Reviews

The Guilty One by Lisa Ballantyne

stuckonamber's review against another edition

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3.0

Lawyer Daniel takes on the defence of a child accused of murdering the boy next door. As he gets to know Sebastian, he recalls his own difficult childhood and the adoptive parent who turned his life around, but who he hasn't spoken to in years. Ballantyne grapples with some big issues - child justice, nature vs nurture, consequences of our choices, with a very easy to read narrative. Not my usual choice of reading matter, but an interesting tale.

kelbi's review against another edition

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4.0

Wow. This book gripped me from start to finish. I listened on Audible. It was superbly read. I’m going to look for more by this author. There were two plots in it connecting the main character Daniel but the focus was upon his adoptive mother and upon the boy whose solicitor he was in later life. Really excellent novel

kellymc03's review against another edition

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4.0

if you liked "defending Jacob", you will like this.

siiopacilea's review against another edition

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emotional mysterious reflective medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

The book is well written, it keeps you hooked.

b3ttysbooks33's review against another edition

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4.0

kind of interesting. but guessable, decent reflection on adoption/ prison system/ children

doessusanwrite's review against another edition

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5.0

4.5/5

scknitter's review against another edition

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4.0

The Guilty One is a profound, heart wrenching, thought provoking, must read. While it is primarily the story of a little boy accused of murder and his lawyer, it is also a mesmerizing study of the three main characters and how they are each affected by horrible events in their past. It is a compelling read which pulls you into the lives of the characters and won’t let you leave.

jess_0204's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional informative mysterious reflective sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

emilyg's review against another edition

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dark slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix

3.25

myrdyr's review against another edition

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3.0

It was ok.