Among the Bros: A Fraternity Crime Story by Max Marshall
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
This is true crime so i’m not sure it matters but there may be spoilers in this review.
3.5 stars. Among the Bros discusses a drug ring at the College of Charleston. As a parent of college students, the sheer volume of drugs discussed was disturbing. The lack of accountability was also quite upsetting and the fact that some of the larger players in this operation did no jail time is really a failure of the criminal justice system.
Also the fact that the Black male defendant received no benefit of the doubt, ineffective counsel, and a harsh sentence was upsetting. Yet, so many of the rich frat boys received no consequences. Absolute evidence of the incredible bias that exists still in the justice system.
The racism embedded in the history of these southern fraternities is also very sad. Especially when you consider that this book discussed events occurring in 2012 and beyond. It’s heartbreaking that so little has changed in many parts of the country.
I listened to the audio, and it was funny to hear this very preppy sounding narrator discuss Wacka Flacka and TI and rap songs. That part didn’t resonate with me because I wasn’t sure why the rap songs were being discussed with such depth when they really were only a tangential part of the story.
After reading this I was left pondering the question – “Would you rat out your best friend if it saved you from jail?”
View all my reviews
