This book is a wild ride but one I enjoyed. I had not read the first book so had no idea what to expect. The author did a great job explaining Emily's origin story. Emily/Alice is caught up in a legal nightmare that lands her in a corrupt juvenile detention center. Emily is smart, fearless and creative in her search for the truth. She is an optimist in a situation where many would give up hope, as many of the girls in the center did. She fought back against a system that had falsely accused her, against guards who tried to rape her, and against the prosecuting attorney who called her a "gutter rat". There are a few trigger warnings but overall this is an amazing read.
All opinions are my own. Thanks to NetGalley for my review copy.

Superb writing. This story drew me in from the beginning and did not let go. I intend to go back and read the first book so that I can understand more of the backstory.
Many thanks to Friction Press and to NetGalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

When i requested this didn't know it was book 2 of a series-- I didn't know what to expect from this book as I'd never heard of this author and hadn't read the first book. what a pleasant surprise. Gripping plot with twists and turns. an enjoyable read! I will have to go back and read book one so i am fully up on the series. Thank you netGalley and the publisher for an e-arc in exchange for a review.

A fascinating and deeply emotional book. Emily Calby is an unlikely heroine, a teenage girl whose family was murdered before her eyes a few years ago. Forced to do what she needed to do to survive, she was taken under the wing of a modern-day Fagin until she inevitably would up in a juvenile prison run by a corrupt administration. Even there she must continue to fight for survival.

This book is book two in the Emily Calby series but stands alone quite nicely.

The Girl in Cell 49B is the second book in the Emily Calby series. I did not read The Hiding Girl but was intrigued by the description. Also, it stated it would work as a standalone, and I had no issue enjoying this story.
Emily barely escaped a home invasion, and sadly, her sister and mother were killed. She ran and found a new home with Lucas Black, and a new identity as Alice Black. Unfortunately, luck doesn't seem to favor Emily/Alice. She gets involved in an altercation, pulls out an illegal gun, and when the police arrive, it isn't long before her true identity is uncovered. Sent to a juvenile detention center, Emily must find a way to survive this corrupt place, and gain back her freedom.
Emily was such a great character. I was rooting for her from the first page to the last. Such a smart sixteen-year-old who has been through more than many people go through in a lifetime. Lots of twists and turns, and I am looking forward to reading the first book. Another new author for me in 2021 and I am a happy book nerd!

Emily’s mother and sister were raped and murdered by two men who broke into their home. Emily escaped by hiding in the woods. So that she wouldn’t go into foster care, a man named Lucas Black and his wife took Emily under their wing. They taught Emily how to protect herself with martial arts, and shooting targets. Lucas had forged documents to give Emily a new identity, Alice Black.

She is at a gas station watching two bikers, as one of them is bullying her girlfriend. Emily says to the guy it’s not her fault; you’re the dumbass who spilled gasoline all over your tank. The first biker goes after her, and all of Emily’s training took over. She was able to put the first biker down by hitting him directly in the throat. Then she pulls the gun out that Lucas had given her. Both back off and she starts to run. Apparently the store clerks called it into the police that a young girl had pulled a gun out on the bikers. The police show up and find the knife and gun that she had hidden in the garbage can. She is then taken into custody by the police. The police find out that there is an arrest warrant out for her arrest from the state where her mother and sister were murdered. She ends up in juvenile detention. What’s life like at the juvenile detention detention center. It’s not all that it seems. The COs are corrupt and abusing the girls. Even the individuals who claim to look out for juveniles can be. Will anything be done to correct this misjustice? Along the way she decides that she wants to work in the prison library, where she begins to study the law books. Emily decides to represent herself during her trial. Will all that Emily has learned from her studying the law books help her? Will Lucas eventually find her and be able to help her in this situation? Great book to show that things are not always as they seem. The plot was intriguing. The character development was very in depth and descriptive. The reader could relate to the protagonist. The antagonist were on a mission to destroy Emily. Will they be able to accomplish this? I really liked this book, and look forward to reading more from this author.

I didn't really care for this book. I liked the first a bit better. I'd recommend to someone really invested in the story.

