This is the second book that I have read by this author and the second book I have read in this particular series. I liked that the book neatly tied into where the first book ended, yet was completely it's own book in many ways. This was a more tamed down Emily, but she is still the same resourceful and quick witted girl from the first book. The prison system is strangely compelling, yet seemed to lack authority in some ways. The corruption was definitely present, but removed from the story. I feel that the prison should have been more of a presence in the book. I feel it would have added to the suspense and drama. It kind of felt that prison was a free for all and that there was no supervision unless it was convenient to a plot point. I found this to be strange. Emily is once again brash and seems to lack a filter, but it seems to work for her and get her where she needs to go. Thanks for the ARC, NetGalley.

As a follow-up to The Hiding Girl, we find Emily has lived a safe three years with her mentor, Lucas Jackson, living an almost normal life. But then all hell breaks loose. On her 16th birthday, she is arrested. carrying her birthday gift, a gun, and she finds herself back in trouble and sent to a corrupt juvenile prison. Our feisty young lady soon discovers the law library, and begins the long road out, fighting a crooked prosecutor and the system. Emily is still the same bright, clever girl from book one, but I did miss Lucas, who has a smaller role in this novel. Great cast of characters made for an enjoyable read.

<i>The Girl in Cell 49B</i> is a legal thriller that highlights the benefits and pitfalls of a self-defense strategy. Emily Colby has been through a lot with her mother and sister being murdered. It’s left her with PTSD and a bad temper that lands her in jail. <i>The Girl in Cell 49B</i> is the second novel in the Emily Colby series by the author Dorian Box.

Living under the name Allison Black, Emily finds herself in a fight with her pretend stepdad and she decides she is leaving for a while. She goes to a local gas station with the intent of turning around but she ends up getting in another fight and an altercation with the police. She finds herself in jail in another state with no way of letting people where she is. In jail she develops a relationship with some inmates who become her friends and others who are not quite so friendly. Worst of all she goes to court and has to defend herself against a hardnose lawyer who has it in for young offenders.

Despite the fact this is the second book in the series I thought the author did an excellent job of developing a cast of compelling characters. It is a fast-paced interesting story and well worth the read. We learn a lot about the challenges of prison life but also about behaviour in the court room. The difficulties of having to defend oneself in the trial are both interesting and educational.

The author develops the characters so you actually have empathy for their situation. They may not be innocent but they have good reasons for being where they are. The overall story was very fast-paced and compelling leading to a very enjoyable read.

I believe this book is excellent for people who like litigation stories as well as stories about personal development and coping with bad situations. I give this a 5 on 5 and I want to thank NetGalley and Friction Press for providing me with a digital copy of this novel. I am providing this review voluntarily.

Many thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and Dorian Box for the eARC, in exchange for an honest review.

A really enjoyable read, which had me glued from the beginning.

A strong plot and well-rounded characters made it hard for me to put the book down.

I would recommend.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I kept seeing this book everywhere so after a while, I decided I should check it out. I have not read the first book in this series so I was hesitant to read this one. Once I started, I could not stop. The book starts off with the main character Emily/Alice having a nightmare about what happened to her mom and sister.

She ends up in a juvenile detention center on an old charge and the story revolves mostly around her and her time there. There is a courtroom aspect as well.

You hear a bit about Lucas through the book but not as much as you may originally have thought since he is a side character in this book.

I am definitely going to go back and read the first book. I am sure a lot more of this particular book will make more sense to me once I have done that.

I would recommend this book to people who like thrillers and who like courtroom drama books. I think it would be well enjoyed by both.

I saw this book and read a sample of it on bookishfirst. So when I saw it on net galley I had to download it. I am in love with this book. I did not read the first in the series but I felt like this book could be a standalone. I was really able to be transported into the story, I felt as if I was really there with Emily. There were times where I was telling her to stop being stupid, and other times where I understood why she was doing what she was doing. Her guilt about her family played a significant role in most of her decisions but she was willing to risk even her life to help people she cared for.

Emily Calby impresses me once again!

