The Garden of Second Chances

by Mona Alvarado Frazier

Winner of the Gold Medal for Best YA Latino Focused Book and Silver Medal for Most Inspirational YA Book by the 2024 International Latino Book Awards.

She didn’t run because she killed him, she ran because she didn’t. But no one believes Juana, an undocumented seventeen-year-old incarcerated for her husband’s death. Amid the chaos of prison and her grief, she creates a garden in the yard. A safe space. A place where she gains strength to take on the system before she loses her child.

Juana, a seventeen-year-old mother, is sentenced to prison for murdering her husband. She claims she’s innocent—but no one believes her, including the prison staff and a gang leader in her block who torments her.

Juana’s troubles aren’t confined to prison, however—she’s undocumented, and her husband’s bereaved family is now threatening to take her baby from her forever. Feeling hemmed in on all sides and desperate to stay out of trouble, Juana creates her own refuge in the prison yard: a garden she created. As she digs in the soil, nurturing the plants, she remembers her courageous, long-deceased mother, who she knows would never give in or give up. Juana’s only hope for saving herself and her baby is to prove her innocence—but how?

Genres: Fiction, Young Adult, Contemporary, Latinx

376 pages, Paperback

Published June 6, 2023

About the author

A BRIDGE HOME (2024) was awarded:

*2025 Paterson Prize for Books for Young People
*Southwest Books of the Year-YA
*Gold Medal Best Historical Fiction
*Silver Medal Best YA Latino Issues
by International Latino Book Awards 2025

ALA Booklist Starred Review:

"Many of the issues Jacqui is experiencing will resonate with readers—family and community relationships, social activism, systemic racism, gender roles, poverty, and the pressure of family expectations.

Jacqui’s a sympathetic, authentic, and resourceful character worth rooting for. Readers will find themselves swept up into this compulsively readable and engaging story of a teenager struggling to make a better life for herself."

THE GARDEN OF SECOND CHANCES (2023) was awarded:

*Gold Medal for Best YA Latino Focused and *Silver Medal for Most Inspirational YA Novel by the International Latino Book Awards 2024.


Writing to shed light on marginalized young women's struggles, courage, and resilience.

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Reviews

[Lit_Vibrations · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a pretty decent debut novel that can be viewed as both heartbreaking and empowering. Mona Alvarado Frazier gives the reader a raw and emotionally realistic narrative that will have you sympathizing with the MC and praying for a happy ending. The opening of the book will immediately pull you in but as the book progresses the pacing is up and down.

The novel follows Juana Ivanov a young teen currently incarcerated for the murder of her husband. No one believes her when she claims she's innocent, not even the prison staff or the gang leader in her block who torments her relentlessly. But Juana is determined to prove her innocence so she can get back to her baby Katrina whom she left in the care of her sister in Mexico. But as Juana struggles to survive the dangers lurking in prison, the threat outside grows even more terrifying.

I enjoyed the author’s perspective surrounding youth incarceration, maintaining one’s innocence, and life in prison. It was very intense but also thought-provoking to read the things some of the characters dealt with while in prison and their reasons for ending up there. Although this is a YA novel it’s very mature and there are quite a few content warnings that involve domestic violence, suicide, teen pregnancy, immigration, and gang activity. I thought Juana was a very strong character. We watch her undergo a major transformation mentally by the end of the book.

In the beginning she struggles with fear and anxiety as she deals with being in prison. This tested the strength of her faith but she found a way to push through every obstacle thrown her way. For a moment it did seem as though all hope was lost and she’d be forced to serve her maximum sentence. But there was a loop hole in the case that granted her the freedom she desired.

Overall, I found the book to be rather enjoyable a little repetitive in some areas but gripping enough to keep you invested. The author did an amazing job creating a novel that pulls from her own experiences dealing with incarcerated youth to offer us an authentic depiction of prison conditions and the complexities of social issues teens also deal with. Special thanks to the author, sparkpress publishing, & @netgalley for my advanced copy!!!!

[Dawn (noladawnreads) · Rating 4 out of 5]

THE GARDEN OF SECOND CHANCES
𝙼𝚘𝚗𝚊 𝙰𝚕𝚟𝚊𝚛𝚊𝚍𝚘 𝙵𝚛𝚊𝚣𝚒𝚎𝚛
Out now!

