Nation as a freebie not knowing what to expect. The description sounded interesting even though it is something I normally would not have read. I am glad I did, it was great.

Millie is what is known as a Jail Baby. Millie's parents are both in jail & she was born in jail. 50% of the population is in jail in this interesting world. The Nation is what the U.S. used to be before it broke free from the UN & put up a wall around itself to keep the bad out & the good in....more

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Jan 11, 2012 Rolenda rated it 4 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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May 13, 2013 Laura rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: dystopias

Review originally posted on: http://a-reader-lives-a-thousand-live...

Back to the dystopian stuff I'm afraid, though I do have some other genres lined up to read, promise!

I've thankfully just discovered that there is going to be a second book (called Lady Justice), which is good as I felt that the story has much further to go. Though at the same time if there was no further books I can see how Prison Nation could just be left there.

Something important to note is that the heroine, Millie, isn't yo...more Review originally posted on: http://a-reader-lives-a-thousand-live...

Back to the dystopian stuff I'm afraid, though I do have some other genres lined up to read, promise!

I've thankfully just discovered that there is going to be a second book (called Lady Justice), which is good as I felt that the story has much further to go. Though at the same time if there was no further books I can see how Prison Nation could just be left there.

Something important to note is that the heroine, Millie, isn't your typical 'hate the Nation' type, well to start with. In the Nation, babies born in jail are kept in jail until they turn 18, then they are assessed for parole and released. Obviously the information they are told is very limited and what the Nation wants them to hear, so in essence they are brainwashed perfect citizens. Millie doesn't question the Nation much until people suggest she does, notably Reed and Orrin, but when she does she starts wanting to topple the Nation, this starts about the point that she discovers the truth about her parents.

I guess that looking at the book there are 3 love interests; Jude, Carl and Reed. Reed is the obvious one, it is obvious from the moment they meet that Reed and Millie are going to fall in love and become the, kind of typical, kick ass anti-dystopian rebel couple. Then there is Jude, he's a prison guard, a GF, and one of the only ones that has ever been friendly to Millie. But as is frequently pointed out, Millie is beautiful, I find it difficult to believe that we have heard the last from Jude or that he doesn't want something with Millie. Then we get to Carl. At first I thought Carl was going to be Reed, i.e. Millie's life love and half of the kind of typical, kick ass anti-dystopian rebel couple. It didn't take me long to realise I was wrong, and I didn't actually see the surprise reveal coming about Carl's identity.

The mystery I did solve early on, and certainly before we were told (well Millie was told) was the identity of Orrin's missing younger son. Thankfully I thought that the reveal was sweet rather than cliché, particularly the way that it was revealed, not your normal secret identity reveal! Plus the reveal itself didn't actually change the story, it just neatened up the plot slightly!

It took me a couple of attempts to get started with this book, but I think that was more to do with me and my state of mind rather than the book itself, as once I got into it I certainly enjoyed it, and I will be looking out for the release of Lady Justice to see where Millie 924B's story goes...or should I say the way that Millie Summers' story goes. (less)

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Apr 04, 2013 Amos rated it 4 of 5 stars

Honestly, because the main character is 18 I thought this book would be one of those teen read books. But I think the author chose 18 to further impress the naivety of the main character into the reader.
I did like the book. However, it gave me the same rock of apprehension in my stomach that 1984 did. In fact 1984 was mentioned by the secondary characters in the book. The book was very 1984ish; people afraid to practically move at all for fear of breaking some law, the unjust monsters of the wo...more

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May 23, 2012 Kamilla rated it 3 of 5 stars