Emily Calby, aka Alice Black, is a young girl who has survived the unthinkable. In the first book of this series (The Hiding GIrl), Emily escapes a tragic home raid that results in the death of her mother and sister. If you haven’t read this book I highly recommend you do. Because of the horrific murder of her family, Emily is forced into hiding; they plan to find her. Along the way, Emily meets Lucas Jackson and with him she learns to be strong, confident and even lethal.

How do you describe a girl like Emily? There are so many suitable words: courageous, intelligent, strong, kind, fierce and even sarcastic. She is only a teenager and she’s more like a woman. She is one of my favourite YA characters to date! I admire her strength and determination. She is a lovable character.

I was intrigued by this book. My apprehension of it being a sequel was quickly abated with the strong writing of Box. The characters are vivid and believable. The reader is treated with another side to the complex Emily and it is very sweet. She is impressive.

I can’t tell you how much I love the Emily (and Lucas) books. They are engaging stories with constant action and suspense. The writing is descriptive and the story develops at just the right pace. A highly entertaining read.

I am so grateful the author and NetGalley surprised me with an eARC of this book. It was a delight to read. I devoured it. This is one of those books you stay up most of the night to finish. Yes, I am speaking from experience. I could not put it down.

Thanks again for the opportunity to read this book, it was fantastic! I look forward to the next one.

This book was incredible! I thoroughly enjoyed every word. This legal thriller kept my attention from start to finish. Some of the details in the book were a little gruesome, but the storyline and characters kept my attention from start to finish. Thank you Net Galley for this ARC!

Okay so i absolutely loved this book! I did not realize it was a book in a series so im definitely going to go back and read the first one to see if it provides any insight on what happened in this book.
Emily Calby, is 16 and she is detained for murder allegedly. Life in juvenile hall is way different than Emilys normal life or what's normal for her anyway. The murder case was definitely very thrilling, twisty, and had some very unexpected details!
While in juvenile hall, alone with no support, s he arranges to be assigned to work in the prison library. She makes just eighteen cents an hour but she finds a law library, where she begins arming herself with knowledge that will become essential!
Throughout the novel, and especially in the courtroom scenes, Box manages to straddle the line between dark intensity and humor in this most unusual legal thriller. Emily's wry humor is ever present, but even in its most audacious moments, The Girl in Cell 49B is always believable. An absolute must read for everyone!

Thank you NetGalley, author Dorian Box, and Friction Press for giving me a free E-book copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
As in the first book, Emily is an entertaining character - strong, stubborn, and with a strong sense of loyalty and justice. Which sometimes is admirable and sometimes frustrating as it regularly gets her into trouble. This was more of a legal thriller, instead of a...revenge thriller? So it had a somewhat different pace to it, but was still really exciting. The murder case had good twists and turns, keeping your interest. I loved how Emily used her intelligence to help further her own case despite the lack of resources available to her. Emily's final actions were a shocking conclusion to this page turner. I enjoyed this story as Emily still gets herself into (and out of) troubling situations, and you get her same entertaining and endearing attitude and curiosity. This story shows her softer side as she has to rely on her mind and not just her body to solve conflicts. This was my first Dorian Box novel but it won't be my last. I am looking forward the second book.

What a great and fast- paced read. I loved this book and couldn't put it down.

When I selected it, I didn't have great expectations about it. I had not heard of the author or the title. I thought it was about a girl in prison. I seriously think the title can be changed into something more catchy or action- packed. The current title reflects only a part of the protagonist's story.

So when I began reading, I decided to allot 30 pages of reading a day to myself. The first 30-60 pages went by according to the way I allotted them. But once I reached around the 100th page, that's when the story went on full high-speed throttle. I couldn't put it down. I read it all all the way to the end in a single day. What a ride! I thoroughly enjoyed every bit of it.

There were a few weak parts but they are insignificant compared to the entire story. I totally loved the main character, Emily. I loved her sassiness and spunk facing difficult challenges. Even when she had no cards to play; she turned the tables around. There were some parts where I felt things fit in too easily for her. I wish it was so in real life. That the vile behaviours of some human beings get the punishment they deserve. I couldn't help remembering the movie ' Gothica' when i read the parts about how girls in prison are sexually preyed upon by their own protectors.