🌻𝚂𝚢𝚗𝚘𝚙𝚜𝚒𝚜 & 𝚃𝚑𝚘𝚞𝚐𝚑𝚝𝚜:
Juana Flores Ivanov is 17 years old and she’s on her way to prison. She’s been convicted in the death of her husband. No one believes her when she says she didn’t kill him, but instead she ran to protect herself and her baby girl. Instead now she’s in prison where she battles both the staff and gang members. Not only does she have these problems, but she’s also undocumented and her mother-in-law is fighting for custody of her daughter. In an attempt to avoid conflict and to stay calm she starts a garden in the prison yard. With this garden she reminds herself and helps her new friends to remember what is important and how to care for themselves.

This was sometimes a difficult read. It is harsh, but the reality of life for these girls. Mona Alvarado Frazier worked with incarcerated youth and took that knowledge to create this story. It is labeled YA but it definitely reads as adult. Check CW. I found some of it to be repetitive and perhaps could have benefited from a map or illustrations to get a better understanding of the inner workings of the prison. There was also a good bit of Spanish/Mexican slang and while the glossary in the front of the book was very helpful, maybe I’m spoiled by kindle and being able to just tap on the word to see its meaning but with a heavy use of the language perhaps definitions at the bottom of the page would’ve been better served. Overall I enjoyed reading this book and thank Indie Spines for opening this new perspective up to me.

💜𝚁𝙸𝚈𝙻:
Prison stories
Youth in crisis
Redemption arcs
Multicultural stories


Thank you @indiespinesbookclub for my gifted copy and for including me in this month’s book club discussion.
These thoughts are my own.

[Paige · Rating 5 out of 5]

Disclaimer: I received this arc from the publisher. Thanks! All opinions are my own.

Book: A Garden of Second Chances

Author: Mona Alvarado Frazier

Book Series: Standalone

Rating: 5/5

Diversity: Mexican Indigenous MC, Black Mexican character, Latina Bisexual character, BIPOC characters

Recommended For...: young adult readers, contemporary, criminal justice, immigration

Publication Date: June 6, 2023

Genre: YA Contemporary

Age Relevance: 15+ (language, slight gore, alcohol consumption, gang violence, violence, rape mentioned, pregnancy mentioned, racism, death, infanticide mentioned, suicide shown, domestic violence, abuse of power, Christianity)

Explanation of Above: There is some language in this book. There is some slight gore, violence, gang violence, domestic violence, infanticide, and death shown and discussed. Alcohol consumption is mentioned. Rape and pregnancy are mentioned. There are scenes of racism throughout the book. Suicide is shown and mentioned in this book. There are scenes of the juvenile detention center guards abusing their power. There are mentions of the Christian religion.

Publisher: SparkPress

Pages: 376

Synopsis: She didn’t run because she killed him, she ran because she didn’t. But no one believes Juana, an undocumented seventeen-year-old incarcerated for her husband’s death. Amid the chaos of prison and her grief, she creates a garden in the yard. A safe space. A place where she gains strength to take on the system before she loses her child.
Juana, a seventeen-year-old mother, is sentenced to prison for murdering her husband. She claims she’s innocent—but no one believes her, including the prison staff and a gang leader in her block who torments her.
Juana’s troubles aren’t confined to prison, however—she’s undocumented, and her husband’s bereaved family is now threatening to take her baby from her forever. Feeling hemmed in on all sides and desperate to stay out of trouble, Juana creates her own refuge in the prison yard: a garden she created. As she digs in the soil, nurturing the plants, she remembers her courageous, long-deceased mother, who she knows would never give in or give up. Juana’s only hope for saving herself and her baby is to prove her innocence—but how?

Review: This book was so amazing to me. I absolutely loved reading every word of this book and the book definitely was something right up my alley because of my background in the criminal justice field. I loved seeing a POV of someone who was in a juvenile detention center and I think that YA could use more POVs of this, not to scare kids because this book wasn’t about someone who deserved punishment but to help kids see themselves more in books, especially if they have been victims of the corrupt prison system. The book made several excellent points about the system and its failures. The book also made several good points about finding strength and inspiration to get out of heinous situations like this one. I loved how well written the book was and how moving every word and page was. I thought that the world building was also excellent. This has truly been one of my favorite all-time reads.

