Low Bite

by Sin Soracco

A tough as nails underground classic, this prison novel is narrated by Morgan—a 26-year-old woman convicted of breaking and entering—who works in the prison’s law library, offering shoddy legal counsel to other inmates. Morgan however, has plenty of enemies, like Johnson, the lesbian-hating warden; Alex, a lawyer who doesn't appreciate the jail’s free legal advice; China, a Latina convicted of conspiracy to commit murder; and Rosalie and Birdeye, serious rustlers whose loyalty lasts about as long as their cigarettes hold out. Gritty and filled with a wide spectrum of vivid characters, this novel is a riveting account of life inside a female prison.

Genres: Fiction, Crime

160 pages, Paperback

First published April 1, 1989

Reviews

[Dave · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sin Soracco’s novel Low Bite is a fictional account of her time in a California women’s prison (probably Chowchilla) in the 1970’s or 1980’s. The lead character, Morgan, does not reveal much of her past, but now works as a “jailhouse lawyer,” an inmate with no formal legal training who helps other inmates file habeas petitions. In that capacity, Morgan has access to the law library, where she keeps a still to make cheap alcohol, and learns about another inmate China’s case. China, who holds United States citizenship through her marriage, is in for solicitation to murder her husband. There are rumors that there is a bit of money the husband has hidden outside the books in his rental business and China and other inmates concoct a scheme to write checks against the dead husband’s accounts to get at that money. The scheme is shadowy at best and does not make complete sense. Much of the novel is not straight-up storytelling, but vignettes and incidents about a handful of inmates, including Morgan, China, Rosalie, and Birdeye, culminating in a prison riot and subsequent lockdown. The prose at times is more poetic in nature than storytelling in nature. Quite an interesting short book.

[Chris Cummings · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was sent this book by PM Press and immediately wanted to delve into it, so it didn't take me long to get around to reading it. This was my first time reading any work by Sin Soracco and I am already incredibly impressed and intrigued by her poetic and urban way of using words. She spills realistic verse across the page, conversations and descriptions that are vibrant yet raw and real in the way they mould and create images.

Low Bite is the story of a female prison and we see the goings on through the eyes of one of the inmates who works in the law library. We meet other prisoners, we hear their internal dialogue and their outward conversations regarding their lives, the reasons they are incarcerated and their feelings about being inside. I really had a blast with this book, and it offers a very unique snaphot of life in a womens penitentiary. If you have any interest in books set in prisons that are fictional yet have elements of realism that you can relate to, then check this out. Wonderful stuff.

4.25 out of 5

[Andrea · Rating 5 out of 5]

A brilliantly noir prison novel. AND it's a women's prison novel. A hard slice of life, where language, time and character are stripped down to the bone. Everyone gets through their time completely exposed to others, yet they are all fighting to keep the masks in place. You keep what you can of the unexpected, you have no power otherwise, you have no edge. This is a book of edges, sharp and cutting. A book of tension and greed that will keep you turning pages. There is love and lust here, a mocking caution of do-good lawyers, a still hidden in the prisoner law library. Brilliantly noir, this is a book only a woman could write and a book every woman should read. It might even contain a little redemption, though most of that is to be found after a few glasses of prison-brewed peach liquor.

[Victoria Law · Rating 5 out of 5]

"You wrote about the riot I was in!" were the first words Sin Soracco ever said to me.

Although Low Bite is fiction, Sin too also wrote about the riot that she was in. And the prison she was in.

I tore through the book. Can't wait for her next book to come out.

[wonut · Rating 1 out of 5]

bruh…..i can’t finish thisssss😩😩😩 This book is literally 130 pages I have 60 left and this could have been finished in a couple hours and i’m on week 2😭😭😭😭 no shade no tea to the author this literally just isn’t for me. I feel bad not finishing book cuz i’m not a quitter but i quite literally don’t know what is happening in this book. I guess my brain just has a formula that only likes certain books and this doesn’t fit. It is very slow and ….. shouldn’t there be some idea of the plot when I am over halfway into the book? There needs to be a hook or some sort of grasping plot element this far at least. And for that reason……I will be moving on……

I do have a signed copy which is cool. Prolly won’t stay on my bookshelf.

[Elliot Josephine Leila · Rating 4 out of 5]

A slow burn, at times muddled and confusing in its dialect, but it captures the slow horror and subtle joys of prison life aptly.

[Joshua Williams · Rating 2 out of 5]

couldn't get into this one for some reason. the writing style was just strange