Title: Theodore Boone: Kid Lawyer
Author: John Grisham
Publisher: Dutton
ISBN: 9780525423843
Copyright: 2010
Pages: 263
Quick Review: 4 stars (out of 5)
Why I Read It: I read all the John Grisham’s because even when he is bad, he is still pretty good.
Where I Obtained the Book: At my local library
Synopsis: In the small city of Strattenburg, there are many lawyers, and though he's only 13 years old, Theo Boone thinks he's one of them. But Theo soon finds himself dragged into the middle of a sensational murder trial.
Review: If you are coming to this book expecting the usual John Grisham legal thriller you might be disappointed. This book is a toned down version of what he writes for adults and the thing that was removed the most was the thrill part. As the son of two lawyers Theo Boone loves the law with an excessive amount of passion. So much so that he becomes the lawyer of choice among his peers, solving the minor troubles that come into their lives.
The book plods along with a particular tricky legal problem as the main story. Working with the cast of colorful characters in his life and his own genius, Theo eventually solves the problem to a satisfactory conclusion. In the end I think he sells his young audience short on action. If you look at the most successful recent young adult writers (JK Rowling, Suzanne Collins, Rick Riordon), they all manage to blend the danger with narrative targeted at the appropriate age group. So much so they have won audiences with adults as well.
For excitement this book rates about a zero, but I am willing to give Grisham the benefit of the doubt here. It seems this book purpose was to lay out who Theo is, his friends are, and the unique, quirky adults that are in his life. All in all it is a great foundation to a series of books, doing an excellent job at introducing this world. So the ball is in Grisham’s court to put the thrill into for book 2 (and I am assuming there will be a book 2) or he will lose too many readers.
Author Biography: Bestselling novelist John Grisham is a former lawyer and politician. He was born in Jonesboro, Arkansas on February 8, 1955. He received a bachelor's degree in accounting from Mississippi State University. He was admitted to the bar in Mississippi in 1981 after earning his law degree from the University of Mississippi, specializing in criminal law. While a lawyer in private practice in Southaven, Mississippi, Grisham served as a Democrat in the Mississippi House of Representatives from 1983 until 1990, when Paramount Pictures paid him $600,000 for the film rights to his second novel, The Firm (1991). With this success, he retired to write legal thrillers full-time.Other Reviews:
FYI:
The book has a dedicated website here
Plus, here is a video of an interview with John Grisham discussing the book
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