Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this eARC.

Carla Conti’s Chained Birds: A True Crime Memoir is a harrowing and deeply personal account that delves into the dark underbelly of the American prison system. This memoir is a powerful narrative that exposes the systemic failures and human cost of incarceration.

The memoir begins with Carla Conti, a former journalist, returning to the United States after three years in Europe, only to be drawn into a high-stakes legal battle by her high school friend, Scott Powell. Scott, a lawyer, is defending Kevin Sanders, a federal inmate involved in a brutal prison stabbing. As Carla agrees to write a tell-all book about the case, she finds herself entangled in the dangerous world of prison gangs, corruption, and penal abuse.

Conti’s portrayal of the people involved is both empathetic and unflinching. Kevin Sanders emerges as a complex figure, a man shaped by his harsh environment but also capable of redemption. Scott Powell is depicted as a dedicated lawyer willing to risk everything for his client. Carla herself is a compelling narrator, balancing her professional detachment with personal investment in the case.

Conti’s writing is gripping and evocative. She skillfully blends journalistic precision with a narrative style that reads like a thriller. Her vivid descriptions of the prison environment and the people within it bring the story to life, making the reader feel the tension and urgency of the situation.

Chained Birds tackles several important themes, including justice, redemption, and the impact of systemic corruption. Conti’s exploration of the American prison system is both critical and compassionate, shedding light on the often invisible victims of penal abuse.

Overall, Chained Birds: A True Crime Memoir is a powerful and thought-provoking read. Carla Conti has crafted a memoir that is a gripping true crime story and a poignant critique of the prison system. Her ability to weave her personal narrative with broader social commentary makes this book a standout in the true crime genre.

For readers interested in true crime, social justice, or memoirs, Chained Birds is a must-read.

True crime has long been an interest of mine. From watching documentaries with my mum as a kid, to discovering a massive interest in serial killers in my teens, and then developing a wider interest in all areas of criminality as I've grown up, it's always been in me to find intrigue in the illegal. Hell, even my job is in criminal justice...so it all goes without saying that Chained Birds was undoubtedly going to scratch a scandalous itch.

Following the ten year advocation for Kevin Sanders, a federal inmate in America's prison system, Chained Birds exposes flaws, danger, and mistreatment on multiple levels. Horrific conditions are detailed, and the fight to help get Kevin back into society eventually culminates in the closure of an experimental program at FCI Lewisburg in Pennsylvania.

I've read a bunch of true crime memoirs, and it's no exaggeration when I say that Chained Birds has catapulted to the top of the faves list. Some can be boring, overlong, and get swamped by the facts and figures and dates and footnotes; Chained Birds was the polar opposite of this. It was gripping from the beginning, and was written in a very novelistic manner which only served to strengthen the book. Conti's writing is engaging, and her background in journalism clearly influences the flow of the book, keeping it riveting and entertaining throughout.

In fear of dishing spoilers I'll leave this right there, but I implore you to get your hands on Chained Birds if you're interested in true crime. Peering behind the curtain of the American 'justice' system was an eye opener, and the frustration is REAL as you follow Kevin's journey to freedom. Is it achieved? Go find out...

This is a true crime book with a difference as we see the wider impact of the fight for a review of a case. The effects of the process of reviewing the case are alarming and impact everyone involved in ways I am sure they did not expect. There is so much information in this book - the case itself, the legal process and the terrifying reality of the penal system. Really, really interesting and the personal perspective makes it absolutely compelling.

I have not read much true crime until now but watched many a documentary. So when I started reading Chained Birds I expected detailed but not long-winded information on the case of Kevin Sanders as well as the corrupt prison system of the US. While many elements were really interesting, quite a big chunk of the book could have been whittled down to more essential information. Nevertheless, the story was well researched, put together and tells the story of Kevin in an interesting and mind-boggling way. Still, the book definitely did not feel like a proper true crime story to me as the personal lives of other people were too prominent for my liking. I didn’t really care all too much about the political commentary even though I am absolutely and wholeheartedly anti-Trump. I just don’t feel like the book was the right place for it.

This is a hard review to write. Every time I read a book, I wonder who the author wrote the book for.
This book, I have no clue who this book was written for. It wasn't really a true crime book. It wasn't totally a memoir.

I was drawn to it because you really don't hear too much about post conviction crimes and how they are handled.

I knew about the different ways in which the gangs control the prison. It was still interesting to read about.

However, after Kevin was convicted there was still over 40% left of the book. The author then filled it with rants against Trump.

This is where the book goes completely sideways. She goes on about her high school friends, things that Trump says, and visiting her mom in The Villages.

The next part with Kevin is when he scammed the author out of money for drugs.

The book is well written, but not cohesive. I was left wondering what was the entire book for? Was it just for the author's ego? I am not sure.

I can't recommend this book for true crime, nor can I recommend this book for a memoir.

I just don't know how to classify this book.

Thank you to NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

It is a well-written true crime story that reads like a novel. It reveals the corruption of the American prison system, which, like most prisons, doesn't lead to rehabilitation but makes the prisoner worse and more street-safe than before their incarceration. We see this with Kevin, Carla, and Jack and what effect the prison system had on them in later years.

It's a little too political, yet it's a true story told well and a recommended read.

A deftly written expose of the American prison system riddled with corruption, drug abuse and gang violence. Midway through the story the author becomes part of the narrative as she attempts to help the inmate put into an impossible situation by prison guards and threats of retribution. Living through the turbulence of the Trump presidency and Covid, yet still maintaining contact with a troubled inmate and documenting the fallout of prison life, Carla's gift for narrative non-fiction will reel you in.

Chained Birds by Carla Conti, is a remarkable true crime book and is a gripping read that reads like a thriller but is a true crime Memoir. Conti, who is a journalist, does a Favour for her former friends Scott Powel a defense lawyer who is handling a case about a brutal prison stabbing of a federal inmate and the two men who are charged with the assault.

Conti becomes part of the trials defense team and finds she is now navigating the terrifying world of gangster, corruption, gang issued hits and abuse. Carla agrees to write a tell all book on these gangs and the court case. Conti fearlessly confronts civil rights lawsuits concerning prison conditions and inmates' treatment and it becomes a ten-year journey to Advocate for the federal inmate Kevin Sanders but at a cost for both Conti and Powel.

This is an immensely powerful book on gangs and the American prison system, and Conti recounts her life before during and after the case which changes people’s lifestyle forever. Thanks to NetGalley and to the publishers of this book for giving me a free advance copy of the book to preview and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Informationally this book was good to raise awareness of gangs and corruption in the prison system. However it was not for me. It has a lot of bashing of the Republican Party and Donald Trump which I think could have been left out of the book and it wouldn’t have hurt any ratings. Also there was a place in the book that showed just how hypocritical one political party can be to another when they both have actions that are not ok by any standards.
Of course all books can’t be everyone’s cup of tea.

This was a really good read, and I inhaled it in several hours. I liked the whole story, Scott trying to assist Kevin in prison, then bringing Carla in to help out. And Jack joined them too, and the author shares how it affected all of them over the years. They all get drawn into Kevin’s world, and it is quite a crazy one. Recommended for those interested in prison culture and a wild true crime book.

I appreciated Carla Conti sharing their story with the reader, it had that realistic element that I was hoping for. I thought it was a great true crime element and thought it was realistic and showed a portrayal that I was looking for. It was written well and thought it was a strong story. It really showed a lot of the dark elements and what was going on behind closed doors.