“NOT GUILTY is a compelling, engrossing, and ultimately uplifting and rewarding read. I couldn’t tear myself away!”—Cheryl Rainfield, author of Scars, Stained, Hunted and Parallel Visions.A blood-smeared knife. One young man’s word against another. A lifetime dream crushed.The evidence points to Devon Carlyle. He was there when it happened. Everyone knows he had it in for Renzo Costa. And Costa … Renzo Costa. And Costa says Devon was the one. In the judge’s rap of a gavel Devon’s found guilty of assault. The star of the Oceanside High’s basketball team loses his shot at the one thing he’s worked so hard for—the championship game where college scouts could see how good he is.
Now he makes his great shots in Juvenile Hall with kids far different from those that have always been in his life.
Angry? Hell, yes.
He’s bent on finding who did the crime. He’s bent on making them pay because he’s Not Guilty.
But can he prove it?
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In McKenzie’s riveting latest novel, Not Guilty (2019), high school junior Devon Carlyle is living a nightmare no teenager should face. One day, he is at the top of the food chain in his school, star basketball player, beautiful girlfriend, looking at a scholarship to the school of his choice. Then, his world collapses when he is falsely accused of seriously injuring another student who he’s fought with in the past. Convicted and sent to juvenile hall for five months, he resolves to do his time and then find the real culprit so he can clear his name. He suffers through incarceration, cameras watching his every move, other inmates who try the injure him, and the realization that none of his friends believe he is innocent. When he is finally released, he finds out juvie was the easy part.
This is a richly drawn story of a family whose life is turned upside down for something they didn’t do and can’t fight. It could be dark and depressing but McKenzie makes it uplifting by showing how this everyday boy and his straight-arrow family face the problems, do what they can, and figure out how to survive. The story sounds almost mundane–thousands go through this every year, don’t they–but at about the 15% point, it grabbed me and wouldn’t let go. At first, I didn’t care about a privileged high school basketball star and then I really did. I couldn’t stop reading until I saw how the h*** he would get himself out of this mess.
This is a satisfying read of a real-life story with unexpected highs–and lows. You don’t want to miss it.
I liked reading this book. Part of it was difficult because it reminded me of part of my youth (but that’s a credit to the author for writing something so evocative). There’s a good metaphor about the basketball court and the court of law. As the title suggests, the main character is not guilty. But as the book goes on, despite knowing this, even I started to question if he did it somehow. That’s the point of the story, I think. How even if we really believe someone wouldn’t do something, we can be tricked into thinking otherwise.
What really fascinated me was the Mia character. Especially when Devon realizes the impact his reputation has had on her. It’s easy to feel like you’re an island, like your choices don’t influence how others see people in your circle (your family, friends, co-workers, community, etc), but that’s not true.
A part that really resonated with me was said by a secondary character, Pinky McCloud (I love that name). “Seriously, you’re on the different half of the Oceanside High planet, my man — the Pinky half. This is where all miscreants are punished more severely than the law punishes them and for one heck of a lot longer.”
I received a free copy of this book and am leaving an honest review. The author and I are connected on social media and visit each others’ blogs occasionally. I would recommend this book to those who enjoy a YA drama or stories about unfair punishments for innocent people. Contemporary YA isn’t the genre I read most frequently, but I do enjoy it from time to time. And C. Lee McKenzie is absolutely great at writing these stories! I will read more of her books.
The scene with the Old Coast Highway and Dead Man’s Curve had me pause to look those up. It’s something that’s mentioned in movies, tv shows, and even a song. So while the scene might not pull everyone out, it did for me because my mind was overcome with curiosity. (Not really a bad thing, just an experience.)
The book was realistic fiction. It did, for the most part, have happily-ever-after. There’s a little romance, and perhaps a bit of a tear-jerker (depending on your experience). It’s maybe somewhat controversial. If you realize that this could happen to you, it becomes a chilling thriller. It’s definitely meaningful. There are some diverse characters. And there is a layer of mystery as Devon works to prove his innocence. (I feel he’s extremely lucky on how the scene at the farm ended up, because it could have been far worse.)
The title and cover do make sense. There is some cursing in the book. I do wonder, in Chapter Thirty-One, if it’s supposed to be a Hershey bar, or if there’s really a Hersey with nuts.
I enjoyed the order in which the book was told. Everything made sense and lined up. I could relate to Devon in that I’ve shared the experience of “being guilty” for everything that happens around me, even if there’s no way I could have something to do with it. But, emotionally, I feel like he would have had it worse if he were from a different background. Life definitely wasn’t easy for the characters in this book. It does hold several mirrors up to society in that it shows how we judge people once we decide they’re guilty, and it shows how far and fast anyone can fall, and there’s the mirror of how society will outcast anyone who stands with someone who society has found guilty. That last one is really hard to learn.