The only thing I’d ever deduct from the book is that the book kind of leaves you hanging on what happens after the ending. I’d love a second book to that and I’d love to see what happened with the other girls in the detention center. I also wanted to see more POVs in the story, just based on my background and having seen so many different stories come out of juvenile court, but what I got was very perfect.

Verdict: I absolutely loved it and I highly recommend this book for study and personal reading.

[cate (catescozycornerofbooks) · Rating 5 out of 5]

mona alvarado frazier created a marvelous story with the garden of second chances. i really enjoy realistic fiction novels centered around latinx culture, particularly regarding the topics of immigration or youth incarceration, and this book does such a phenomenal job addressing both topics.

juana is such a complex character. watching her evolution as an individual while in san bueno as she reflected on her past and learned how to overcome her [very unfair] obstacles was one of the most beautiful elements of this book. i also felt like each supporting character (ie: xochitl, mariana, babydoll) played a really important role and left readers with a lot to think about.

this book takes very heavy, sensitive topics and blends them into the story in the most stunning manner. there are a lot of important takeaways from the garden of second chances that i believe people need to look at closely, as this is the type of story that can offer life-changing perspective.

***because of my study abroad trip, i only got to read during a few days out of the period listed in my reading dates

[tre be · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 ⭐️ “𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐠𝐚𝐫𝐝𝐞𝐧 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐝 𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐬 𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐠𝐫𝐨𝐰 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐫𝐨𝐜𝐤𝐲, 𝐝𝐫𝐲 𝐬𝐨𝐢𝐥 𝐧𝐞𝐚𝐫 𝐚 𝐝𝐲𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐧𝐨 𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐬𝐞𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐜𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐮𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐥 𝐰𝐞 𝐧𝐮𝐫𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐠𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝“

TGOSC sheds light on the inhumanity and suffering of incarceration. Every day is a fight for your sanity, your safety and the possibility for a second chance.

Juana is a 17 year old immigrant who has every odd stacked against her. Not only does she have a potential 6 year sentence for murdering her husband, she is worried about the whereabouts of her sister with her 7 month old daughter, she is a target of daily “entertainment”, i.e. attacks by other inmates and she has been disowned by her father.

Juana’s story was pretty raw, emotional and harrowing. We all know the painstaking stress one must endure to lose your freedom, but it’s only magnified when you’re actually innocent of the crime. With no way to prove your innocence.

This felt like an accurate account of prison life and it was a very wild and different world. All of the prison rules, dynamics and infighting kept the story moving, and having you guess what could possibly happen next. The story was full of characters who had been dealt a rough hand and fell victim to “the system”. I thought each girls story was intriguing and you can’t help but hope for a turn around for them, well, everyone except Jester maybe.

I did like how over time Juana began to exude a new, “I’m not going out without a fight” strength. It shows the importance of having knowledge and resources to be able to speak up for yourself.

The story was enlightening and makes me want to advocate for young girls who are or have been incarcerated.

Great @indiespinesbookclub selection with lots of great discussion!!

“𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐟𝐟 𝐫𝐮𝐥𝐞𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐢𝐧𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐫𝐮𝐥𝐞𝐬. 𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐝𝐞𝐜𝐢𝐝𝐞 𝐰𝐡𝐢𝐜𝐡 𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐬 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐰𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐥𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐛𝐲.“

[Cierra · Rating 4 out of 5]

Full review in its optimum format can be found on my blog, Cierra’s Cynosure, here.

Notice: thank you to SparkPress for providing me an advanced reader’s copy of this book. This does not affect my opinion.

Content warning: domestic/intimate partner violence, suicide, depression, miscarriage, racism, immigration/deportation

Discussion
Welcome to another young adult book that addresses pressing societal issues head-on. The Garden of Second Chances follows our seventeen-year-old protagonist Juana, a Mexican girl in America, as she enters and navigates the American prison system. Juana has been charged with the death of her husband, from whom she fled because of his violence towards her and their infant daughter Katrina. However, something isn’t adding up: Juana swears she didn’t kill him.

