Helpful Score: 8
Rarely do I read a book right when the hype around it is still going on. After seeing this on NetGalley I just had to pick it up and read it. And I am so thankful I did. A book that is more than a criminal case, it is about the family that is at the heart of the case. A small family unit that is solely made up of mother, father and son that takes quite a hit when a classmate at school is found dead in a local park.
The reader is taken behind the scenes and out of the courtroom to their home between the days of the case when it is hard to continue on. I fell in love with this family and was intrigued by the struggle they faced trying to first determine in their own minds if their son was innocent and then defending him to the end. The reader is in the middle of the journey trying to decide if they believe that Jacob is innocent or not.
Just when you thought the book was coming to close there were four more chapters that took this story to a whole different level. As I always do, I will not share about the twist ending that takes you completely by surprise and is almost a sucker punch to the gut. Because of this twist ending, this book is a terrific ride to the very last page.
The reader is taken behind the scenes and out of the courtroom to their home between the days of the case when it is hard to continue on. I fell in love with this family and was intrigued by the struggle they faced trying to first determine in their own minds if their son was innocent and then defending him to the end. The reader is in the middle of the journey trying to decide if they believe that Jacob is innocent or not.
Just when you thought the book was coming to close there were four more chapters that took this story to a whole different level. As I always do, I will not share about the twist ending that takes you completely by surprise and is almost a sucker punch to the gut. Because of this twist ending, this book is a terrific ride to the very last page.
Helpful Score: 4
Wow! What a read! I picked this book up on a whim at Barnes and Noble and once I started it, I absolutely could not put this down. I think I read these 400-something pages in 2 days. This author is a force to be reckoned with. The story is about a man, Andy Barber, who is an assistant district attorney who finds himself investigating the homicide of a teenager from his own son's elite private school. When the evidence points to his son, Jacob, he does everything conceivably possible to make sure his son gets the absolute best defense. Landay never once tells the reader whether Jacob is innocent or guilty, but lets the reader decide for himself. The story is about the lengths a family will go to to protect one of their own and whether that price is worth it in the end.
Helpful Score: 3
I had to step away from this book for awhile after finishing it because if I reviewed it immediately after, Id have given it 1 star max; mostly because of the overwhelming 5 star reviews on Goodreads and Amazon. This book was set up like it was the holy grail of legal thrillers. When I finished it I wanted to throw it against the wall.
Im going to get a little off topic and complain about the reviews first. More and more lately it has been very transparent that reviews for books are set up from the beginning. I knew this before but with the amount of book bloggers out there receiving free copy from publishers it has become even worse.
Back to the book, I will add one more star to this book and make it a 2. Which by standards is it was ok. It wasnt bad, it wasnt great, it was just ok. There is nothing wrong with an ok book. I didnt find it emotionally taut. I found it emotionally irritating. The whole family needed a cold dose of reality into their lives. I wanted to keep asking the mom and dad Are you alive in your life? Have you any clue what is going on in your own lives...in your own kid? As more details emerged about early childhood, the more irritated I got. Insert some Samuel Jackson here and scream Wake the **** up!
Most of this book was predictable. Andy (the father) insinuated a lot continuously throughout the book, so we could see what was coming ahead by his own prompting. What missed for me was emotional connection to the Andy (dad), Laurie (mom), and Jacob (son). I felt nothing for Laurie and absolutely zero for Jacob. Without an emotional connection to the characters...something loveable...I can't feel for their predicament.
Im going to get a little off topic and complain about the reviews first. More and more lately it has been very transparent that reviews for books are set up from the beginning. I knew this before but with the amount of book bloggers out there receiving free copy from publishers it has become even worse.
Back to the book, I will add one more star to this book and make it a 2. Which by standards is it was ok. It wasnt bad, it wasnt great, it was just ok. There is nothing wrong with an ok book. I didnt find it emotionally taut. I found it emotionally irritating. The whole family needed a cold dose of reality into their lives. I wanted to keep asking the mom and dad Are you alive in your life? Have you any clue what is going on in your own lives...in your own kid? As more details emerged about early childhood, the more irritated I got. Insert some Samuel Jackson here and scream Wake the **** up!
