Failure to Protect by Pamela Samuels Young - Book Tour & Review
* Failure To Protect *
* Pamela Samuels Young *
* Legal Thriller *
Title: Failure To Protect
Author: Pamela Samuels Young
Publisher: Goldman House Publishing
Pages: 414
Genre: Mystery/Legal Thriller
Author: Pamela Samuels Young
Publisher: Goldman House Publishing
Pages: 414
Genre: Mystery/Legal Thriller
When the classroom is no longer a safe space for her child, the
outraged mother of a bullied nine-year-old is determined to seek justice
for her daughter. An ambitious school principal, however, is far more
concerned about protecting her career than getting to the truth. She
flat out denies any knowledge of the bullying and prefers to sweep
everything under the rug. But just how low will she go?
When the mother’s two hard-charging female attorneys enter the
picture, they face more than an uphill battle. As the case enters the
courtroom, the women fight hard to expose the truth. But will a massive
coverup hinder their quest for justice?
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TEASER
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EXCERPT
Chapter 1
"Please, Uncle Dre, let me stay home with you today. Can you homeschool me? Please!"
Dre stroked his goatee and laughed. "Unfortunately, I'm not smart enough to homeschool you or anybody else."
"I'm serious," Bailey pleaded, her face twisted in terror. "Please don't make me go!"
As his Jeep inched along behind the long line of cars dropping off kids in front of Parker Elementary School, Dre peered over his shoulder at the cute little girl sitting in his back seat. Bailey's stress level was way too high. She'd had a few run-ins with a bully at her old school, but he assumed the transfer to Parker had fixed everything.
"What's going on? Why don't you want to go to school?"
Bailey hugged her book bag to her chest as if it were a life raft. "I just don't."
"C'mon, talk to me. Is somebody bothering you here too?"
After a long beat, Bailey slowly bobbed her head.
Dre had purposely used the word bothering, not bullying. He was tired of hearing all the hoopla about bullies. Kids getting picked on was nothing new. It happened in his day and would keep happening until the end of time.
Truth be told, today's kids were too damn soft. People turned backflips to protect them from the realities of life. Like everybody getting a freakin' trophy just for participating. That was the stupidest crap he'd ever heard. Sometimes life is hard. Kids need to know that sooner rather than later.
"Please don't tell my mom," Bailey begged, her brown eyes glassy with tears. "She'll fuss at me for not standing up for myself."
Dre reached back and gave Bailey's foot a playful squeeze. "No, she won't. But you do have to start standing up for yourself. If somebody's being mean to you, you have my permission to be mean right back."
He wasn't condoning violence, but if another kid started some mess, the only way to show 'em you weren't no punk was to clap back twice as hard. Most bullies were wimps. Once you got in their face, they backed off. That's what he'd taught his son to do and, to his knowledge, Little Dre had never had a problem. He would teach Bailey to do the same.
"You don't get it," Bailey huffed, her shoulders drooping. "That won't help."
They were almost at the drop-off point, when Dre steered his Jeep out of the line of cars and made a hasty U-turn in the middle of the street.
Bailey's upper body sprang forward. "We're going home?"
"Nope." Dre pulled to a stop along the curb. "I'm walking you inside. I want you to show me who's messing with you."
Bailey slumped back against the seat, her lips protruding into a pout. "That'll just make it worse."
Turning off the engine, Dre hopped out and jogged around to open the back door. "Let's go."
He took Bailey's hand as they stepped into the crosswalk. The closer they got to the school doors, the slower Bailey walked. By the time they reached the entrance, Dre felt like he was tugging a sixty-pound bag of potatoes.
"Please, Uncle Dre," Bailey whispered, glancing all around. "Please don't make me go!" Her tiny hand clutched two of his fingers.
Dre led Bailey off to the side, squatted until they were at eye level, and caressed her shoulders.
"I don't know what's going on, but there's no reason for you to be this stressed out about going to school. If somebody's messing with you, I need to know about it. What's the kid's name?"
Bailey hung her head as a tear slid down her right cheek. For a second, Dre thought she was about to come clean.
"It doesn't matter," she mumbled, hoisting her book bag higher on her shoulder.
"Yes, it—"
Bailey jerked away from him and dashed inside the school.
He was about to go after her when a woman stepped in front of him, blocking his path.
"May I help you, sir?"
The woman's chin jutted forward like an accusing finger pointing him out in a lineup. "And you are?"
"I'm Bailey's"—he paused—"uh, I'm Bailey's godfather." He'd started to introduce himself as her uncle to make himself sound more legit but changed his mind.
"Your name?" Her tone conveyed all the warmth of an icicle.