This title opens strong. We’re riding along with Juana on the bus to San Bueno Correctional Facility where she has been sentenced to three years in prison for involuntary manslaughter. The imagery is compelling: Juana is sweating, shaking, and nauseous. She’s trying to take in the scenery around her before her impending reality of only being able to see behind metal bars. As soon as she gets off the bus, she vomits. Her nerves are swirling like never before. She’s trying to come up with a game plan of how to get through the next three years in prison despite being innocent and speaking very little English.

The bulk of this book details Juana’s daily life in prison. Through her interactions with other inmates, we learn not only of Juana’s life but also of the lives and circumstances of the cast of girls surrounding her. Each story is difficult to take in and evokes strong emotions from readers throughout the novel. For example, one girl is in prison for accidentally assaulting a police officer during an immigration rights protest that turned violent (she was getting attacked from multiple sides and had no way of knowing one was a police officer). Another girl is in prison for miscarrying a nonconsensual pregnancy in a school bathroom (she didn’t even know she was pregnant and was merely trying to forget what happened).

The stories of these girls are compelling, raw, and real. It is very clear that Frazier incorporated her career knowledge of working with incarcerated youth into this debut novel. It is also very clear that these stories are contemporary possibilities. Through group sharing, the girls are able to support each other by collectively carrying the emotional burdens.

“Mi abuelita had a dicho: ‘Decirle a una mujer todo lo que no puede hacer es decirle lo que ella puede hacer.'”

Bringing the focus back to Juana, two main things stood out to me about this title: 1) Juana’s revelations surrounding the inequities of the American prison system, and as a result, 2) her character arc. As mentioned, Juana begins her time in San Bueno knowing very little English. She learns English through her classes in prison and with the help of another inmate who teaches her. As she begins to broaden her English capabilities, she begins to learn about the various laws that outline inmate rights, such as the right to transportation to important hearings paired with the right to have an interpreter at said hearings, the right to an attorney, the right to request records, etc. In pieces, Juana begins to understand that she was not given a fair chance to prove her innocence because she was not given the proper tools or all of the information regarding her case at the time of her sentencing. She begins to understand that she has to fight the prison staff for this information and that results may vary depending on the staff she asks for help.

The slow excavation of the injustices that Juana faced during her conviction process is deeply troubling as it serves as a reminder that these are very real circumstances that real people face. While the efficacy and ethics of prison are hot-button debates, it is no question that prison prison is a business. It is also no question that racism and prejudice do not stop at the gates of prison, and can also disproportionately impact inmates of color like Juana. As she jumps over hurdle after hurdle to gain access to information about her conviction and the ongoing custody battle for Katrina, she can’t help but wonder how many other girls have also been unfairly sentenced.

“How many other girls in here hadn’t read their police reports? Or were without an attorney to spend time with them? Or who didn’t understand the court process? How many of them had longer sentences because not all the facts were given to the court?”

By the final 50 pages, Juana has overcome numerous barriers. She is no longer the meek girl she was on her first day. She has dealt with grief day in and day out. She has learned to advocate for herself and protect herself. Most importantly, she has learned how to have agency over her story.

“Who was I now? A prisoner, a mother, a Mexican in America. A victim of domestic violence like LaLa said in group? I wasn’t a teenager anymore. I was a young woman who had gone through a lot. I was all those things.”

My critique of this book is limited to two things. The first critique is that I felt that the title and cover imagery is misleading, as it leads prospective readers to believe that Juana spends a lot of time in the prison garden that she cultivates. This is not true. The garden doesn’t appear until almost 60% of the way through the book, and from there, it is featured sporadically. I saw another reviewer offer the idea that the garden is a metaphor for perseverance, and while that may be true, I was rather disappointed that it didn’t receive as much page space as I initially thought it would.

My second critique addresses the ratio of page space given to Juana in prison vs. out of prison. While I understand that the bulk of the writing is intentionally focused on Juana’s life while in prison, I couldn’t help but want more time with her once she was out of prison. I wanted to see more of her reconciliation process with her family, friends, and most importantly, with her daughter. I wanted to see her reintegration process and what she chose to do with the lessons she learned while in prison. The fact that her post-prison life is summarized in only ten pages was a grave disappointment because I feel like there was more to her story outside of the walls of the San Bueno Correctional Facility.