Most of this book was predictable. Andy (the father) insinuated a lot continuously throughout the book, so we could see what was coming ahead by his own prompting. What missed for me was emotional connection to the Andy (dad), Laurie (mom), and Jacob (son). I felt nothing for Laurie and absolutely zero for Jacob. Without an emotional connection to the characters...something loveable...I can't feel for their predicament.
Helpful Score: 2
I loved this book and I will probably read it again some day knowing what I do now!!
I'm guessing you've read the book description so I won't go into the whole plot. I will tell you that the author describes the emotions of each character so amazingly that I felt everything right along with them. Jacob is a 14 year old kid - my son is 15- the agony, fear, anger, etc. that these parents experience as they watch their child suffer and learn things about him that they never knew before made me sick to my stomach but I could not put this book down. Landay is an expert at weaving a tale where you think you know and then you find out you don't.
I will be reading his other two books and I will recommend this one to everyone!
I'm guessing you've read the book description so I won't go into the whole plot. I will tell you that the author describes the emotions of each character so amazingly that I felt everything right along with them. Jacob is a 14 year old kid - my son is 15- the agony, fear, anger, etc. that these parents experience as they watch their child suffer and learn things about him that they never knew before made me sick to my stomach but I could not put this book down. Landay is an expert at weaving a tale where you think you know and then you find out you don't.
I will be reading his other two books and I will recommend this one to everyone!
Helpful Score: 1
Engrossing and unpredictable. Could not have seen the ending coming. In a good way. I'm way to fast to imagine every outcome and this one....well it's well worth the suspense. :)
Helpful Score: 1
In the classic legal thriller tradition of John Grisham or Scott Turow, this book also proved to be an admirable companion to We Need to Talk About Kevin. Thrown in for good measure was some interesting science on behavioral genetics, specifically the gene encoding the neurotransmitter-metabolizing enzyme monoamine oxidase A (MAOA). If the defendant inherited the "murder gene, " could that be a plausible defense to murder? But wait - the defendant didn't do it so why even go there!? William Landay writes from his experience as a prosecutor and crafts a very enjoyable tale that is destined to be on the big screen. The ending was not what I expected but maybe that's a good thing since I thought I had the whole book worked out in my head at about the three-quarters point.
Not sure what all the hype is about. Had to do alot of skimming to get thru it. The back of the books contains a Readers Guide, and a Topics for Discussions page. Not sure why. 2 very generous stars
Your son is accused of a hideous crime. You are 100%, absolutely sure that he is NOT guilty. But how much can you really know about a teenager, even one who is flesh of your flesh and lives under your own roof? And how far would you go to protect him? Or to protect others from him?
William Landay has written a real winner here, one that will keep you up past your bedtime for sure. A very realistic portrayal of a family under siege and the gradual destruction of the world they have created for themselves. Written from the father's perspective, an Assistant District Attorney, and filled with the raw emotion you'd expect under the circumstances, but also plenty of courtroom drama, behind-the-scenes police work, psychological analysis, and sleazy bad guys. The book does not end neatly and you're left to wonder: was he guilty or just horrifically unlucky? What would you have done under the same circumstances? Did the ends justify the means? What if?
William Landay has written a real winner here, one that will keep you up past your bedtime for sure. A very realistic portrayal of a family under siege and the gradual destruction of the world they have created for themselves. Written from the father's perspective, an Assistant District Attorney, and filled with the raw emotion you'd expect under the circumstances, but also plenty of courtroom drama, behind-the-scenes police work, psychological analysis, and sleazy bad guys. The book does not end neatly and you're left to wonder: was he guilty or just horrifically unlucky? What would you have done under the same circumstances? Did the ends justify the means? What if?
