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zbmorgan's review against another edition
4.0
A different take on a legal thriller, this tale of a father who must watch as his son is accused of murder is told past tense and first person. The author's legal expertise makes this fascinating who-done-it more literature than mystery. A great page turner that will have you thinking about the responsibility of parents, district attorneys, and humans.
sngsweelian's review against another edition
5.0
I'm left in stunned silence after finishing the book. My heart is in pain.
"We all want good things for our children. We all want to be good parents, make good decisions, do the right thing. And of course we all want to feel proud of our kids. But for a certain percentage of us, an unlucky few, it won't work out that way. Some good parents...will see their kids wander into trouble anyway. It's a risk you take when you have kids, and every parent knows it." William Landay.
"We all want good things for our children. We all want to be good parents, make good decisions, do the right thing. And of course we all want to feel proud of our kids. But for a certain percentage of us, an unlucky few, it won't work out that way. Some good parents...will see their kids wander into trouble anyway. It's a risk you take when you have kids, and every parent knows it." William Landay.
khrn's review against another edition
5.0
Page turning courtroom drama
Found it fascinating, well written, and i could put myself in this family's shoes. The twists at the end were shocking and satisfying in a weird way.
Found it fascinating, well written, and i could put myself in this family's shoes. The twists at the end were shocking and satisfying in a weird way.
abernathy_33's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Death, and Murder
Moderate: Bullying, Homophobia, and Pedophilia
Minor: Animal cruelty, Rape, and Sexual assault
kimreadz's review
4.0
I didn’t really know much about this when I picked it up, but I liked the cover, and the synopsis sounded somewhat interesting! I have to tell you, it is quite a bit more than somewhat interesting! I truly had trouble putting this one down!
As the synopsis indicates, Andy is a long time, successful and respected assistant DA, married to Laurie, a psychologist, with a 14 year old son, Jacob, who is quiet and somewhat a loner. They attribute this to typical teen angst. Their world is rocked when one of Jacob’s classmates is found brutally murdered. Andy is intent upon finding the killer and making sure his community is safe....until the day he is suddenly dismissed from the case, and Jacob arrested for murder! Suddenly, Andy and Laurie are left questioning their son’s innocence.
To complicate the story, Andy must tell Laurie that his father is indeed still alive and serving a sentence for murder, and that Jacob may have the ‘murder gene’. No matter what, though, Andy believes in his son and his innocence. Laurie, on the other hand, struggles with this doubt and the possibility that she may have given birth to a monster.
This story will keep you guessing....‘obviously Jacob is guilty’....‘wait, he didn’t do it’...’oh, yes he did!’...and on and on...I’m not going to tell you the final verdict or how the story ends. I will only tell you that this has a ‘Picoult’ style ending; a real surprise that will leave you wondering. I still haven’t decided if I like the ending, but I definitely like the book!
This would make a great book club selection with lots of discussion points from ‘what did you think of the ending’ to ‘is there really a murder gene’ to ‘is it ever ok to give up on your kids’! Read it! You won’t be sorry!
Why did you choose this book? I really had no idea what this was about, but I was attracted to the cover.
When did you read this book? February 2012
Who should read this book? readers of legal thrillers, Jodi Picoult fans.
Source: ebook borrowed from my local library
As the synopsis indicates, Andy is a long time, successful and respected assistant DA, married to Laurie, a psychologist, with a 14 year old son, Jacob, who is quiet and somewhat a loner. They attribute this to typical teen angst. Their world is rocked when one of Jacob’s classmates is found brutally murdered. Andy is intent upon finding the killer and making sure his community is safe....until the day he is suddenly dismissed from the case, and Jacob arrested for murder! Suddenly, Andy and Laurie are left questioning their son’s innocence.
To complicate the story, Andy must tell Laurie that his father is indeed still alive and serving a sentence for murder, and that Jacob may have the ‘murder gene’. No matter what, though, Andy believes in his son and his innocence. Laurie, on the other hand, struggles with this doubt and the possibility that she may have given birth to a monster.
This story will keep you guessing....‘obviously Jacob is guilty’....‘wait, he didn’t do it’...’oh, yes he did!’...and on and on...I’m not going to tell you the final verdict or how the story ends. I will only tell you that this has a ‘Picoult’ style ending; a real surprise that will leave you wondering. I still haven’t decided if I like the ending, but I definitely like the book!
This would make a great book club selection with lots of discussion points from ‘what did you think of the ending’ to ‘is there really a murder gene’ to ‘is it ever ok to give up on your kids’! Read it! You won’t be sorry!
Why did you choose this book? I really had no idea what this was about, but I was attracted to the cover.
When did you read this book? February 2012
Who should read this book? readers of legal thrillers, Jodi Picoult fans.
Source: ebook borrowed from my local library
soliteyah's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
I read this very quickly and was surprised by several of the twists. Most of the characters were pretty unlikable, including the unreliable and (seemingly) willfully blind narrator. I thought the theme of the violence gene was a little undercooked, but overall the book was thought-provoking.
smilesgiggle's review against another edition
4.0
This story is told as the father of a teenage boy is a witness during a trial; Andy details the investigation and events, lending him the benefit of hindsight. Though there a few hints, the twist at the end was a great shock. Excellent book.
indigomadness's review against another edition
dark
emotional
informative
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
kessler21's review against another edition
4.0
A great story. A story about what it means to be supportive. How far should a parent (or anyone) go to protect, support, and defend their child.
A young teenage child is murdered. The District Attorney is pulled from the case when his son is arrested and charged with the murder.
The way the story is told, from several different points in time helps the story to unfold in intriguing and veiled way.
I am looking forward to checking out the new mini series.
A young teenage child is murdered. The District Attorney is pulled from the case when his son is arrested and charged with the murder.
The way the story is told, from several different points in time helps the story to unfold in intriguing and veiled way.
I am looking forward to checking out the new mini series.