My sister Ann was reading this book when I was in Napa last February. I really wanted to rip it out of her hands and read it myself, but I resisted the impulse. We also spent some time looking for its sequel (The Abduction) one night in Berkeley, to no avail. But now it's available across the street at Barnes & Noble, so I will be buying it tomorrow.
This kid is both likeable and smart. His family dynamic is interesting because both of his parents are lawyers and he has learned from both. They share a law office, and Theo goes there every day after school. One part I really liked was that when Theo got in over his head, he turns to his parents for help before it gets too far out of hand. Another part I liked was that Theo spends some of his free time tutoring kids in a homeless shelter. I wasn't so keen on his hacking into the court recording system so he could read what happened in court each day. However, Grisham notes (through Theo) that this is not illegal, because it is part of the public record. I wonder if that's true!
There are parts of this story that are just plain funny, parts that are cute, and all of it is interesting. I know Grisham is the expert, and he teaches a lot about the court system through this book. But it annoyed me that there were a couple of places where the story was inaccurate. Theo overstates what he knows for sure, for example, and this is never repudiated by anyone. Other than a couple of minor instances like that, this book was totally enjoyable. I can't wait to give it to Gabriel for a good summer read!
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