I loved that Emily loved books and helped out at the prison library. That part with Miss Mava, the prison librarian, was my favourite in the book. The court room scenes were great too. There was mystery but also humour mixed in. I guessed the plot twist at the end of the story so it wasn't a suprise for me. I wished more depth from the characters but overall I think it is a great story.

I want to read more from this author. After a long time; I enjoyed the fast, breath- taking speed of reading through a novel. I thought I had lost it in the busyness of life. I really want to pick up the first book 9f this series. Thank you for this wonderful opportunity of reading this book..

I was super excited to see Book 2 of the Emily Calby series was out. The first book blew me away and was easily a Top 10 in read books in 2020. The Girl in Cell 49B was no different.

In it, Emily, now going by the name of Alice Black, is still living with Lucas trying to stay hidden from the world. However, now she is a 16 year old who received a gun for her birthday. Emily still has a temper, survivors guilt and feels the need to find justice for people. Her past finally catches up with her. It lands her in a jail cell in Arkansas and shortly after she is extradited to Louisiana to a juvenile facility charged with First Degree Murder. From there Emily navigates the judicial system and life as a detainee. Can she survive it?

Once again Dorian Box kept me up all night fully engaged in this book. READ IT! I have a feeling this is not the end of Emily's story. I hope I am right.

Thank you to Friction Press, Dorian Box and NetGalley for the #gifted copy of the book.

The Girl in Cell 49B by Dorian Box
Emily Calby #2

Excellent – wasn’t sure how the author would come up with a winner again, but this was equally stunning as book one in the series! This book begins three years after book one ends and we find Emily/Alice sixteen and acting out in a way that sees her end up in big trouble.

What I liked:
* Emily: older, perhaps wiser, damaged, suffering trauma from the loss experienced in book one of the series, finds herself in another difficult situation. I love her tenacity, strength, and resilience as well as her ability to accomplish what she sets her mind to.
* Lucas: still a bulwark and there for Emily no matter what. He didn’t have significant page time, but his presence was “there” and felt throughout.
* Rebecca: Emily/Alice’s cellmate, quiet, abused, a survivor, kind, a good friend to Emily, a survivor. I felt for her and hoped she would come out okay eventually.
* Paula: Emily’s public defender and a good woman.
* The judge hearing the case against Emily – seemed a good man.
* Dulcie: daughter of an evil man – she played a pivotal role in this story.
* CO Longmont and Librarian Mava: two good people in the jail Emily found herself in.
* The way the court case and the story finally worked out.
* The future Emily believes she will focus on
* Wondering if there will be a book three to look forward to.


What I didn’t like:
* Leslie Tierney: prosecutor, vindictive, cruel, all about the win, not a person I admired at all.
* Twiggs and some of his cohort staff at the juvenile prison – users and abusers that had no business in the jobs they held – did like that they were dealt with eventually.

Did I like this book? Definitely
Would I read more by this author? Without a doubt

Thank you to NetGalley and Friction Press for the ARC – This is my honest review.

5 Stars

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing my advanced release copy in exchange for my honest review.

The murder case kept my interest with many good twists and turns, I loved how Emily used her intelligence to help further her own case despite the lack of resources available to her. This was definitely a page turner and I was thoroughly shocked by Emily's choices at the end.

This was my first Dorian Box novel but it won't be my last.

This is the second book in the Emily Calby series. I have not read the first book but this works well as a standalone book. It gives enough detail about Emily’s life prior to this stage so that you can easily follow the plot.

It opens with Emily and Lucas living together, and Emily as a teenager over-reacts to a situation in which Lucas (an older man who has somewhat assumed responsibility for her) tries to guide her. I use the term ‘living together’ in the very loose sense of the word – they live in a bus!
Long story short, Emily is taken into custody and ends up in a juvenile detention centre. What follows is exciting, worrying, amusing in places but the result is a very engaging story about Emily’s quest to get herself off a murder charge and freed from the prison. The characters are well developed and likeable from her cell-mate, to the inmate who is in charge of the prison library and Emily’s public defence lawyer.

