katiefarrell218's review against another edition
3.0
So much character development but left me really hanging in the end. I really hope there is a sequel!
anybear77's review
2.0
I don't know why I keep trying to read John Grisham novels. The beginning had some promise, but the book just dragged on and on with no real central story being told. Samantha was bland bland bland and the other characters weren't much better.
sonboninsc's review
4.0
I liked learning about coal mining and its effects on Appalachia. It is still so relevant today.
lgsplace's review
3.0
Good quick read when I needed relief from heavier reading. Quite an education on coal country!
carriepond's review
2.0
"What a wet fart. Nothing really happened."
That was my husband's comment as we reached the end of the book, and really, that sums up my feelings as well. I've never actually read a John Grisham book before, which seems odd (maybe?) because I'm a lawyer, so you'd think legal thrillers would be up my alley. I decided to check this one out from the library because, perhaps because I'm from Kentucky, I've always been very interested in the subject of mountaintop removal.
I was hoping for an enjoyable legal thriller that explored the tension surrounding coal mining deep in coal country. What I got was a rambling, often boring and dry informational session on why mountaintop removal is bad (I agree, but that didn't make the dry, pages-long descriptions, randomly inserted unconvincingly into contrived, unrealistic "conversations" between the characters any less boring or any more believable). There were a couple of big events, but they were so buried in all types of mundane drivel that they didn't even make an impact. I'd think, "oh, shit, THAT just happened. NOW it's going to pick up", only to nearly instantly realize we were back to more blah. Finally, with only about 50 pages left, I gave up hope it would get interesting, but had invested enough time that I soldiered through until the end.
Grisham seemed bored writing it, and it just kind of... ended. "Well, I've written enough to pass as a novel, so let's call it a day, folks."
I can't recommend reading this book. Having no experience with any other Grisham book, if you are considering reading this, I nonetheless wholeheartedly recommend you reading any of his other novels, as they would have to better than this, right? Who knows.
That was my husband's comment as we reached the end of the book, and really, that sums up my feelings as well. I've never actually read a John Grisham book before, which seems odd (maybe?) because I'm a lawyer, so you'd think legal thrillers would be up my alley. I decided to check this one out from the library because, perhaps because I'm from Kentucky, I've always been very interested in the subject of mountaintop removal.
I was hoping for an enjoyable legal thriller that explored the tension surrounding coal mining deep in coal country. What I got was a rambling, often boring and dry informational session on why mountaintop removal is bad (I agree, but that didn't make the dry, pages-long descriptions, randomly inserted unconvincingly into contrived, unrealistic "conversations" between the characters any less boring or any more believable). There were a couple of big events, but they were so buried in all types of mundane drivel that they didn't even make an impact. I'd think, "oh, shit, THAT just happened. NOW it's going to pick up", only to nearly instantly realize we were back to more blah. Finally, with only about 50 pages left, I gave up hope it would get interesting, but had invested enough time that I soldiered through until the end.
Grisham seemed bored writing it, and it just kind of... ended. "Well, I've written enough to pass as a novel, so let's call it a day, folks."
I can't recommend reading this book. Having no experience with any other Grisham book, if you are considering reading this, I nonetheless wholeheartedly recommend you reading any of his other novels, as they would have to better than this, right? Who knows.
angelsbutchery's review against another edition
hopeful
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.0
jeanwk's review
4.0
Learned about coal mining country. Something different for Grisham, but still included the lawyers and a bit of mystery.
courtthebookgirl's review
1.0
I wanted to like this book because I generally like Grisham. This was a clunker. It started out with promise and then quickly tanked. I kept reading because I kept expecting it to get better... I read it in one day, and I can assure you, it never gets better. Samantha (protagonist) was a lukewarm, mediocre lead who is totally wishy-washy about everything and everyone in her life. The two lead male characters were sleazy and slimy. The singular likable character, Mattie, was under-utilized. I appreciated the focus on environmentalism, but this one just largely missed the mark.