Review: Defending Jacob by William Landay

Defending Jacob by William Landay
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This book really has it all - it's a legal thriller with more nuances than the typical legal thriller. There is family drama, psychological exploration and more. I can't tell you much about the story as there are twists and turns that would too easily give up the story & the big 'twist' that is critical to the enjoyment of the novel (in my opinion).

The narrative is even and polished. The way that Landay weaves the story together is just fantastic. The story is strong as is the writing. Landay does a fantastic job of pushing the story forward, maintaining interest and momentum. Expert plotting combined with excellent dialogue makes for a fantastic read. In addition, the character development is great - I found the teen characters to be very authentic in comparison to what I have experienced with my teen step daughter and her friends.

All in all, this is a really strong legal thriller that is so much more than a legal thriller. It's a fantastic look at family, friendship, parenthood, and love. I definitely recommend this one! It is very readable yet offers much more than the typical legal thriller novel. And the end of the story was very satisfying to me - which isn't always the case with this sort of novel!


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