Not quite what I was expecting, but still a really interesting read.

Sophie Campbell (pseudonym) was charged with assault and sent to Bronzefield prison, pending trial. This account details her experiences inside, and of the rehabilitation process afterwards.

Firstly, I found the structure a little off. The events jumped around a bit, rather than being laid out chronologically, which could be confusing at times. I found it disrupted the flow a little and made it trickier to follow.

There's also a massive focus on the prison system, rather than any kind of personal focus. This rubbed me wrong for a few reasons. Firstly, we never find out what Sophie's story actually is beyond the barest of details (which seems to have been an intentional choice) so it makes it hard to empathise with her and her experiences, and to take her at her word. She easily admits to being a violent person, to lying and faking mental illness to receive less consequences. It was bravely honest, certainly, but it also meant that I didn't feel a lot of sympathy for the negative experiences she had as a prisoner, and I found myself often questioning how honest her account was.

Secondly, I'm a bit of a black-and-white person at times, and I do generally believe that criminals should be punished. For example, one of the first complaints Sophie shares about her experience is that she wasn't allowed to bring in things like makeup and skirts that were considered 'too short'. That seems such a petty complaint to me for someone who has been charged with inflicting grievous bodily harm on another human being. So there were a lot of moments like that where I didn't really feel the sympathy I think I was supposed to, and Sophie's quick decision to choose violence in most cases made it harder for me to appreciate the support she was requesting on behalf of prisoners like herself.

That being said, there were definitely some red flags here, particularly with the inconsistencies in treatment the prisoners experienced. It does seem like there should be more effort put into establishing firm guidelines and boundaries. The rehabilitation process, for example, struck me as terribly unjust, and I can understand the concerns Sophie raises.

This is a detailed look at one specific prison in the UK, but it does raise broader questions about the justice system, and the treatment and eventual rehabilitation of prisoners. This account operates on the conclusion that most criminals have become so due to poverty and inequality, and that seems tragically realistic to me. But the book also gives far more empathy to prisoners than I was willing to offer.

It was a really interesting read, and it was also fascinating to me to consider how I responded to it. I know I have some unconscious biases and it seems one of those is towards criminals (Probably not helped by my frequent enjoyment of serial killer podcasts and the like).

This book made me consider a little further the experiences of prisoners, and I think Sophie raises some really worthy considerations for reforming the prison system. It's more factual than personal, so don't look for a moving memoir here, but an interesting read all the same.

With thanks to the author and Netgalley for an ARC

This book was such an interesting read! I have not read a book similiar to this one yet and I was glad that I picked this one up. It is such an interesting and eye-opening story that I recommend to everyone!

An interesting read. I read this over a weekend and I found it really fascinating.
Thank you to both NetGalley and the publishers for gifting me the book

"Breakfast at Bronzefield" is a compelling memoir that chronicles Sophie Campbell's time in the notorious Bronzefield prison in the UK. Campbell, a former public schoolgirl who struggled with addiction and mental health issues, provides a frank and honest account of her experiences in prison, from the highs of making friends and finding a sense of community to the lows of dealing with abusive staff and facing the harsh realities of prison life.

Overall, I found this memoir to be a fascinating and eye-opening read. Campbell's writing is engaging and vivid, and she does an excellent job of describing the complex relationships and power dynamics that exist within a prison environment. Her story is a powerful reminder of the importance of compassion, empathy, and understanding in the criminal justice system.

However, I did find some parts of the book to be repetitive and overly detailed, which made the pacing drag at times. Additionally, while I appreciated the author's candor and vulnerability, there were moments where her narrative felt self-indulgent and overly focused on her own struggles, which made it difficult to fully connect with her as a character.

Overall, "Breakfast at Bronzefield" is a worthwhile read for anyone interested in the criminal justice system or prison reform, and I would recommend it with some reservations. While it may not be the most polished or well-structured memoir out there, it is an important and thought-provoking account of one woman's journey through the UK prison system.

This was an interesting read - totally different to the sort of books I normally go for! I’d definitely consider reading more books from this author.

Recommend for fans of Orange Is the New Black, a fun and entertaining read. Would read something from this author again.

An interesting read that I'm glad to have discovered. I'll definitely be seeking out more by this author.

An honest open look at life in a uk prison.The author bravely reveals all gives us a snapshot view of her days life in prison..I was fascinated at her revealing look at life behind bars.Sophie Campbell is very brave to share her story.#netgalley #breakfast@bronzefield

This will be a very mixed review so apologies to anyone reading!
This book was about a female prisoner, and about her time in prison. It should also be noted this lady was black, and this story proves that there is still so much racism in prisons - not just between prisoners but sadly with members of the prison service.
I have never been to prison, and I have no plans on doing so either so I found this book enjoyable to read, and learn about what life on the inside is really all about.
But this book seemed to take me forever to read, and once reading I got very distracted very easily and I didn't really feel as though I wanted to read it.
There are a lot of statistics in this book - all of which hugely surprised me, but none that I would think will stay in my head.
All in all a good read, but not sure it's one I would highly recommend if I am totally honest.

I absolutely loved reading this book - it tackled a topic I have very little knowledge about and was a real insight into life inside from the perspective of a young black woman. I found myself questioning some of Campbell's anecdotes, which just goes to show how much I needed to read her book, and how my ignorance of both the prison system, and the treatment of BAME people within prison needed addressing. It's a compelling read, thoroughly recommended.

A really interesting and well-researched examination of the treatment of women through the criminal justice system and in and out of prison. I entirely understand the author’s desire for anonymity, but it was difficult to place their experience in context (MAPPA status, probation etc) without knowing a little more about their crime – but as she says, it’s her business, and I would do the same in her position as an author! I thought their description of taking on a v different persona in prison and the desensitisation to violence in prison particularly interesting and well articulated.

