05/19/2014
Cush's engaging debut, set in the courtroom, employs an intriguing premise. In January 2009, Malik Williams is an African-American 15-year-old living in poor, rundown west Philadelphia, when the police wrongfully arrest him for the fatal shooting of Troy Barnes, a school friend and known drug dealer. Janae, a single mother raising Malik and working as a hospital cafeteria cashier, accepts the offer from the Center for the Protection of Human Rights—headed by the passionate veteran attorney Roger Whitford—to defend Malik. Roger presents Janae with an unusual, though not original, defense, arguing how "African-American boys ought to be deemed legally endangered" and views Malik's homicide case in a broader context as the catalyst to effect much-needed black male juvenile prison reform. Calvin Moore, an ambitious African-American attorney at a large prestigious law firm and from the same rough neighborhood as the Williams, signs on as the co-counsel. As Roger and Calvin maneuver to block the prosecution's attempts to transfer Malik's case to adult court with a higher rate of convictions, Janae uses the neighborhood grapevine to learn the truth about what happened at Troy's murder scene. Cush has crafted a compassionate story that commands the reader's attention. (July)
[An] engaging debut. . . . Cush has crafted a compassionate story that commands the reader’s attention.” — Publishers Weekly
“Jean Love Cush fashions a far-reaching, thought-provoking tale from the kind of tragedy found any day on local newscasts and in the small type of big-city newspapers.” — Michael A. Fletcher, author of Being a Black Man in America and Supreme Discomfort
“Cush makes a passionate argument for the defense of young men whose only crimes were being born black in America. . . . A frightening and realistic story about the realities of racism, poverty and injustice.” — Kirkus Reviews
“…provocative…” — Philadelphia City Paper
“A heartwarming, insightful, and thought-provoking tale that is oftentimes all too true. The emotional impact is immediate. . . . It’s an infusion of masterful writing and raw emotion. It blow me away.” — Celeste Norfleet, author of The Thrill of You
“Endangered is a gripping tale that captivates from the first page to the very last. This phenomenal debut pulls at your heartstrings and exposes an unfair justice system while simultaneously engrossing you with skillful storytelling. It was amazing.” — Ashley & Jaquavis, New York Times bestselling authors of The Cartel
“A provocative look at the criminal justice system... Endangered is a powerful novel inspired by an all too real tragedy - the perilous state of inner city African-American men.” — Iron Mountain Daily News
“Engrossing. . . Janae’s raw emotions and feelings were fittingly portrayed as the young mother concerned about her son’s outcome.” — FictionZeal.com
“A quick, engaging story. . . A stark reminder of the human inside the skin, regardless of color, Endangered has the potential to open up discussions that are long overdue.” — Shelf Awareness
“An innocent black teenager is accused of murder in this provocative and compassionate thriller that skillfully probes issues of race, class, crime, and injustice and offers a searing portrait of modern America.” — Book Club Girl
“Bravely tackles the important social issue of racial injustice. . . Powerful.” — Library Journal
An innocent black teenager is accused of murder in this provocative and compassionate thriller that skillfully probes issues of race, class, crime, and injustice and offers a searing portrait of modern America.
A quick, engaging story. . . A stark reminder of the human inside the skin, regardless of color, Endangered has the potential to open up discussions that are long overdue.
Engrossing. . . Janae’s raw emotions and feelings were fittingly portrayed as the young mother concerned about her son’s outcome.
A provocative look at the criminal justice system... Endangered is a powerful novel inspired by an all too real tragedy - the perilous state of inner city African-American men.
Endangered is a gripping tale that captivates from the first page to the very last. This phenomenal debut pulls at your heartstrings and exposes an unfair justice system while simultaneously engrossing you with skillful storytelling. It was amazing.
A heartwarming, insightful, and thought-provoking tale that is oftentimes all too true. The emotional impact is immediate. . . . It’s an infusion of masterful writing and raw emotion. It blow me away.
…provocative…
Jean Love Cush fashions a far-reaching, thought-provoking tale from the kind of tragedy found any day on local newscasts and in the small type of big-city newspapers.
2014-05-21
An African-American teen accused of murder experiences the terror of the court system while his mother and his lawyers pursue an unusual argument for justice.It’s only 22 days into the New Year as this desperate novel begins, and there have already been 29 murders in Philadelphia. Cush (Tattered Bonds, 2006) draws on her experience in the Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office to paint a frightening picture of the awful day-to-day realities faced by impoverished children accused of crimes. The child at issue here is 15-year-old Malik Williams, who finds himself violently slammed to the ground by a white police officer and charged with the murder of another black kid; he's to be tried as an adult for a crime he did not commit. His mother, Janae, is a cafeteria worker and a woman of faith who lacks the resources to help her only child. She’s suspicious when approached by Roger Whitford, a human rights attorney who wants to spark a national debate over Malik’s defense. “I believe we can make a solid argument that African-American boys ought to be deemed legally endangered,” he tells a startled Janae. “Their very lives are threatened with extinction, or at least any meaningful existence, and thereby ought to be afforded certain protections based on their classification as such.” It’s a bold and risky defense, but Janae is running out of options. Buoyed by the genius of Calvin Moore, an ambitious defense attorney on loan from a high-end firm, Malik’s defenders navigate the hostile and dangerous ground between the justice system, the media and the American public. There’s not much mystery—Malik’s defense eventually becomes a case of figuring out who really committed the crime—but Cush makes a passionate argument for the defense of young men whose only crimes were being born black in America.A frightening and realistic story about the realities of racism, poverty and injustice in the Obama era.
