The characters in Sadie's unit are really something and it's easy to imagine her horror at being locked up with such criminals when she herself is innocent. Sure, I've read books about life on the inside but never from a teenager's point of view. I personally favoured the chapters on the inside because it was a world away from anything I'd read before. This was a really good read set both inside and outside the youth offenders' institute. Except things don't go to plan, and Sadie gets sent to, you've guessed it, juvenile detention for her supposed role in the crime. It's not ideal, but she can take one for the team. She'll be fine, and so will Carla and baby Lulu. If she takes the blame, she'll likely get off with a caution for a first offence, no harm done. Sadie is, if not a good girl, then definitely the better sister. It will put her away for some time, away from her young daughter in a way that no one wants.

Carla has a history and so her sentence will be stiffer. The two girls end up at the wrong place at the wrong time, and before they know it they're in court trying to clear their names. So when Carla is at a party and finds herself at a situation, Sadie helps her out, against her better judgement. Sadie and Carla are sisters who are not much alike, but they look out for each other. With the title Juvie it’s clear what this book is going to be about, even before you've seen the orange jumpsuited figure on the cover. Summary: Sadie is sent to juvie by mistake (really) but will she be able to maintain her innocence, and keep positive, during her time inside?

What comes after by steve watkins