Martin Stokes has been in Rikers jail for 5 months for a crime he did not commit. He thought his neighborhood was bad but it was nothing compared to living in Rikers. During a return trip from court, Martin gets caught between two warring prisoners and his face gets sliced. The good news is that while in the jail hospital he finds out that he has been transferred to a different section of Rikers where inmates are required to attend high school. At Rikers High, Martin meets a teacher who genuinely cares about his students and wants to help them turn their lives around. Martin might just get the chance he needs to get back on track. The author, Paul Volponi, spent six years teaching at Rikers Jail and writes authentically about life behind bars for the inmates, guards and teachers. Violence, cussing, suicides and masturbation are tackled but in a manner that is true to the story. This high-interest, low-level book will definitely find an audience, especially with teen boys who do not like to read.