While the concept of this book was intriguing and really is what kept me reading. This book is in serious need of a plot and line edit. There were several plot points that just didn't make sense. And some simple sentence construction mistakes that made the writing choppy and incoherent at times.
Mille is in jail with her parents, they all live in the same cell, even though they were sent to jail before she was born for a crime. She is also allowed to walk around the jail where no one is segrega...more While the concept of this book was intriguing and really is what kept me reading. This book is in serious need of a plot and line edit. There were several plot points that just didn't make sense. And some simple sentence construction mistakes that made the writing choppy and incoherent at times.
Mille is in jail with her parents, they all live in the same cell, even though they were sent to jail before she was born for a crime. She is also allowed to walk around the jail where no one is segregated. She later states she dealt with Pedophiles and rapist her entire life.... okaaaaayyyyyyyy......
About half of the book takes place in the Prison before Mille's release at 18. It would be intriguing if most of that time wasn't spent in internal dialogue while Millie sits in her cell for several days doing nothing. IE the pedophile/rapist revelation only comes out after she leaves the prison. If I was going to spend a week with Mille in jail it would have been interesting to see her walk around and see what was really going on in there. And all the people she encountered. Also a new guard on her last week in Prison comes to her block and literally stalks her...... it was odd and weird as he came out of nowhere but then claims to have been "watching" her for several years. So in a week he went from someone you didn't know at all to someone obsessed with the main character.
The second half of the book takes place after her release into a work program... you experience her first day and night and then the book jumps two weeks with a little recap. That's fine expect all these relationships she was building happen over night then(but I know a lot about several people in the prison) So it ended up feeling very forced because I missed the relationship being built and getting to know the new characters.
There are several revelations at the back end of the book, that honestly I could see a mile away. As well as the ending chapters, the outside world is walled in as well.... so cue obligatory make a run for the wall to escape scene. They do escape but without so much as a plan or an escape route literally they get the other side of the wall which is the ocean, the decide to turn around and help other people escape....they walk back into the wall, and also to this messy police scene waiting for them..... end of the book..... I sat there going escape where??? you made it to the beach, what? is everyone just going to live there???? there's no plan.....

The world is interesting and the concept is interesting as well, but there wasn't much time spent really on world building or character development. Hopefully the second book will build more on the world already created.... and let me in on the plan to get the people out of Prison nation....
(less)

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May 21, 2012 Nicole rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: dystopian, young-adult

Millie 942B has been in prison her entire life. Born to Lifers, she knows nothing of the outside world... only what the prison school has taught her. She lives in Nation, formerly known as The United States in the 2020's.

The Nation has strict laws that are harshly enforced in order to keep the outside safe and structured. As a result, the country had to build four mega prisons on each corner of the country to hold everyone. There are more people in than out.

But prison life is all Millie has ever...more

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Apr 01, 2012 Kristin rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: dystopia-futuristic, fiction, romance, science-fiction, self-published

Found this for free on Amazon, and I must say I am very impressed that this is a debut novel.

Another self published book that I enjoyed. It takes place in a futuristic, messed up America,where people are no longer free until proven guilty.

Prison Nation had me glued from the beginning. Millie was born in the prison, lived in the prison her entire life, and was about to be released on her 18th birthday. While some may think that the beginning was slow and seemed to take forever for her to get on...more

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Dec 17, 2012 Ashley (Nose Graze) rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

BookNook — Young Adult book reviews

I really wanted to enjoy this book because I love the idea of it, but I just kept waiting for that moment when it would get good, and it never came. It wasn't really horrible, but it never got interesting; it never piqued my interest; and I never felt invested in the story or characters.

In some ways, I feel like nothing really happened in Prison Nation . The plot is exactly as you would expect it to be with no surprises, no twists, no turns, and no exciting cli...more BookNook — Young Adult book reviews

I really wanted to enjoy this book because I love the idea of it, but I just kept waiting for that moment when it would get good, and it never came. It wasn't really horrible, but it never got interesting; it never piqued my interest; and I never felt invested in the story or characters.

In some ways, I feel like nothing really happened in Prison Nation . The plot is exactly as you would expect it to be with no surprises, no twists, no turns, and no exciting climax. Prison Nation was missing that extra element that would have made it an interesting and engaging book. The whole time while reading, I was struggling to figure out the story. In some ways, I had no idea where it was headed, just because it was only ever following the route I expected it to take. I kept waiting for that moment where I would be surprised and excited and engaged, but it never came. So I was constantly just sitting there a little puzzled and confused by the book.

None of the characters in Prison Nation stood out to me. Millie was… a little dull. I suppose that's always a problem when the main character is raised to be a brainwashed cookie cutter who never questions the Nation. She does have her redeeming moment at the end, but I think it was just too little too late. For 95% of the book, Millie read a bit like an emotionless robot. She lived her life, she went through the motions, she never questioned the Nation (until the very end), and it just made reading a little dull.

And the love interest was really forced; it was definitely a case of insta-love. Millie knows Reed for two weeks, they go on one date (which wasn't even supposed to be a date—I'm being generous by calling it that), and we read like two of their conversations, and then Reed is saying things like this:

"I need you, Millie. I am falling in love with you, and I can't lose you now."
—Prison Nation, Page 227

"If I had to live without you, Millie. If for some reason you were gone… I would never have to think twice. I would miss you with every fiber of who I am."
—Prison Nation, Page 236

The only character who really interested me was Orrin, and he only has a few lines in the whole book (all of which were notes written on paper). He was a sweet, caring, wise father figure—the kind that dishes out excellent advice that makes you think. Given the limitations of Orrin's dialogue in the book, it's quite impressive that he's the most interesting character in the book. It's just a shame that the rest of the characters didn't have that same level of depth.

