A review by shanthebookish
Defending Jacob by William Landay

4.0

Defending Jacob is a story about how a family handles the unfathomable strain of their teenage son being accused of murdering a classmate. Add in the complexity of the father, Andy, being the assistant district attorney who initially was assigned to prosecute the case. Of course this was prior to his son, Jacob, being named as the primary suspect. The effect this case places on the family as a whole and on Laurie, Jacob's mom, is just gut-wrenching. In addition there are some familial revelations that add another layer of sorrow and complexity to this tale. I found this to be an extremely well-written and engaging book from beginning to end. The reason I did not give 5 stars is that I was frustrated with Andy's lack of insight or seemingly real desire to understand the impact on Laurie and I longed for more character development for Laurie. I think I just needed to hear her voice and perspective more intimately. Definitely recommend this book!