This was one of the unusual times where I enjoyed the second book in a series more than the first. I wasn't expecting to like this book as much as I did based on the first in the series but this one hooked me from the start and never let go. The characters were much more real and likable and the storyline much more interesting. The first wasn't bad don't get me wrong, the sequel was just hands down better. I'd def recommend reading the first and then get really excited for the next!

Dorian Box continues to captivate her audience with her skillful character development of Emily Calby. In this book we see the strong, street smart but compassionate Emily use her skill behind bars in a juvenile detention center. She finds ways to reach the toughest inmates both physically and emotionally. While incarcerated, she encounters many challenges that test her survival skills both in the jail as well as the courtroom. Readers are on edge throughout the book wondering the fate of Emily.

I didn't know what to expect from this book as I'd never heard of this author and hadn't read the first book in this series. But I was blown away from the first page! Emily escaped a home invasion unscathed when she was young which killed her mother and her sister. Now living with an unlikely mentor who has taught her survival skills. she's just turned 16 and is arrested for the unregistered handgun that was her birthday present. But when her fingerprints reveal who she really is, she's extradited to a juvenile detention center that's creepy and horrific in its treatment of young women. To add to her problems, the prosecuting attorney seems to have it in for her as she calls Emily a "gutter rat" during the proceedings. This leads Emily to become interested in the law all the while not only protecting other "detainees," but falling in love with a boy incarcerated as well. And this is just the surface story! Box is a fascinating storyteller and probably raised my blood pressure many times as I gasped my way through this book about an amazing and unlikely heroine! Certainly won't be my last by this author; I am hooked!

3.5 stars
Book 2 in the Emily Calby series finds teenage Emily facing prison time for a past crime.  While awaiting trial, she finds herself in a series of subplots ranging from prison corruption to first love.    Overall I found this fast-paced story entertaining but a bit predictable.  Since I hadn't read the first book I appreciated the author offering enough background so this could be enjoyed as a stand-alone story.  Recommend for fans of strong female leads and trial procedures.  Thanks to NetGalley for offering an early e-copy for review.

This book was so good! I had never even heard of it or the author until I got the chance to read this book. Honestly, the synopsis sounded just okay, but not great. I gave it a try anyway and I am so glad I did. I bought his other two books because this one was so compelling. Emily is a fantastic character and the story was great. recommend this book and this author to anyone who wants to read a well-written book that will keep you reading until the end then want more.

How does a grown man write a book as though he were a teenage girl? Well, Dorian Box not only does it...he does it astonishingly well. He (she) includes intrigue, love, violence, humor and human bonding...everything you would want in a book. It fit all my needs with extremely well-written prose. Further, I didn't put the book down (I couldn't) until I finished and immediately went online to buy the preceding book (The hiding girl)...and read it with equal gusto. I can't wait for the third. Truly a marvelous author who is obviously gifted with not only words, but the ability to enter the mind of his characters. I feel the same about this author as when I first read Greg Hurwitz...just astonished and hopeful for more!!!

I’ve never read this author, but just ordered the first book of this series. I really enjoyed it, from the first page to the last. Some of it was hard to believe, but you know what? I really enjoyed the main character Emily. She was so young and smart- the author wants you to root for her.
And I did.
There’s a little bit of everything: humor, romance, suspense and the writer makes the life of a young girl spent in prison captivating.
I highly recommend this book.

Much thanks to NetGalley for an advance read of this amazing book. This may be the first book in a long time that I devoured in one sitting. What a heroine, what a story......and a narrative that had me turning the pages at warp speed. Yes, I lost hours of sleep to finish this one.
The force-of=nature teen girl Emily Calby is almost like a young superhero with an array of powerful forces arrayed against her. At twelve years old she survived a horrific home invasion that ended in the slaughter of of her mother and little sister. And now at 16, after a life on the run, she finds herself incarcerated for her self defense killing of a pedophile rapist who picked her up hitch-hiking.
The odds against her are vast........first she has to somehow survive all the dangers of juvenile prison, the brutality of both the guards and her fellow inmates. As if that isn't enough, with the help of an ailing public defender, and the prison's law library, she's got to prepare a trial defense. And she's up against a hateful, ruthless prosecutor who's not above legal misconduct to ensure Emily's convicted for first degree murder.
This book is a total thrill ride from the first page to the last. All the twists and turns of the story kept me glued to the book for hours on end and the final pages are particularly suspenseful, heartfelt and hugely satisfying. No question at all about the rating here - it's a five star read all the way. Until this book crossed my path, I was unaware that is was the second part of Emily's story (but "Girl In Cell 49B works as a stand-alone)
Having finished this book, I instantly bought a copy of the first book "The Hiding Girl", which I can't wait to dive into......I think that says it all!

