cogsofencouragement's review against another edition
4.0
This is the second book in the Kid Lawyer series and we enjoyed reading it together at bedtime. My middle school son gave it four stars, my high school daughter gave it 3 1/2.
muadabid's review against another edition
adventurous
informative
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
3.0
thebeardedpoet's review against another edition
2.0
Mediocre story that has been stretched to the max to make it a novel. Lots of unnecessary repetition of narrative to fill up pages. Might have made a good short story, but that's about it.
sunnydog_31's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
3.0
amysutton's review against another edition
4.0
This was great! I loved all the life lessons that were included in this book. This really captures the heart of middle schoolers. It gets across the message that you can be snarky and think at times that your parents are overly cautious BUT there is a strong message that respecting adults is key and relying on your parents is a good thing. The voice in this was just so good!
The mystery was a little simple but that’s understandable.
The mystery was a little simple but that’s understandable.
arthur_pendrgn's review against another edition
2.0
This is an okay book. I'm an adult and this is written for middle school kids, so I don't think my review should count for much. Pretty much all of Grisham's stock characters are in this book. He has to walk a fine line between explaining the law and judicial matters and keeping the plot interesting.
mkurmom2711's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
informative
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
rebeccabooks's review against another edition
5.0
After reading the first book in this interesting series, when I found out there was a second by my also-addicted-friend, I jumped for joy. I was sad that the ending of the first book just ended without a reason, but now I know why!
My copy of this book is not as nice as the picture (left), it has some nice bright neon orange that would have put me off otherwise. DO NOT FEAR THIS BOOK. Read it, but read Theodore Boone, the first book beforehand to enjoy the true pleasure these books provide.
Synopsis: Theodore Boone is back with another adventurous case to solve! His best friend, April, goes missing mysteriously in the middle of the night from her bedroom without a trace - no-one knows where she could be. As the police hit dead-ends and a body is discovered in Strattenburg's river, it is up to Theo to use his extensive legal knowledge to find out the truth and find his best friend before it is too late. Will he find her? Is the body hers though?
Review: I really love Theodore Boone. He is a cracking character with a lot of charisma and intelligence and he is just so cool. Okay, so not hip cool maybe but I would want to be his friend - he seems like my kind of person.
It is not entirely clear how long has passed between the first book and this one. However, there is the mention at the end of the Duffy trial starting again in six weeks time, so I would say about two or three weeks has gone. There are references to the previous book but this could also be read as a stand-alone novel, which is nice if you aren't into reading sequels which I know some people aren't.
This book isn't so much a legal drama as Theodore Boone was. It is more about the life of Theo and his relationships with everyone around him, as well as the implications of something that happens rarely: abduction. I know there have been some pretty big stories in the past but soon I think abductions will become a thing of the past, thankfully. As well as showing how the police department would work and their procedures in a situation like this, this book outlines what you should and should not do if it was your friend/family member. I guess it would be the same procedures in England but without knowing much about this area, I cannot say if John Grisham has explained the confusing details of it like he did with the legal system in the first book.
The writing was still amazing and flowed really well which made me not realise how fast I read the book (four days) which is a record probably for me especially for this size of book. I felt like I was going back to these old friends when I read about the good old characters, it was like returning to another world really, a friendly one. Theo is as always my favourite and will be always. His parents and Ike (his uncle who helps him a lot) were just the way they were in the last book which was good. The only problem with that was in the last book, after being separated and not seeing each other much, Theo's parents and Ike seemed to get along and work together and even said (or it seemed obvious to me from reading) that they would get closer as they are family. In this book, that didn't happen. There was still the awkwardness when Ike's name was mentioned and the mood that they didn't want to be associated with him but felt Theo should know him. It just felt a little strange to me. At the end of this one, it felt the same as it did at the ending of the previous one so it will be interesting to see that relationship continue.
April was mentioned and introduced in the first book but like I said, hardly worth an introduction in the previous as she was only in it briefly as she was in the middle of a divorce for her parents. That 'divorce' was hardly mentioned in this book so I presume that it never happened or in middle of happening. I'm serious - in The Abduction, nothing was said about it! April is, although not in this one much either, complicated and we learn more about her and her weird relationship with Theo in this book, as well as her family.
Last time, I thought Theo seemed younger than his thirteen years but this time, he felt much older. He never seems to me, to be a true thirteen year-old.
