The subtitle for this one says it all: Murder, Violence, and Teenagers on Death Row. Through the presentation of some real life incidents, Kuklin introduces the reality of life for teenagers on death row. Until recently (2005), America still allowed for teen murderers to be sentences to death. Kuklin carefully examines the reality of serving time in prison and the differences between doing it in regular prison and on death row.

Each of the chapters looks at a particular case and tells the story of the crime involved, the circumstances surrounding the victim and the prisoner, and shows how they have changed over the years since they received their guilty verdict. The next two chapters looks to what happened to the families involved. The first deals with the families of a prisoner who was in fact executed, and the second deals with the family of a victim who is very outspoken in the need to outlaw the death penalty. The final chapter focuses on the story of a public defender who often works on murder cases, particularly appeals by those on death row.

Kuklin spares nothing in her descriptions of the harsh life in prison, which includes rape and other violent incidents. Prison is clearly not a place that anyone wants to be. The prison system often seems unable to protect people from further violence.

Some of the individuals highlighted in the book seem to have been found guilty and given the death penalty despite strong evidence that they did not commit the murder.

I thought the tales were really moving. The men, since all of them have now grown up, have clearly been changed by their experiences in prison. I am not sure that I would say they are better people for them, but it does highlight that prison (and the death penalty) doesn't necessarily atone for what happen. Little rehabilitation is allowed to occur on death row since they are likely to not have an opportunity to show the benefit of such programs.

The writing is strong and usually presents the stories in the words of those being highlighted, whether they be prisoner, family member, or lawyer. It presents a stark reality to the situation. This does mean that there is a wide variation when it comes to proper grammar, but that seems most appropriate under the circumstances.