Book Review: "Orange Is the New Black" by Piper Kerman

Previously posted on Goodreads!¹

After thinking about it a lot, I decided to change the rating of this book from 3 to 2 stars. This story could've been written in such a marvelous way and it wasn't. I understand that Piper Kerman is not a professional writer, but that's why editors exist, I suppose.

I felt a lack of depth in many situations, like Kerman's development as a character and with the inmates for example. You forget who they're because there are a lot of names and no story about them.

There were some things that freaked me out. For example, I didn't believe in what was Kerman saying in almost every situation, and in a book, the most important thing is that your reader believes in what you're saying, even if it is in a fantasy book. The point here is that, even if she's saying the truth, I don't buy it.

But the thing that won the second star in this book is that I could actually see how the system works if you have a white woman as an inmate. No one can deny privileges, we see that every day.

Well, for me, this book was a disappointment and to have watched the series before isn't even a factor, they're totally different. The series is believable.


PIPER KERMAN is a graduate of Smith College. Her writing has appeared in the New York Times, the Guardian, Cosmopolitan and other publications. She serves on the board of directors of the Women's Prison Association and the advisory boards of the PEN America Writing For Justice Fellowship, JustLeadershipUSA, Healing Broken Circles, and InsideOUT Writers. She teaches creative nonfiction writing to incarcerated men and women. Piper speaks frequently around the country about justice reform. 



¹This review was written and originally posted on my Goodreads profile in 2014. It might now present minor changes in structure or corrections but has not changed its intention.