Official Review: Breaking Free by Vincent Maertz

RachelEmmanuel · Post by **RachelEmmanuel** » 21 Oct 2020, 10:35

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Breaking Free" by Vincent Maertz.]

4 out of 4 stars

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Every mother, at some point, has looked at her child and wondered what they would be when they grow up. Every mother hopes that her child will do great things, be healthy, be happy, find love. So what happens when all these dreams get shattered by a disease called drug addiction and your child finds himself in prison? What happens to that young man in a system that often treats drug offenders worse than child molesters? Breaking Free by Anne Maertz and Vincent Maertz is a surprisingly honest look at life in the prison system both for the inmate and his or her loved ones on the outside.

Breaking Free started as a blog written by Anne and Vincent Maertz during the 50 months for which Vince was incarcerated. The book compiles the posts of both mother and son, going back and forth between their perspectives regarding each other, the prison system, their close yet often adversarial relationship, and life in general during that time. Their posts are refreshingly candid, covering everything from the currency system behind bars to how inmates deal with sexual perverts and from absentee fathers to a child given up for adoption.

Although the book is peppered with profanity, it is surprisingly well-written. Both mother and son have cogent and articulate writing styles that make the book hard to put down. Even though the premise of the book is serious, it is not hard to read, mainly because of the humor that both the authors inject into this difficult subject. They are both naturally funny, and it comes through in their writing. Witty chapter titles like "Vince's Big BM," referring to a bar mitzvah celebration for Vincent, made me chuckle, while the content sometimes went from amusing to heartbreaking in the span of a few lines.

Although Vince does a great job describing prison life and his journey through - what he refers to as - prison boot camp, the parts of the book I liked best were those written by his mother, Anne. I completely enjoyed her no-nonsense style of writing, her candidness about frustrations with her son, her fury at a prison system that - among other things - kept her from visiting Vince for over six months, and the stories about their past. The overarching theme in all of this, I felt, was that love supersedes all else. Regardless of what she says or how she downplays her love and concern, it is clear, Anne Maertz is a good mother who would do anything for her child.

Overall, I thought Breaking Free was a well-written, gripping, sometimes laugh-out-loud, page-turner. It gives a face to the many people incarcerated for drug crimes and a voice to those who love them. I can't think of a single thing I did not like about it. Once I had started it, I couldn't put it down. It does have a couple of typos and a fair bit of profanity, but you have to take into account that this was meant to be a blog, not a book, and is, therefore, written in a more casual style. I think the book would be enjoyable to any reader with an open mind but especially to someone who is, or has someone, in the prison system. I rate it 4 out of 4 stars.

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Breaking Free
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