Allegedly by Tiffany D. Jackson

Megan | Biotechnology High School, Grade 9

Rating: *****

While in the care of a devout black woman Dawn Cooper and her nine-year-old daughter Mary Addison, three-month-old infant Alyssa Richardson is murdered. Neighbors and friends are truly shocked, pitying Ms. Cooper, a seemingly gracious and faithful woman, for raising an ‘evil’ daughter. Experts are posed with a question -- can children be inherently ‘evil’ and malicious? Mary is convicted, and after enduring ‘baby jail’ for six years, she is placed in a group home with girls older than her. But what exactly happened on the tragic night of Alyssa’s death? Did Mary really kill her? Everything is alleged. Allegedly is written from Mary’s perspective as she is bullied by other girls and struggles to better her life.

Reading “Allegedly” was truly a mental roller coaster. As a reader, I did not know whether or not to trust Mary, for she is an unreliable narrator. Readers are also exposed to the deep flaws of the juvenile justice system. Personally, the kindness of individuals such as Ms. Cora and Mrs. Claire warmed my heart. At the same time, I was horrified at the lengths some of these characters were willing to go to in order to save their own skin. Jackson poses many difficult moral questions and covers germane topics such as abortion rights, abuse, and mental illness. Are the questionable actions of these characters justified by their tough predicaments and desperation for survival? Do the ends justify the means? Furthermore, although I typically enjoy large plot twists, I felt that the ending of this particular novel was slightly abrupt and took away from the overall message and theme of the story. Nevertheless, Allegedly was still an incredibly powerful yet grim and heartbreaking novel that is guaranteed to keep you on your toes until the very end.