C. Lee McKenzie knows how to get into teenagers heads. Not Guilty is full of teeth gritting angst not only for the main character, but for the reader as well as we hope Devon can beat this false charge. Devon is on top of the world. He had it all. Looking forward to that basketball college scholarship, he had the girl of his dreams, and he was popular. Then he’s accused of a crime he didn’t commit, but can he prove it? No. And his temper is always getting the better of him. He’s sent to a juvenile facility where its hardship after hardship, with a bunch of boys pulling him apart on all sides. However, through it all, he’s learning so much. Self-control, lasting friendship, how to be subjective. After he’s released, he discovers since his incarceration his entire family has suffered. His life is a mess, but he’s determined to find the person who actually committed the crime.
I try not to leave spoilers, but I hope you’ll be rooting for Devon, who’s Not Guilty.
This is a powerfully written story which I highly recommend!
4 out of 5 stars
Welcome back to Oceanside high school . Devon Carlyle has it all , he is on his way to a scholarship and has the perfect girlfriend . Until one day everything has changed and he is charged with assault against Renzo Costa . With one rap of the judge’s gavel Devon’s life is changed forever . When in juvenile detention Devon finds out who his real friends are and makes a vow to find out who really did it . When he gets out he will try and prove it .
Welcome back to high school . I found these characters to be well written and honestly reminded me of some people I knew in high school . Devon is the jock and basically has the world by the toes . He comes off as arrogant at the start of the book . Everyone loves him for one thing or another and his self esteem is wrapped up in all things basketball and being the number one on the team. You see him truly grow up and become a more rounded person. There are so many characters in this book that either help Devon or make him feel like he doesn’t belong . From his perfect friends at school who truly show their true colours . Colin was his best friend and when push came to shove Colin and the rest of the gang turned against Devon . In true clique fashion they shun him .
This is a book that will capture your heart and keep you reading . The author wrote a great representation of what high school is truly like and what happens when one of the cool kids ends up on the wrong end of the law . There are twists and turns through out the book that will have you going hmmmmmmmm. The only thing that made me not give the book a 5 stars is the detective work that Devon was doing , it seemed to actually kind of slow down the story of his come back . I felt that it kind of dragged just a little . Over all I really enjoyed this book and was cheering for Devon as he redeemed himself . I love the way the author did the family dynamic after he came out of detention and the aftermath . This is a book that you and your teen will enjoy reading. So add this book to your winter reading list
Not Guilty by C. Lee McKenzie was a tale of how one’s life could go wrong in a matter of seconds.
Will the truth ever come out for Devon Carlyle?
Devon Carlyle
Devon Carlyle is our main character and the character we follow along with throughout the book. It’s written in the third person but we are always with him. We see how things have different for him throughout his life from the point his world changed on March 1st to the ending of the story. Devon is a good student and loves basketball. He had a goal in life that was a bit thrown for a loop but Devon made it work even though he has to find justice for himself. Devon is a good person that was in the wrong place at the wrong time.
I like Devon a lot as it shows that he made what life has thrown at him the best he could. I also like that he didn’t give up trying to find justice for himself. Devon is a great character and I feel we could be friends in the real world.
The Mystery
The mystery in this story is all about who actually stabbed and left Renzo Costas for dead. It obviously wasn’t the main character but who? That could have been anyone in Mr. Costas’s life. Finding that out was a lot of hard work. Going through the book and trying to figure this out with Devon was a lot of fun. Solving a mystery is always fun with the main character of any kind of mystery novel.
Five Stars
Not Guilty by C. Lee McKenzie is an entertaining tale of what can happen when you least expect it. It makes some people really think about what might happen if they did something different but can’t exactly change the past. Devon learns that the hard way on finding out that he’s being blamed for something that he never did.
Not Guilty is an exceptional book and I am giving this book five stars. I am also recommending it to anyone that likes to read young adult and romantic suspense.
I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy from the MC Book Tours. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Thank you for dropping by! I hope you enjoyed this review of Not Guilty by C. Lee McKenzie.
Anyways, until next time,
Karen the Baroness
If you would like to see other reviews like this one, check out BaronessBookTrove.com.
Devon was at the top of his game. But then his girlfriend breaks up with him and he tries to find her. He goes to her favorite Beach area and find’s a few misplaced things so he tries to do the right thing. Accused and convicted by the law and his supposed friends. He gets locked up in juvie you finds real friends and when he returns things have changed
A very good read for any teen
This book had a very satisfying ending, and for me, that was the deciding factor for how I would rate this book. Being a reader who struggles with YA, this story was a challenge for me, but it was also interesting enough to keep wondering how it would all come together in the end.
I’d like to say that I really felt for the MC and was rooting for him the whole time, but I really wasn’t. I knew he was not guilty, thus the title, but I simply didn’t care much for him until the end. I liked his family and many of the people he met along the way and hoped that by him proving himself, those other characters would be better off.
One thing that surprised me when reading this, were the moments of suspense that the author seamlessly wove into the story without making it seem forced or just for show.