Thank you again to SparkPress for the advanced reader’s copy of this title. The Garden of Second Chances shares themes similar to another powerful YA book Sanctuary by Paola Mendoza and Abby Sher. Here is my review for that title if you would like to keep reading works regarding immigration rights.

[Sarah Fulton · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you SparkPress and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Juana, a seventeen year old undocumented mother finds herself incarcerated after being wrongfully convicted of her husband’s murder. This book follows Juana’s journey of how challenging the prison industrial complex. Fighting for her innocence, Juana finds support and strength within fellow inmates, staff and her garden. This is a heartbreaking yet beautiful story of perseverance and resistance.

I truly enjoyed the storyline of this book and fell in love with Juana. She started out timid and shy but by the end of the book she became a fierce advocate for herself and her daughter. The author works with incarcerated youth, so the love and passion for rehabilitating at-risk youth shines through in this book. I ultimately gave this book a four star review because the title and synopsis of this book were slightly misleading. I thought the garden would play a much larger role than it did. I also struggled to keep track of side characters with the multiple nicknames they were given. I realize nicknames are common with in a correctional institution, but for the purposes of a book it became hard to follow when most of the inmates had two or three names they went by. I can’t wait to see what this author comes out with next. These stories of intersecting identities and societal issues are so important. Very well done!

[Darcia Helle · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Garden of Second Chances immerses us in a juvenile detention center with an undocumented teenage mother convicted of killing her child’s father.

This book’s strength is its ability to show us all the cracks and potholes in a broken system designed for punishment instead of reform. The author’s experience working with at-risk youths shines here.

Pacing is slow but steady. At times I felt the story lagged a bit with the repetition of prison life, but this also illuminates the dangerous monotony of a system that destroys already damaged children.

Ultimately, we find hope within the desolation.

The garden is actually a minor aspect in the plot, and I’m not sure why the title and synopsis makes it seem like a focal point. I’m assuming it’s meant to be more metaphoric than literal.

*I received a free copy from SparkPress.*

[Darlene Campos · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent!

What a beautiful book this is. It touched my heart many, many times as I read it. The ending was so satisfying and perfectly written. What an amazing story of resilience!

[Bett Parker · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book and couldn’t put it down. The characters are so relatable and I could really feel all the trauma each of these young women experienced. I can’t wait to read your next novel ❤️

[Kathy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book should inspire everyone to stay positive. This poor woman had the deck stacked against her, she was in a desperate situation. This is a story of what immigrants go through all of the time.
I appreciate the author spending so much time explaining the plight of immigrants in the judicial system.
Loved winning this book as I might not have had a chance to read it.

[Nadia Jonesy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thanks to NetGalley and SparkPress for this read. I did not quite know what I was going to get when reading this book as I did like the synopsis but I was wondering how it was going to be executed. This was done well and it was a nice read as well. It involved a heavy story line and it was interesting to read.

[Chris · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed reading this book...hard to put down.
Thank you to Goodreads Giveaway for the free copy.

[Ramona · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the story of a young immigrant woman’s journey from Mexico to the US. Heart-rending and character driven, the story captured my attention from beginning to end. The research and care taken throughout this narrative is evident. For me, at its heart, this story is about the main character’s struggle to find her way back home to her daughter amid cultural and institutional barriers while often confronting dangerous and seemingly impossible situations. I am better off for having read this novel. An important story and debut work!

[Shakila (BooksandThemes) · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5
Juana is sent to jail for a crime she’s accused of. From the moment she is in route to jail to stepping in the jail, we see how naive and green she is about what is to come. We all know or have heard of how the prison system is/can be. Picture it, and that’s what Juana is in for. Not only does she have to deal with protecting herself and staying alive in jail, she has to worry about how to save her baby from going into the system or being sent somewhere other than with her pregnant sister.

This story will tug at your heart, make you angry at some of the characters, and question society and how they treat others “they feel” are undeserving for whatever their reasonings. I was happy to see growth in Juana as I read to find out what really happened that landed her in jail. What happens with her trial. What happens with her within the prisons walls, and what happens with her, her baby, and family. There were pieces to the story that I did want more of, and answers too, but that does not take away from what happened in the story and the impact it can have when you think of real life situations like Juana’s story!