Breakfast at Bronzefield is an eye-opening account of Sophie Campbell’s time in prison. I was given a review copy by NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.

The book is memoir-like, with lots of important details on the workings of the UK criminal justice system. It’s teeming with examples of horrific racial and class stereotyping and abuses of basic rights and freedoms. The authority figures use the system to oppress the inmates, often omitting the programs that would facilitate inmate improvement and harmfully exerting their enjoyed power. In general, ‘rehabilitation’ is non-existent, with prisoners expected to act like stereotypes of themselves and conditions that encourage them to ‘act like animals’.

It was illuminating to me to hear of the UK’s exploration of prisoner labour, racial segregation inside, the mysterious drugging of inmates as well as the violence and sexual abuses that occur. It’s madness to me that prisoners are made to sign illegal non-disclosures upon entry and no matter what happens on the inside are never allowed to call the police.

Despite the prison’s website shouting about their education and services to stop women leaving Bronzefield homeless, 50% of them still leave without anywhere to go. This inevitably pushes them back into situations where they’re forced to re-offend or into the company of men who encourage criminal activity, often using them as mules, scapegoats or worse.

My rating:

This book made a lot of things make sense to me. It was sometimes difficult to read, both in it’s content and it’s detailed research on how the behaviours of staff ultimately serve to protect each other, not the inmates. Campbell is by no means your regular story-teller, her writing is direct and her frustration often jumps out at you. That being said, I found this an important and compelling read about the vicious cycle that has our UK prisons bursting and at full capacity.

Sophie's memoir is a comprehensive account of her time in prison. She provides us with a first hand look into what life on the inside is like. She makes it clear why we need reform and shares examples to help strengthen her argument. I have read many books about prison life but this one seemed different, more powerful. She talks about her own mishaps in prison and how she grew from them. It would have been interesting to know why she was in prison in the first place, though I believe her message was to show why reform is needed and keep some of the focus off of her. Thank you to NetGalley and Sophie Campbell Books for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Breakfast at Bronzefield is a captivating and insightful read about Sophie Campbell's (a pseudonym) experience as a prisoner incarcerated at HMP Bronzefield, the UK's largest female prison.
Sophie shares her riveting story of what it is like to be a minority female, and the conflicts she faced during her time not only in prison but once released as well.
Her account highlights the significant injustice that many prisoners face revealing statistics and her own personal experience.
An eye opening account that needs to be read!

Thank you to NetGalley and Sophie Campbell Books for an arc of this novel in exchange for my honest review.

i read about 25% of this so i'm not wholly qualified to review this but i think i got what i needed from that amount

this follows the time sophie campbell spent in prison and what she experienced there, what it says on the the tin.

i found it interesting, in a post orange is the new black world, especially in a british prison when so much light is suddenly being shone on the american system. she is matter of fact about her time, talking us through her admissions process as well as several anecdotes from within the prison and the many colourful and bleak and varying people she met there

i didn't stop because i wasn't enjoying it, i had just read enough and got wha she was saying from what i read. i would recommend it to people who would like an insight into someone who has gone through the prison system and i genuinely found it interesting

Found it hard to get into this book, though I can't really put my finger on why. It just felt disjointed, and though it's supposed to writing about reality, it felt a lot like 'thought about' fiction, like what one who hasn't been in a women's prison would imagine it is like. The read also lost me with not explaining enough - what on earth is GBH, for which the author got arrested? - and then the whole 'the world is against me and I did nothing wrong' angle the author takes started grinding in really quickly. Sad, because this had huge potential and could've been a real version of Orange Is The New Black, but it just didn't allow me to connect in

Breakfast at Bronzefield is an incredible insight into the female prison system in the UK, something I had previously read little to nothing about. Sophie presents the information clearly and accessibly. It would be impossible to read this book without learning something.
It's an incredibly readable book and a really great way for anyone to begin understanding the prison system.
I particularly enjoyed Sophie's personal insight into the changes in her behaviour and thinking that happened in order for her to survive.

What a great insight into life in prison, that some of us may never know! This is a brave and telling account of 2 prisons in the UK and I admired the writers honestly (despite having to sign a NDA with the prison).

This a great book to curl up with a cuppa on the coach with. Bravo!

I got 20% into this book and just couldn't read it anymore.
The author who we don't know why or how she is in prison, is in prison.
She is a dichotomy unto herself. She says that she never started any fights but the next page she is in a fight. She doesn't want to be treated any different, but she KNOWS her rights.

The author and the story was insufferable. I will not finish it and I won't leave a review on Goodreads.

A glimpse into ‘Sophie’ as she serves her sentence at Bronzefield and Downview prisons. Having worked in both of these locations over my years in the service, I know that some of what is written here is simply not true and have obviously been sensationalised in order to attract a wider readership. However, neither am I naive enough to say that all staff or processes are perfect in prison and no doubt Sophie would have had a story to tell, just not as fictional as this. If true, Sophie’s achievement of a degree and a good job post-release is admirable as, sadly, we live in a world where women offenders are judged more harshly than their male counterparts. However, it is hard to ‘root’ for Sophie as she comes across as highly unlikeable. What should be the strength and confidence she has gained from her experience comes across as arrogance and she seems proud of the violence she inflicts on others which is wholly unacceptable. For the most part I thought she wrote well and has some insightful observations into female incarceration and rehabilitation which could have provided a good catalyst for conversation - and hopefully change. Sadly, this gets lost in the sensationalism and dismissed because you cannot warm to her as an individual.