Well written, intriguing and an unexpected ending!
Great read!
Great read!
I really liked the book. It gives a good perspective on how parents feel about their children. And an interesting twist at the end. I liked it a lot....The trial part was a little drawn out, but it still held my interest
I'm going to give the author a benefit of a doubt and hope that he was intending to deliver a message with this book. I didn't like any of the main characters and felt that character development was poor.
Was so excited to receive this book from my wish list. But it was a bit disappointing. Have to agree with another reviewer in that I also did a lot of skimming. Too many words explaining what I thought were unimportant issues. Of course when I mentioned this critique to my daughter she said "well Mom , that's what books are...words" But I think PBS readers know what I mean. Way too much description. I thought the story line was good, not many surprises until the very end, but all in all it made me think about the horrors that some families experience in similar situations.
This book was one of the best I have read lately.
DO NOT READ THE REVIEWS ON THIS PAGE! They don't think they contain spoilers ("I won't reveal the spoilers but here's the ending...") but the reviewers are telling you what's going on mid-book and what is and/or is not finally resolved... this is the whole JOY of the book for the reader, to learn as you read! How is that not a spoiler?
Just read this book. It's excellent, and even if parts in the middle are a bit dragging, I promise it's all worth it...
Just read this book. It's excellent, and even if parts in the middle are a bit dragging, I promise it's all worth it...
Gripping story! The courtroom details were vivid, and the characters believable. This book certainly kept you guessing...you won't believe the ending!
It was well written and kept me interested throughout, a book I would call a "quick read". Also really liked the way it ended; different!
Couldn't put this one down, and wow what an ending! Didn't see that coming.
I couldn't put this down...it went so swiftly. I did find the grand jury investigation a little intrusive because I did not know where the author was going with it and I felt it had little to do with advancing the plot...was I ever wrong!
This book was intense and kept you wondering throughout ...."could he really have done it?" As a parent it was thought provoking and made me dig deep..."How far would I go....?"
Excellent read. Best I have read in a long time.
Excellent read. Best I have read in a long time.
Overall, it was a good read and the story kept me interested all the way to the end. I would definitely recommend it.
That said, the pacing diminishes as the trial gets underway; however, the surprising plot twists outweigh some of the slow, disappointingly blatant foreshadowing. At the end, I found I didn't care much about the fate of any of the main characters and I was disappointed to have been emotionally invested in some of the minor characters who turned out to be overdeveloped at the start given their lack of importance to the climax.
That said, the pacing diminishes as the trial gets underway; however, the surprising plot twists outweigh some of the slow, disappointingly blatant foreshadowing. At the end, I found I didn't care much about the fate of any of the main characters and I was disappointed to have been emotionally invested in some of the minor characters who turned out to be overdeveloped at the start given their lack of importance to the climax.
Very well written, very good read!
Talk about a surprise ending in spades! This book gets "best in class" for surprise endings! That's all I'll say about that!
Recurring theme: how much of what happens around us concerns or affects US? ... and how does it concern/affect others? Are we such self absorbed creatures? Interesting and poignant and unrelenting explorations of this theme.
Recurring theme: how much of what happens around us concerns or affects US? ... and how does it concern/affect others? Are we such self absorbed creatures? Interesting and poignant and unrelenting explorations of this theme.
This was, without a doubt, one of the best legal thrillers I have ever read! The characters were so real; the drama so tense; keeps you turning pages into the night!
Huge disappointment! Found this to be boring and draggy. written in the form of the Dad talking or telling a story I didn't find the family likable. I skimmed most of it looking for an interesting spot but never found it.
What a great book! At first, it wasn't holding my attention, so I almost put it down (and brought it back to the library). I decided to give it a few more pages, and boy, am I glad I did! It was wonderful. Great story, great read, great characters. The story takes us from the day of the murder, then to gathering evidence, arrest, waiting six months til the trial, the trial itself, afterwards; and all the stuff in between. The story held my interest and I couldn't wait to get back to (reading) it. The author tells a great tale!