A very satisfying courtroom drama/thriller. I look forward to encountering Emily again.

Thank you to the author, publishers and NetGalley for providing an ARC via my Kindle in return for an honest review.

I loved The Hiding Girl, the first book in the Emily Calby series by Dorian Box. The relationship between twelve-year-old Emily who is on the run after seeing her family viciously killed, and Lucas, an older black man who makes fake identification, was so good. I was looking forward to continuing their story in The Girl in Cell 49B. For me, I think Lucas needed a bigger part in The Girl in Cell 49B. I thought the concept of Alice Black (Emily’s new identity) was interesting but at times dragged in the juvenile detention facility Rochachant. Emily was arrested on her sixteenth birthday after her finger prints showed that she was wanted on a warrant in Louisiana for the murder of Scott Brooker.

There were some interesting characters in this book that I can see in the cast of a third book. Alice/Emily becomes an expert in law by reading law books in her job to help the librarian at the detention center. I found some of the court drama a bit unrealistic. I do think as Emily ages, we could see her working with Paula, her public defender, and Leslie Tierney, the prosecutor.

This is a good read and lays some groundwork for future books in this series. Thank you Friction Press and Netgalley for an ARC of this book. The opinions in this review are my own.

Thanks to Netgalley, the author and Bookishfirst for this early copy! I enjoyed the first Emily Calby book last her- The hiding girl about the young girl on the run after her family was killed.

In this one we start with Emily in a juvenile prison and we meet her roommate, Rebecca, and learn about the abuse and fighting that is going on at the prison with the guards and with other prisoners.

Emily’s case for killing the sleazy man in the first book is going to trial. She gets a public defender and decides that she will be reading all she can about law and hopefully finding a way to get let off her case so she can be free. Her big obstacle is the mean lawyer representing the state who seems to have a problem with juvenile offenders.

This was a quick ride just like the first one. Initially I didn’t know if I’d want to read courtroom drama since I don’t normally like it, but this was a good one!

This is the first book that I have read by this author and was very pleased that I took a chance on this one. The fast pace and action kept me interested and turning pages. I thoroughly enjoyed the complexity of the various relationships between the characters.

The second in the Emily Calby series and it’s three years after ‘The Hiding Girl’. With the arrival of her sixteenth birthday, Emily’s quiet life explodes and she is detained for an alleged murder. Life in a juvie prison is wrought with danger as Emily has to fight for justice and various disasters along the way. Having not read the prior book was a disadvantage given the previous character development and background. A dark story with a hero against-the-odds tale and therefore, a three-star rating. As an independent reviewer, my thanks to the author for a copy gratis prior to publication. All opinions expressed herein are freely given and totally my own.

This is the second novel in the Emily Calby series, but can be read as a standalone (which is what I did).

Emily Calby managed to survive the murderers who raped and killed her sister and mother. Now, for the past 4 years, she’s been on the run, living under a fake name with a fake guardian but a real mentor, Lucas Jackson. After getting caught with an illegal handgun, Emily gets carted off to a juvenile jail to await trial for a murder committed three years prior. In order to survive, she must adapt to her new life and the politics of the prison while fighting to prove her innocence.

Thoughts: I really, truly loved this one so much more than I expected to. The summary sounded good, so I decided to pick it up and give it a try. I’m so glad I did! I really loved the look inside a corrupt juvenile detention facility (obviously, I can’t speak for how accurate it may have been portrayed) but regardless, I feel like I learned so much. I also really enjoyed Emily’s character. If you read and enjoyed James Patterson’s Maximum Ride series, you’ll appreciate Emily. She reminds me of Max in so many ways- badass, smart, and resourceful, among other things. The look inside the justice system was very interesting, and the writing kept me fully engaged. I never once wanted to put the book down and read something else. There wasn’t a high mystery factor, but there was a little, tiny twist at the end.

All in all, I completely recommend this one to fans of the Maximum Ride series and those who enjoy courtroom dramas.

Warnings: Rape, murder, abuse, prison life, mental health issues

Thank you to NetGalley and Friction Press for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.