I had some issues with the crime/detective part of the story. Luckily, many of my concerns are resolved by the end of the book but two weren’t. I think some of that boils down to my struggle with YA. I just couldn’t understand why certain things happened, but perhaps that’s just what teens do. The author’s talent is evident in every word and she’s clearly writing to her audience. My issues may very well just be my issues.
As previously stated, I really appreciated the end of this book. I was expecting to turn in a lower rating to match a Brady Bunch ending, but the author chose to reflect a bit of reality in this tale of fiction. I even began to really care for the MC by the end.
Recommend to fans of YA crime fiction, suspense, and redemption tales.
Disclaimer: I received a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.
For a young adult novel, I was really impressed with Not Guilty.
C. Lee McKenzie is not an author I’ve read before. But in terms of writing style, this book was easy to follow along and at times I honestly forgot I was reading about a teenage boy and not an adult man.
Devon Carlyle, as a junior in high school, believes he’s at the top of his “career”. He’s got a great family, the girl who understands him, and he’s the star player on the basketball court. He’s also on the fast track to getting noticed by scouts to obtain a basketball scholarship for college. However, everything changes for him in one day.
Now he no longer has the girl and now he’s fighting for his innocence when a fellow Oceanside citizen is stabbed and left for dead on the beach. Devon may have been on the beach, his fingerprints may have been on the bloodied knife, and he may have had a previous altercation with the victim, but that doesn’t mean Devon is guilty of the crime.
In Not Guilty, Devon must prove his innocence when nobody else believes him. I especially liked how he changed as a person and no longer hung with “friends” because they were in his circle or played basketball with him. His whole attitude changes when he is found guilty and forced to serve 5 months in juvenile hall. The side characters, Tats, Chewy, and Ice were especially great in that they helped Devon even when they were no longer together. They helped show him that there are times when anger and revenge are not the answer to a problem and helped him in times when he felt like he would never find the evidence he needed to prove his innocence.
Have you ever been accused of something that you didn’t do? How did you prove your innocence? Or did you?
Take a lie, a broken heart, and a mystery and you have a world spinning out of control. In C. Lee McKenzie’s latest novel, NOT GUILTY, Devon Carlyle has a dream. His chances are looking good to make his dream come true, until the unthinkable happens. Instead of the prospects of a basketball scholarship he ends up in Juvenile Hall although he’s innocent. Can he find a way to prove he’s not guilty? Or will he always be remembered as the boy that almost killed another boy, as well as losing his friends and the scholarship?
Devon’s story touched my heart. He isn’t perfect. Who is? He has a temper that adds to his trouble. Then there’s the girl problem that he doesn’t need at this particular time in his life. Can matters get any worse?
C. Lee McKenzie’s characters seem real, like the kids you might meet in you own town. They make mistakes. They laugh. They fight. They love. And I so wanted the guilty party to get what he deserved. Does he? You’ll find out when you read NOT GUILTY. I recommend NOT GUILTY for your private library and also for high school and public libraries. Happy Reading!
I had the pleasure of reading an advance copy of C. Lee McKenzie ‘s #YAlit suspense NOT GUILTY and I couldn’t put it down. It was compelling, engrossing, and ultimately satisfying and uplifting. It made me care about Devon and root for him to clear his name. It releases October 25, so put it on your TBR list.
This book is a powerful and emotional read – one of my favourite YA reads ever.
Devon is a 17-year-old basketball star who has everything going his way … until he’s accused of stabbing a man on a stretch of beach near his home.
Watching Devon go through so many challenges makes for a stressful and emotional ride that had me both in tears and cheering more than once.
Honest, gritty, realistic, and incredibly heartfelt.
These characters and this story will stay with you long after you’ve finished the final page.
A fabulous read!!
The main character, Devon, is the person we all wanted to be in high school. He has it all going for him until one fateful day. Then his life changes dramatically. The book is a well written tale of learning from adversity and maturing. Suddenly thrown in with people he would not otherwise have ever known, he learns the meaning of real friendship despite disparity in backgrounds. The setting is a coastal area with small towns, presumable California (reference to the Pacific Ocean). I felt like I knew the characters well, and had visual images of them and the setting. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and highly recommend it.
Life is exactly as Devon envisioned it with all his plans on track. He has the perfect girlfriend (according to him), the championship and a scholarship. In a blink of an eye, it all falls to pieces when he is accused of assault with a deadly weapon.
The main character has a good energy to him, though I wasn’t sure why he liked his girlfriend so much. I felt for him when nobody believed his innocence. He was tossed about in a turmoil of being wrongly accused and then injustice after injustice piled up on him.
My favourite parts were when he tries to figure out who the real offender was. His personal detective work was particularly engaging, but mainly Devon drifts through from circumstance to circumstance, pushed by outside forces most of the way. I really felt for him. There’s a real sense of powerlessness and injustice.
I also liked that the story shows the value of real friendships and what makes a real friend.
I received an ARC of this book and this is my honest review.