Good. Start a bit slow, but the ending makes up for it. A study of what if your kid was a murderer? How would you deal with it? When is ok to do a wrong to cover the truth?
I liked the writing style in this novel but felt the plot was way too simplistic. The reviews promised lots of plot twists and a riveting story. I found neither. An excellent book leaves you a bit sorry to see it end....not this one. I found it dragged out and the surprise ending was poorly done...no buildup. I guess I didn't feel I connected with the characters.vthey stayed on the page, flat.
Incredibly riveting. I could not put it down until my eyelids closed each night.
Enjoyed the book and twist at the end. Great writing
It's been a long time since I've had a book that surprised me in the end. This was a great story, very well written, and the fact that it managed to surprise me in the end made me love it even more. I immediately went looking for more books by this author.
The book was great! I checked out the authors other books after reading it.
Great read. Twist of an ending.
If you have the time to read any book, let it be this one. This is one of the best books I have read in a long time. One of those books that no matter how bad you want to, you just can't put it down. Unfortunately, the first copy I ordered had water damage and I wasn't able to use it so I ordered another copy off of Amazon in like new condition. Boy am I glad I did! This book made me absolutely love William Landay and I am definitely going to be looking for another book of his. The way this book is written, you are given everything right at the beginning unlike other books that make you think its everyone else but then its the character you never expected. I like that we have to decide between Patz and Jacob and determine the entire time whether or not Jacob is innocent and what is going to happen as a result of the trial. The trial ending is very unexpected. It's a great book with a pretty good ending, albeit a bit sad. You will enjoy it, so take my advice and read it. By the way, Happy New Year! As of today, there is only one copy available here on PBSWAP so the first one to get it is going to be the luckiest one! Grab it now!
A good mystery with new twist.
I was reluctant to read this- I am not a big fan of crime novels, and this struck me as a standard pulp crime story. I was wrong. Very wrong.
I loved, loved this book!! It had my interest from the very start, and kept me captivated throughout. It's been a very long time that I've read a book I couldn't put down. This is a must read. It shows what a parent will do to protect the child they love. Just read it, you won't be disappointed.
This one started out slow for me, it really did pick up by trial time and I really enjoyed that portion of the book. I had heard a lot about the surprise ending and therefore I was on the lookout for it. I had no idea what it would be and I won't talk more about it here, so not to ruin it for anyone else. But after 429 pages, I feel that we could have went 50 more pages to give me an ending. It leaves me feeling empty after reading it, the ending or lack there of in my opinion tainted the entire book for me.
Defending Jacob was named one of the must-read thrillers of 2012, and I can see how it earned this title. I read it immediately after Herman Koch's The Dinner, and the two both have a similar slant. It made it hard not to compare the two stories of parents with children accused of a horrible crime, and each author's exploration of the limits of love and morality.
Defending Jacob's titular character is an upper class 15-year-old boy accused in the murder of a classmate. However, the story is narrated by his father, an attorney with a closet full of family secrets that span generations. The story unfolds through court testimony alternating with traditional narration -- it's an interesting way to deal with the flashbacks required to unfurl the story.
Defending Jacob is one of those stories that sticks with you for a long time. Helmed by a truly unreliable narrator, it's an interesting take on nature vs. nurture, a sometimes shocking study of the limitations of family love and a purely enjoyable mystery filled with truly unexpected twists and turns.
If you love thrillers, suspense and mystery that walks the line of disturbing, definitely pick up Defending Jacob. Based on the title and cover art, it could easily be mistaken for a procedural courtroom drama -- don't be fooled. This is a dark and twisted, discussion-worthy ride. Highly recommended.
Defending Jacob's titular character is an upper class 15-year-old boy accused in the murder of a classmate. However, the story is narrated by his father, an attorney with a closet full of family secrets that span generations. The story unfolds through court testimony alternating with traditional narration -- it's an interesting way to deal with the flashbacks required to unfurl the story.