At the end of this book, I didn't feel deflated, I felt EXCITED. Why can the next book be out now? There is going to be a third book (Source) but will be released the middle of next year, so we have at least 6 months to wait. BOO! The end links to the first with a reference to the last one, and is left on a slight cliffhanger, but not one where you will ponder on and on and get on John Grisham's nerves with amount of emails you sent demanding to know what happened.
Overall, this book was far better for me and more well rounded and readable than the first book, it really has showed that John Grisham can be successful at writing YA and Adult books well and I think the next one will be one of the most anticipated of 2012. What will happen next for the great Theodore Boone?
Verdict: Ignore the funky cover, read it. But I would recommend to read the first book, Theodore Boone, first - there's an extract from it at the end of this book.
I give it a 5 out of 5
My copy of this book is not as nice as the picture (left), it has some nice bright neon orange that would have put me off otherwise. DO NOT FEAR THIS BOOK. Read it, but read Theodore Boone, the first book beforehand to enjoy the true pleasure these books provide.
Synopsis: Theodore Boone is back with another adventurous case to solve! His best friend, April, goes missing mysteriously in the middle of the night from her bedroom without a trace - no-one knows where she could be. As the police hit dead-ends and a body is discovered in Strattenburg's river, it is up to Theo to use his extensive legal knowledge to find out the truth and find his best friend before it is too late. Will he find her? Is the body hers though?
Review: I really love Theodore Boone. He is a cracking character with a lot of charisma and intelligence and he is just so cool. Okay, so not hip cool maybe but I would want to be his friend - he seems like my kind of person.
It is not entirely clear how long has passed between the first book and this one. However, there is the mention at the end of the Duffy trial starting again in six weeks time, so I would say about two or three weeks has gone. There are references to the previous book but this could also be read as a stand-alone novel, which is nice if you aren't into reading sequels which I know some people aren't.
This book isn't so much a legal drama as Theodore Boone was. It is more about the life of Theo and his relationships with everyone around him, as well as the implications of something that happens rarely: abduction. I know there have been some pretty big stories in the past but soon I think abductions will become a thing of the past, thankfully. As well as showing how the police department would work and their procedures in a situation like this, this book outlines what you should and should not do if it was your friend/family member. I guess it would be the same procedures in England but without knowing much about this area, I cannot say if John Grisham has explained the confusing details of it like he did with the legal system in the first book.
The writing was still amazing and flowed really well which made me not realise how fast I read the book (four days) which is a record probably for me especially for this size of book. I felt like I was going back to these old friends when I read about the good old characters, it was like returning to another world really, a friendly one. Theo is as always my favourite and will be always. His parents and Ike (his uncle who helps him a lot) were just the way they were in the last book which was good. The only problem with that was in the last book, after being separated and not seeing each other much, Theo's parents and Ike seemed to get along and work together and even said (or it seemed obvious to me from reading) that they would get closer as they are family. In this book, that didn't happen. There was still the awkwardness when Ike's name was mentioned and the mood that they didn't want to be associated with him but felt Theo should know him. It just felt a little strange to me. At the end of this one, it felt the same as it did at the ending of the previous one so it will be interesting to see that relationship continue.
April was mentioned and introduced in the first book but like I said, hardly worth an introduction in the previous as she was only in it briefly as she was in the middle of a divorce for her parents. That 'divorce' was hardly mentioned in this book so I presume that it never happened or in middle of happening. I'm serious - in The Abduction, nothing was said about it! April is, although not in this one much either, complicated and we learn more about her and her weird relationship with Theo in this book, as well as her family.
Last time, I thought Theo seemed younger than his thirteen years but this time, he felt much older. He never seems to me, to be a true thirteen year-old.
At the end of this book, I didn't feel deflated, I felt EXCITED. Why can the next book be out now? There is going to be a third book (Source) but will be released the middle of next year, so we have at least 6 months to wait. BOO! The end links to the first with a reference to the last one, and is left on a slight cliffhanger, but not one where you will ponder on and on and get on John Grisham's nerves with amount of emails you sent demanding to know what happened.
Overall, this book was far better for me and more well rounded and readable than the first book, it really has showed that John Grisham can be successful at writing YA and Adult books well and I think the next one will be one of the most anticipated of 2012. What will happen next for the great Theodore Boone?
Verdict: Ignore the funky cover, read it. But I would recommend to read the first book, Theodore Boone, first - there's an extract from it at the end of this book.
I give it a 5 out of 5
leahinthebooks's review against another edition
The writing is simply too detached and unemotional for me.