Overall, I didn't despise Prison Nation , it just never interested me. There were also a few unanswered questions that really annoyed me. Millie constantly refers to some sort of "fog" taking over her mind and making her glaze over. It almost sounds like some sort of Novocain, but it's never ever explained. Two other characters refer to this "fog", but we never actually find out what the heck it is. There isn't even a promise that it will be addressed in book two, so it just left me a bit frustrated and confused.

There certainly is an interesting story here in Prison Nation, but I don't think it was executed very well. It's missing that extra layer of depth and excitement that will really rope you in as a reader.(less)

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Dec 18, 2012 Adrienne Monson rated it 4 of 5 stars

As is the case with most YA genres that I've read, I think there could have been more meat to this story. That being said, I couldn't put the book down. I was sucked into the new world that Merritt created and was sad when I finished because I just wanted more.
I like how the author showed the horrible things happening - not trying to tiptoe around dark things - while keeping it to a PG-13 rating.
I am hoping that, as the series continues, there will be better explanations behind why the Nation is...more

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Dec 12, 2011 Kimmel Tippets rated it 5 of 5 stars

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 intric...more

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Jan 17, 2012 Elle rated it 4 of 5 stars

I read this book in about a day, which is a rare thing for me to do. What I probably liked most about this book is how different, yet cohesive, each part of the book is: Millie's life in prison and her life outside of it. With some books, the author doesn't spend nearly enough time describing the world their character's came from. Jenni takes time to introduce Millie's life within the prison before she enters her new life outside of it, and every detail about it was captivating.

I also liked the...more

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Dec 07, 2012 Sarah rated it 4 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Sep 06, 2012 Marlo rated it 2 of 5 stars

The premise of this novel interested me enough to get started. My inability to finish a story made me finish it.

This felt like a rough draft. All the bones of the story down on paper, with none of the fleshing out. Also, it was hard to connect to most of the characters due to a lack of character development and I found some elements of the plot completely unrealistic.

I was disappointed because it seems like the author had an interesting thought and started to write about it. Somewhere along th...more

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Mar 27, 2013 Katherine rated it 3 of 5 stars

I can't say that I loved this book, but it was an enjoyable read. For a debut novel, I think it could even be called impressive. I liked the premise that, in the future, children born to inmates are forced to live in prison until their 18th birthday, all the while being indoctrinated into the beliefs of the Nation. I thought it fitting that the Nation (continental US) had built a wall around itself (a theory I think everyone has heard floating around occasionally) and people are thrown into pris...more

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Mar 21, 2013 Paul rated it 4 of 5 stars

'Prison Nation' tells the story of 'Jail Baby' Millie 942B in a future America where a wall has been built to keep enemies out and citizens in.

The story is very well written telling how Millie (born to parents convicted of criminal activities) is set to be released into 'The Nation' on her eighteenth birthday.

The build up to her release is handled really well but the book takes a dramatic turn upon Millie's release as the real story is uncovered.

The ending was a little disappointing (and that is...more

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Jan 09, 2013 Lexie rated it 2 of 5 stars

I was so excited for this book but after reading it I feel so disappointed.

First of, they spent way too much time in the prison. There was only suppose to be like 2 days I believe until our main character was released. But those two days felt like eternity. The author spent too much time and detail with the prison. When our main character actually got out it was like when it snows in Houston, TX it only lasts for like 2 minutes. There was no long hunt in unburying her parents secrets, there was...more

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Jul 22, 2012 Valerie rated it 4 of 5 stars

This book is a great read. Interesting characters, very well paced, etc. i can tell its a self-published novel, though, because there are a lot of errors. The constant use of the word "alright", and the use of the wrong homonym ("break" instead of "brake" for example) was distracting. And the author didn't use any contractions, ("you will be alright"), which made the dialogue clunky.