Defending Jacob is one of those stories that sticks with you for a long time. Helmed by a truly unreliable narrator, it's an interesting take on nature vs. nurture, a sometimes shocking study of the limitations of family love and a purely enjoyable mystery filled with truly unexpected twists and turns.
If you love thrillers, suspense and mystery that walks the line of disturbing, definitely pick up Defending Jacob. Based on the title and cover art, it could easily be mistaken for a procedural courtroom drama -- don't be fooled. This is a dark and twisted, discussion-worthy ride. Highly recommended.
Wow! This legal thriller/family drama by William Landay is one of the best books I've read this year. Assistant District Attorney Andy Barber's life is turned upside down when evidence in a murder investigation he is in charge of points to his own 14-year-old son, Jacob. Can someone inherit a propensity for violence? Is "not guilty" the same as innocent? What is the responsibility of a parent? This novel is suspenseful, chilling and highly recommended.
Not what I usually read, but tried something new. So glad I did. This is an excellent book, with twists and turns that you don't see coming.
This book packs a tremendous emotional punch. It's much more than a murder mystery. It's a case study in human nature- how a family responds to life-shattering events. Andy Barber is an Asst DA whose 14-yr old son is charged in the murder of a classmate. The story is told through the voice of the father as he both pursues the truth and takes drastic, sometimes unethical, actions to protect his son. Both mother and father come to know their son in ways that alters the family dynamic. Are we as parents too close to our children, so blinded by love that we can't or refuse to see them as they truly are? As I read this novel, I could totally relate to Andy and could imagine that this story accurately depicts the hell that any family would go through in similar circumstances. It felt real. This is a beautifully written story that is less about "who dun it" than how we respond to life's cosmic shifts. It has been some time that I have endorsed a novel so enthusiastically.
A page turner and a surprise ending.
This book had me enthralled from the moment I started reading. Being in the position of parent, but also position of DA. And my son being the one accused. And still at the end not knowing if he's guilty or not.
Tons of hype for this courtroom drama about the assistant DA's son being tried for the murder of a classmate. Good twists and decent story about how a family copes and essentially crumbles. Slow at times and not as good as the hype. But a very good courtroom drama all the same.
The story was interesting. Rather dark. Very sad.
Excellent book - one you will have a hard time putting down!
I did not want to put this book down, and I really did not see the ending coming. Great book!
Loved this book. It's a good courtroom drama that teaches you something about the law (and its idiocies) and about the fragility of human nature. Just imagine that one single moment in your child's life changes the entire family's life forever. This story sounded almost non-fiction.
Keeps your pm the entire time
Grisham does it better.
I read DEFENDING JACOB on recommendation from friends, but I found it slow, plodding and filled with forced conflict.
Andy is the District Attorney and his son Jacob is arrested for the murder of a middle school classmate. Andy also has a so called "murder gene," his ancestors are all murderers, so this is supposed to add tension and intrigue, but it just felt like forced conflict to me.
I never felt much suspense as I read, and Andy as the narrator rambled A LOT and I just wanted him to get on with it already! LOL
Instead of riveting, I found the courtroom scenes monotonous for the most part. I think other authors write these type of stories better, so I give DEFENDING JACOB a C.
I read DEFENDING JACOB on recommendation from friends, but I found it slow, plodding and filled with forced conflict.
Andy is the District Attorney and his son Jacob is arrested for the murder of a middle school classmate. Andy also has a so called "murder gene," his ancestors are all murderers, so this is supposed to add tension and intrigue, but it just felt like forced conflict to me.
I never felt much suspense as I read, and Andy as the narrator rambled A LOT and I just wanted him to get on with it already! LOL
Instead of riveting, I found the courtroom scenes monotonous for the most part. I think other authors write these type of stories better, so I give DEFENDING JACOB a C.
