A review by laurenleigh
While Justice Sleeps by Stacey Abrams

mysterious tense slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

This is Stacey Abrams’ first novel published under her name (not her pen name, Selena Montgomery), and I was really excited to read it! It’s a mystery/thriller about a Supreme Court justice and political conspiracies. It’s got some House of Cards vibes, but you’re rooting for a much more moral and likable protagonist. I enjoyed it overall, but I have to say I really disliked the audiobook format here. The narrator’s style felt very affected and over dramatic to me, which was kind of a bummer. It constantly took me out of the story. It’s tricky to separate my feelings about a book vs the narration, but I’m pretty confident that I still liked the text. This would be a difficult novel to write for someone outside the legal profession or even outside of Washington. Abrams is definitely using her expertise wisely in her writing! (Is there anything she CAN’T do??) I appreciated how Abrams kept the legal content very approachable, not too opaque for a regular reader. Though I should maybe note that all my parents were/are lawyers, so I perhaps have slightly more familiarity. I also like how Abrams didn’t tie up every single loose end, but it still felt finished, not like she was leaving you hanging for a sequel. It just felt very grounded in reality, where we don’t get perfectly neat endings. If you’re into this genre, definitely give this a go and support Stacey, but maybe do the regular book rather than audio.
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