Dead, Insane, or in Jail: The Book Series
The Dead, Insane, or in Jail memoir series tells Zack Bonnie’s story of his years at the Rocky Mountain Academy (a CEDU school) in Northern Idaho in the late 1980s. Tricked into going there at age fourteen, Zack ran away after several weeks, only to be returned there later that summer, where he remained for over two more years.
Combining Zack’s personal narrative with excerpts from personal correspondence, school communications, expert opinion, news items, personal journal entries, and school writing assignments, the book adds layers of meaning and third-party objectivity to the Zack’s story.
Jonathan Weiner, a fellow RMA student with Zack, provided illustrations for both A CEDU Memoir and Overwritten, with a unique sensitivity derived from his direct experience at the school, combined with formal art training and years of creative practice.
Dead, Insane, or in Jail: Overwritten
(Book Two in the series)
As Overwritten begins, the bounty hunter and an armed sheriff escort Zack back to Rocky Mountain Academy, six weeks after his escape. This time, Zack changes his tactics and stops overtly opposing the authoritarian program. Some kids crumble under the pressure. Others become “look-goods” who’ll do anything for approval. And young Zack may be kidding himself that he can remain immune to the coercive persuasion and thought control that permeate the place. With coarse, brutal dialog and authentic source materials, book two in this nonfiction memoir series takes the reader deeper into the vortex.
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Dead, Insane, or in Jail: A CEDU Memoir
(Book One in the series)
Zack Bonnie was fourteen when his parents sent him to a “Troubled Teen” facility. The author takes readers there, in a thrilling psychological read. Sequestered where bizarre cult-like techniques become the norm, see for yourself exactly what the controversy is about. Should we mold a child’s behavior using the tools of brainwashing? With coarse, brutal dialog and authentic source materials, this nonfiction memoir, the first in a series, exposes the secrets and tells it all.
Buy now, available in trade paperback and ebook formats, and audiobook.
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