Originally published on my blog @ http://therelentlessreader.blogspot.com/2013/07/mandatory-release-by-jess-riley.htmlYou may have noticed that I tend to read a lot of dark books. I'm a fan of memoirs wherein the protagonist has a much crappier life than I do. I have a hankering to read about the seedy underbelly of life. I'm into gritty, dirty, twisty books that make me feel better about my own little first-world problems.So, reading Mandatory Release was like floating in a swimming pool with a cool glass of lemonade tucked in my cup holder. It was like a fresh stick of double-mint gum, like an ice cube rubbed on my sweaty neck. It was like a hard candy with a surprise center! (Thanks Katy Perry) All of that is to say that it was refreshing.This is the second book that I've read by Jess Riley. Just like the first, this one had me chuckling throughout. She is a seriously funny author, nearly every paragraph has a witty turn of phrase that made me smile.Lest you think this book is all fun and games let me point out that it also has its share of poignancy. Drew and Graham work in a prison. Graham is confined to a wheelchair. There are some shady happenings in Drew's past. It's not just a bowl of cherries people!Mandatory Release is a quirky, tender, and complex tale that I heartily recommend.
