“In the spirit of [Walter Dean Myers's] Monste r meeting The Catcher in the Rye , Goodman's masterful story will remain with the reader long after the last page, echoing the raw truth that perhaps a real man is one who is both brave and scared.”

— Ruta Sepetys, author of Between Shades of Gray

“Gripping action, gritty dialogue, vivid characters, and palpable tension permeate the brief chapters of James's powerful, honest, compelling narrative.”

— School Library Journal

“Shawn Goodman takes us inside the gritty world of our juvenile justice system with the verve of a master storyteller.”

— Jordan Sonnenblick, author of Drums, Girls & Dangerous Pie

“The reader will be seized by [the boy's] plight and his determination not only to survive, but to better himself.”

— Todd Strasser, author of Give a Boy a Gun

“Kindness for Weakness is a daring, dazzling leap into the dark passage that is the journey to manhood.”

— Paul Griffin, author of The Orange Houses

“A gripping story of a boy's climb to manhood on his own terms.”

— Paul Volponi, author of The Final Four