Welcome to my blog.

The book that I am reading is called Upstate by Kalisha Buckhanon. The book is about the a 17 year-old boy, Antonio,  who is in jail for killing his father. The book consists of letters that he writes to his girlfriend, Natasha, while he in jail explaining to her the things he goes through inside jail. In the first chapter he asked her if she believed he killed his father and she doesn’t answer his question. She asks him to explain what happened the night of his father’s death, but he tells her that if he were to write down what happened someone in the jail could get a hold of the letter and use the information he wrote against him and get him more time in jail. Later when he goes to court for his trail, Natasha finds out what happened that night and sees that it was all an accident because he was trying to stop him from hitting his mother. In between the trail and her going to see him at court they write each other almost every week. They talk about the problems they have and how they want to fix them but they don’y have the power to do so. They talk about what there life will be once Antonio gets out of jail and how much he will have to change to make their life better. He realizes in there that he did it on purpose when he killed his father but it is the depression that is getting to him while he is thinking this. He is able to attend classes and get a job with the help of Mrs. Harris the counselor inside the jail. The first time he goes and visits her he turns out and gets angry because she is asking a lot of questions and throws the papers she had on her desk across the room. He wrote back to Natasha telling her how he acted out and she made him write an apology letter and ask her if he could see her again. Natasha made him do this because she explained he needed to get his education and have a job if he wanted to live with her after he got out of jail. Later in the book with the money that Antonio has earned he manages to get his mom to buy a ring for Natasha as an engagement ring. Natasha accepts to the marriage and will wait for Antonio to get out of jail to get married. While Antonio is in jail Natasha finds her potential and decides to change her ways and doe good in school. While they are seperated they bothrealize what they are capable of and what they can accomplish that they didn’t think they could have accomplished. This book teaches you about situations that can help you understand and earn about your skills and find yourself when you are put in a very stressful situation. This book makes me wonder about all the things I have heard that happen to people when they go to jail. Many  say they come out a new prson that has different mindset from what they used to think. This book teaches you how being in jail can impact not only yourself but also your loved ones.