Orange Is the New Black

3.5?

First, this is not a high drama sensational lesbian prison novel, as some reviewers seem to have expected. This is not the TV show.

There may be familiar characters you recognize by tiny snippets of their stories, but ultimately this is a memoir of Piper's life as she remembers it during her incarceration and as she made the best of a bad situation. And yes, she was a white woman of privilege when she went in and she openly acknowledges that throughout the book and that she had a different and unique experience because of it. But I can also respect that she recognized and actively pointed out the unfairness of her preferential treatment, even if she did occasionally take advantage of it. And after she left prison, she didn't just “cash out” with this book deal – she became a strong and continuing advocate for other incarcerated women and for prison reform.

I flip-flopped a lot through this book, equally liking and disliking her, and my rating is not a reflection of my opinion of her as a person. This isn't a piece of fiction with a perfect protagonist who always says and does all the right things.

I read this fairly quickly and found the day to day anecdotes, routines, and the relationships she made fascinating. Her voice transitions back and forth between her WASP upbringing to prison slang to personal desperation to advocate. It's clear there was a measure of personal growth and a deep sadness for the plight of the other women she was incarcerated with who didn't have her advantages in life. Overall, this is a well-written, interesting memoir and I'm glad to have read it.