LAST CHANCE LIVE!

Young adults on death row compete on a reality show, seeking the prize of freedom.

Eternity Price hates God. She blames Him for everything that’s gone wrong in her life, starting with Dad’s death when she was 6 and Momma’s death when she was 12. Eternity and her younger brother, Sincere, moved in with Nana, their verbally abusive grandmother. Now, at 18, Eternity is on death row. She sees three ways to get out: “the legal stuff, run, or fight.” Appeals may take 20 years or more, and for a fat Black girl in Texas, fleeing doesn’t seem like a realistic option. Eternity decides to fight by applying to be on Last Chance LIVE!, a show that gives 10 contestants between the ages of 18 and 21 the chance to win their freedom. Viewers across America vote each week, and the eliminated contestants’ death sentences are expedited. Eternity thinks the risk is worth it, and she’s determined to win at any cost. Eternity and the other characters accurately represent the socioeconomic status and racial demographics in U.S. prisons. Unfortunately, this debut’s flat character development limits the story’s emotional resonance. The pacing is slow, and due to the amount of time the contestants are confined to their rooms, the novel becomes repetitive. The rousing and informative author’s note is excellent and will invite introspection and reflection, however.

Fails to deliver on its intriguing premise.