This was a solid debut and a great start to 2024 #indiespinesbookclub

[Eva · Rating 5 out of 5]

In Juana, Mona Alvarado Frazier gifts us a protagonist who feels refreshingly human and genuine as a teen migrant. A good, naïve girl who’s made some not-so-wise choices and finds herself a young wife and mother in a new country she struggles to understand, victim of domestic violence and finally, imprisoned for a crime she didn’t commit—her husband’s murder. I feared for Juana at every step as she navigates the politics and dangerous liaisons inside prison. As a young migrant, without family in the US, Juana has no resources and Ms. Frazier does a fantastic job at transmitting us Juana’s desperation at being locked away from her baby daughter, Katrina, and her dread of losing her forever. Every page of Ms. Frazier’s story feels tense and very real. I wondered if Juana would ever find a way out of her impossible situation. Overall, a fabulous read and solid debut novel. You won’t be able to put the book down until learning whether Juana and Katrina end up okay.

[Cara Lee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mona Alvarado Frazier has created a story filled with the truth of experience. Her time working with incarcerated youth shows on every page. The young people who’ve crossed paths with her must be fortunate, because the tough honesty and tender compassion with which she draws Juana and her fellow inmates puts readers in their shoes.

I worried about Juana as if she were real. This makes sense, because she stands in for many real girls, who can blossom into contributors to community instead of criminals, if only we invest in them.

To understand what it is to be imprisoned as a teen because you’ve had the ordinary poor judgement that is part of growing up - is to understand how our country is destroying its own future through policies that dehumanize the poor, refugees, and minorities.

The author makes this journey personal, taking us into the heart of one girl whose life hangs in the balance. Every choice made by Juana and those around her can make or break who she becomes. Thank goodness life sometimes offers a Garden of Second Chances.

[Sandy · Rating 3 out of 5]

The author has spent decades working with incarcerated youth and it is evident in the book. I enjoyed learning about the correctional facility through the inmates. She takes you through Juana’s experience during her time in prison. While reading, it did not feel like a YA and that was helpful since that is not a genre I typically pick up. So here is to starting my YA reading journey!

As a debut it did a good job. At times I did feel like there was too much thrown into this novel and it kept pulling me into different directions. The garden isn’t the focus of the plot at all so not sure why they added that to the synopsis since we do not see it until about 200 pages in. I suppose it is just the metaphor for it all. I look forward to seeing more from this author.

Look up TW as there are many.

Thank you to Booksparks for copy of this book

[Kerry | KerryGetsLiterary · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Garden of Second Chances is Mona Alvarado Frazier’s debut, and what a lovely debut it is!

Seventeen-year-old Juana is in youth prison for killing her husband, despite her claims to her innocence. Being incarcerated isn’t even her only problem. She’s undocumented, a gang leader inmate is tormenting her, and her husband’s family is fighting to take custody of her baby. Feeling the walls closing in, she finds the only solace in creating a garden in the yard where she can gather her thoughts and figure out a plan of action.

“I didn’t run because I killed him. I ran because I didn’t.”

That first line pulled me in right away and I wanted to continue reading!

Sometimes I forgot how young these characters were as they were going through some very difficult and adult things, which is reflective of reality for some. These teen girls had such heartbreaking stories, and it made me hope for a happy ending for all of them.

Juana’s character development was well done and realistic for someone her age dealing with her circumstances. It was easy to root for her and hope that she is able to accomplish her goals and get back to her family as we watch her grow while in prison and learn to make better choices.

Some of the writing did leave me confused, like the description of the cells in relation to one another. I couldn’t picture how the girls were talking to each other through the walls, out the windows, and sending written messages under the doors. Some of it was also a little repetitive and could have been edited out, however it still kept me engaged and I wanted to keep reading to know what happened.

The synopsis had the garden be the focal point of how Juana found her solace in the prison, but it was only mentioned a few times. There is a lot more going on than her needing a respite while incarcerated. [ETA: After writing this, another reviewer in our buddy read group, @coolnkind16, made the connection that the prison and Juana's growth were a metaphor for a garden as well, as she was learning, experiencing setbacks and challenges, and growing, just as plants in a garden do, and I really like that!]