Even with those problems, the book was an excellent picture of a dystopian future in the United States when the g...more

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Mar 22, 2013 Emily rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: kindle

I feel like a fool. The synopsis of the book had me convinced it would be well worth my time, I thought for sure that it would be dystopian perfection. The book starts off slow, which was OK since I assumed there was some important world building happening. However, it never really picks up, it drags pretty must through the entire book. At about the 80% mark there was some poorly executed action scenes. The resolution felt rushed and there was a seriously bad attempt at a cliffhanger. I am utter...more

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Jul 19, 2012 Jenn rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012, favorites, contemporary

I almost put this down after about fifteen pages or so, but I'm glad I didn't. I'm also content with the way it ended. I emailed the author asking if she intends to continue the story but from the other character's perspective, and she said she most likely will. In my opinion, he just doesn't seem strong enough to carry a full story of his own, but maybe that's just because we see and take everything in through Millie's perspective. There were a few things that were pretty predictable to me (I r...more

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Jan 19, 2012 Trisha rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: diy, young-adult, writer-friends-books

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. I just finished Jenni Merritt's debut novel this morning and have to say it has the makings of just a "beginning" - the way it ended, while kind of low-key, was also vaguely epic, or rather it spoke of much epicness to come. Basically, I think there should be a sequel. Before I get onto that in more detail, I'll briefly mention the story itself. Millie 942B is a "Jail Baby", born into a huge prison that her parents are locked in for life. She's about to turn 18, and upon her 18th birthday will b...more I just finished Jenni Merritt's debut novel this morning and have to say it has the makings of just a "beginning" - the way it ended, while kind of low-key, was also vaguely epic, or rather it spoke of much epicness to come. Basically, I think there should be a sequel. Before I get onto that in more detail, I'll briefly mention the story itself. Millie 942B is a "Jail Baby", born into a huge prison that her parents are locked in for life. She's about to turn 18, and upon her 18th birthday will be set free from the Prison. She's set to become a part of "The Nation", a proud and hard-working citizen for the cause. Only there's a lot she doesn't know about the Nation she's been taught (read: a wee bit brainwashed) to love all these years. She gets hints here & there prior to her release, but none of them make sense to her until she does get free, and finally learns certain truths - about her parents' story, and about some of the so-called criminals she shared her living space with for her first 18 years.

Okay, so back to the sequel stuff. I think that what would happen in the sequel is stuff that I wanted to see happen throughout this entire novel - somebody (read: Millie) somehow breaking back into the prison & freeing some people...or somehow destroying the entire prison, maybe. ;) I guess I have something in mind like from Dean Koontz's Twilight Eyes, where Slim & Rya ...well, let's not get into that, but suffice it to say it was full of EPICIVITY! I feel like a sequel to Prison Nation could be full of the same!

When I was first reading Prison Nation, I felt like it was moving too slowly and that too much time was spent in the prison, prior to Millie's release. I wanted to get to her release & see what she did with it, what she discovered, etc. To be honest I didn't really see the good drama/action of the latter part of the book coming. I wasn't sure that things were going to pick up speed at any point. But they did! I definitely preferred the last 100 pages, I think. But in hindsight, I definitely think that the first parts of the book were useful for building tension, and of course for setting the scene for what was, in a sense, the beginning of Millie's real life. I'm just not sure that this setting of the scene needed to be so drawn out. There were certain scenes that were incredibly poignant that were indeed necessary, but sometimes I thought we saw a bit too much of the mundaneness of everyday prison life.

All in all, this story has the makings of being completely epic (yes, I'm using that word a lot) and I would definitely read a sequel. But I'd want to see the tension a lot more present throughout the whole book, and the action a lot more consistent. Of course sometimes you need "down time" to give your poor heart a rest from said tension... But still, fast-paced and gripping is a great thing.

To summarise, I think Jenni's debut shows a lot of promise for this young author & I can't wait to see what she does next!(less)

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Jul 25, 2012 Wade rated it 1 of 5 stars

The book is unique but at the same time unoriginal. It's turning points are coincidences teetering towards ridiculousness. The main character is practically unrelatable. Poor character development(with characters other than millie). the whole story has a very cliche feeling. I think that Jenni will write books in the future that will be much better than Prison Nation. The idea of individualism that she uses seems to stem from Ayn Rand's books and naturally pulls the reader in, however the lack o...more

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May 19, 2013 Suzanne rated it 4 of 5 stars

This book was an interesting dystopian novel. I had never considered the possibility of a nation almost completely imprisoned, but in this new America, most of the citizens are in prison for varying levels of violations. Millie has grown up inside the walls of the prison, but is released upon her 18th birthday. She is released to work on a farm, where it is illegal to even eat one of the apples she picks. More and more is revealed to Millie about how wrong this society is. The book is very inter...more

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Goodreads Authors...: This Weekend Only: Prison Nation is FREE!	2	10	Dec 03, 2012 09:35am

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Young Adult

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Science Fiction > Dystopia

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About Jenni Merritt

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...more

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BBCode	[url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13141794-prison-nation?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book][img]http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1348997135l/13141794.jpg[/img][/url] [url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13141794-prison-nation?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book]Prison Nation by Jenni Merritt[/url]

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