This is the second book in the series. Although it can be read as a standalone, I think I was somewhat at a disadvantage by not having previously read the first. With that being said, I found this to be a very good read — although it is a pretty dark story of 16-year old Emily, who previously dealt with the rape/murder of her mother and sister and who now has been put in a juvenile prison for an alleged murder. Amidst the darkness are bits of humor (especially the scene in the courtroom when Emily is the witness on the stand as well as the attorney) and plenty of twists and turns. I look forward to reading the next in this series — and to going back to read the first before then!

Oh. My. WOW!! This book was a twisty turny journey with Emily/Alice and I loved every minute of it! All loose ends were tied, characters were real and nuanced, and the dry legal info was presented in such an entertaining way. It was a helluva ride and I was there for it from start to finish. I loved this book and can’t wait to check out the previous book and the author’s other work! A double thumbs up from me!

5 Justice Due Stars
* * * * * Spoiler Free
Well, I knew this would happen. Once again, I did not sleep until 4:58 AM! Sorry, NOT Sorry, at all. I can always sleep but I cannot always have the experience of reading a book that had everything I love. It had a strong theme of what is right and wrong and how gray some of those choices can be, but the main focus of those choices is the fact We Always Have A Choice.

They may not be the ones we want, but in every circumstance we have choices. To have that life lesson so clearly presented hit a serious nerve with me as that is something I was taught as a child and I taught that concept to my children. We do not have to like them, but choices are always there.

This is the next book in the new series by Dorian Box and it shows off his acknowledged talents in the legal world. It shows off his ability to showcase a tough warrior princess of the first-rate. We met her in The Hiding Girl, which I highly recommend reading before this. You can read this without it, as the author gives you backstory and nuggets to bring a reader up to date...But really, do what I did and get the first book, read it, love it and you will not be sorry.

I truly love this book and series. (Yes, I keep repeating myself) It addresses so much that is happening in this world. It does it smartly and in a way where you will become obsessed with these characters. Even when you think you know what is coming, yes...I had some serious understanding of how things could be happening, I still was given a couple of twists to make me a happy camper as I did not see them coming.

I haven't been this invested in a character since The Girl in 6E (Deanna Madden, #1) by A.R. Torre (Alessandra Torre) https://www.goodreads.com/review/show... or Huntress Moon (The Huntress/FBI Thrillers #1) by Alexandra Sokoloff https://www.goodreads.com/review/show... Each of these series had an incredibly strong woman needing to figure things out after a traumatic life experience while young and how they worked through it all and found themselves. These series were more than their face value, looking deeper if you allowed them and this series is doing this as well.

I am editing myself so as not to go into this book on a level I wish I could. I would talk about all of the characters and how well each and everyone had their own legit personality, way of presenting their facts and feelings. I went into this with only the author's blurbs and felt they were enough.

I sense there will be more coming, at least I hope it isn't just magical thinking, something our gal was accused of doing all of the time. Maybe it is, and that type of thinking worked for her, so maybe my sense of more coming will work for me too.

Thank you so much to #netgalley and #frictionpress for the advanced readers copy of “The Girl in Cell 49B”. I really enjoyed this book. I didn’t realize it was part of a series and now want to go back and read the other books. It was fast paced and well written and drew me in right from the start! Highly recommend!

THE GIRL IN CELL 49B is the second in a series that author Dorian Box created about a 13 year old girl left unmoored and alone after a horrible event. The story picks up three years after the first ended and our protagonist is growing up while plagued by issues related to her trauma. The story of her legal issues is one where she finally begins to find herself, and her strengths, in the midst of chaos. While the story may be a tad overly optimistic, it’s still a very good one. I love these characters and can’t wait to see what happens next. These books are best read in order. But they are definitely worth reading. I received my copy from the publisher through NetGalley.