"Andre Thomas."
Dre pegged the woman to be in her early forties. Her thick, black hair fell a couple of inches below her ears in a blunt cut that matched her funky disposition. Her sleeveless, form-fitting, red dress hugged every inch of her curvy frame. Actually, she was kinda hot. Kerry Washington’s classy style with Cookie Lyon's bad attitude.
"Bailey's mother didn't tell us someone else would be bringing her to school today."
She looked him up and down like he was some pedophile on the prowl for a new victim.
Dre couldn't seem to pull his eyes away. Despite an innate seductiveness, the woman still managed to carry herself with the spit-shine polish of a CEO. If professionalism had a smell, she would reek.
"Erika had an early meeting in Irvine and asked me to drop her off."
Dre ran a hand over his shaved head. Rarely did anybody—especially a female—make him feel this degree of uneasiness. "I'm sorry. I didn't get your name."
"I'm the principal. Darcella Freeman."
He should've guessed. A sister with a little power.
"I'll be dropping Bailey off and picking her up from time to time," Dre said, anxious for the chick to move out of his way so he could go after Bailey. "Erika got a big promotion. Her job's a lot more demanding now."
"Is that right?"
"Yep, that's right." What's up with this chick?
"Please ask Bailey’s mother to email the office authorizing you to pick her up from school."
Dre nodded. "Will do."
He still wanted to go inside, but the woman stayed put like a queen guarding the gates of her castle.
Without saying goodbye, Dre pivoted and headed back across the street. As he opened the door to his Jeep, he made a mental note to have a talk with Erika. She'd been thrilled about getting Bailey into Parker Elementary because of its stellar reputation. But the place might not be any better for Bailey than her old school.
Dre also couldn't shake the feeling that something wasn't quite right. And not just with Bailey.
MY REVIEW
Failure to Protect is the fourth book in a series of standalone books, and this one deals with the tough topics of bullying and suicide. It's an emotional read, for sure, but it's well worth the read.
I started this book one night when I couldn't sleep, and four hours later, I was still wide awake, seething with serious rage. There was a moment where I thought I might crush my Kindle with my bare hands, that's how angry this book made me.
As a parent, you hope your child never has to deal with something like this. As a parent, you want to protect your child and keep them from harm. But sometimes it's not enough. And this book slaps you right in the face with that. As a parent, it's hard to read at times.
There are some seriously appalling, disgusting characters in this book. Kiya, the nine year old girl who is bullying Bailey, is awful. Her abuse and name calling is just the tip of the iceberg. And the principal, Darcella, is the biggest piece of garbage ever. She cares more about her career and the school's reputation than she does about tackling bullying. Her antics. Her behavior. It all made me want to toss her off a cliff.
Failure to Protect is a book that immediately draws you in, breaks your heart right along with Erika's, Angela's, and Dre's, and then fills you up with indignation, outrage, and a serious need for justice. It's intense, but oh so satisfying.
A well-written legal thriller that feels very real right now. A fictional take on a sad epidemic plaguing the world today. I'd highly recommend it.
5 well-deserved stars!
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TEASER
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Award-winning author and attorney Pamela Samuels Young
writes mysteries that matter. Dubbed “John Grisham with a sister’s
twist” by one reviewer, Pamela’s fast-paced novels often tackle
important social issues.
Her most recent legal thriller, Failure to Protect,
takes on the bullying epidemic and its devastating aftermath. Pamela
won the prestigious NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Fiction for her
thriller Anybody’s Daughter, which provides a realistic look inside the world of child sex trafficking. Her courtroom drama Abuse of Discretion centers around a troubling teen sexting case. #Anybody’s Daughter and #Abuse of Discretion are young adult editions of the two books. A young adult version of Failure to Protect goes on sale in December 2019.
Pamela also writes dangerously sassy romantic suspense under the pen
name Sassy Sinclair. Her first foray into the romance genre, Unlawful Desires (2017), was awarded Best Erotic Romance by Romance Slam Jam. Her second book, Unlawful Seduction
(2018), was honored as a finalist in Romance Writers of
America/Passionate Ink’s Passionate Plume contest in the Best
Contemporary Erotica category.
The prolific writer is a frequent speaker on the topics of sex
trafficking, bullying, online safety, fiction writing, self-empowerment,
and pursuing your passion. To invite Pamela to your book club meeting
or to read excerpts of her books, visit www.pamelasamuelsyoung.com and www.sassysinclair.com .
website & Social links
Website: www.pamelasamuelsyoung.com
Twitter: www.twitter.com/authorpsy
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/authorpsy/
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