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Title: Hard Candy is not sugar-coated
Review: This book is Charles Carroll's unflinching memoir of his and other boys' brutal treatment while wards of the state (New Jersey) during the 1950s. Mislabeled retarded and institutionalized, Mr. Carroll endured years of sexual, physical and emotional abuse at the hands of his caretakers and other boys. The book is well written with an adult insight into some of his experiences. Though definitely not a pleasant afternoon read, it is certainly a worthwhile one. He also includes an extensive appendix with examples of modern day abuses of the system; just in case you might want to solace yourself with the thought that things have been fixed in modern day society.
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