There were a great deal of heavy themes in this book and the author does a wonderful job of integrating them into the story in an authentic way. Her work with incarcerated youth has given her both the knowledge and the empathy to create an original and realistic story.

This was my first read of 2024 and it was so lovely to start the year with a 4-star read!


CWs: adult/minor relationship, death, domestic abuse, drug use, child abuse, racism, suicide attempt, miscarriage, vomit, blood, violence

[Drama Sylum · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a fast-paced, rewarding read with multilayered characters. The author embeds so many issues to consider long after your experience with the book has ended. Highly recommended.

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a great book with a beautiful story. I was disappointed there wasn’t about her garden since that’s the title of the book but regardless I think it played a great part in Juana’s overall story. Good story with a great message to never give up even in the hardest of times.

[Adriana · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was hard to get through because there's a lot of sadness to begin with. The reader is thrown in prison along with the main character essentially. We're disoriented, scared, hopeless... but there is hope to be found even at your lowest and your darkest moments.

Triggering subjects:
domestic violence
teen pregnancy
prison
immigration
grief/loss
mother/child separation

[Abby Timm · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's a very thoughtful book. It is kinda slow to me in the begining but really grabs you. I would read it again! And I love the ending ! It is full of sadness and shows how the prison system works and how corruption and power dynamics work in a prison. I enjoyed the story and it rally was a journey.

[Florencia · Rating 5 out of 5]

LOVE, LOVE THE GARDEN OF SECOND CHANCES! MONA ALVARADO FRAZIER DEBUT NOVEL IS PHENOMENAL. SUCH AN IMPORTANT STORY THAT NEEDS TO BE TOLD.

[Lindsey · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a great book that touched on a lot of injustices. I really appreciated the character development and bringing awareness. Really enjoyed this book.

[Carolina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Frazier's debut novel intrigued me from the beginning. Having worked in a similar correctional facility for incarcerated young men, I wondered how the scene would develop. From the beginning of the story, through the process of the MC's commitment and eventual release, Frazier nailed the archetypical characteristices of the employees at the facility and the incarcerated youth with their various "issues," and all the challenges related to immigration status and survival in a country that is quick to judge and in a hurry to dispense justice. This story provides young adult readers and their teachers an accurate and interesting platform for discussion of current and relevant social justice issues. Student readers will find a vivid picture of how easy it is to make choices that can change their lives in an instant, and how difficult the road to recovery can turn out to be. The book also paints a picture of hope and compassion among the most hardened staff and youth alike. If your interested in what our incarcerated youth may face in detention, this is the book for you.

[Susan Ballard (subakkabookstuff) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was immediately invested in Juana’s journey. My heart went out to her, and I feared for her. The author did an excellent job of putting you right there with Juana in prison - learning all the games you must play to stay safe - the tension is real. Yet, Juana must also worry about her young daughter and what is happening to her while she is locked up.

So many emotions are stirred up in this realistic fictional account of a young mother serving time for a questionable crime.

Thank you @booksparks and @m.alvaradofrazier for a gifted book. #TheGardenOfSecondChances #SummerPopUp

[H. Woodward · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really wanted to like this one more than I did. For some reason, I couldn’t get attached to the main character. And sometimes the supporting characters seemed a little too obvious as foils to the main. But most YA readers will love the interactions and drama between these imprisoned young women, Juana works hard to make a better life for her and Katrina. There are a number of hidden surprises and some unexpected events that kept me reading, A good first book overall.

[Toni Guy · Rating 5 out of 5]

The story of Juana broke my heart and rebuilt it again. You can tell Alvarado-Frazier has deep insight into the juvenile prison system and what it's like to manage that world as a teen girl - it is a very believable read.

[Emma Siemer · Rating 3 out of 5]

It’s clear that The Garden of Second Chances is Frazier’s debut novel, as some structural and pacing issues affected the reading experience. That said, the author’s background working with incarcerated youth truly shines through. The characters are well-rounded and dynamic, which made it easy for me to become fully invested in the story. Despite its flaws, Frazier’s writing evoked a strong emotional response, and I’d be interested in reading more from her in the future.
(PUB DATE: AVAILABLE NOW)
(I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed above are my own.)