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There are currently 24 member reviews
for Defending Jacob
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avid (Springfield, IL)
Stay to the end
This was described as a "courtroom thriller". I would call it a courtroom drama. It languishes significantly, then presents a satisfying twist at the end to redeem itself. Like Picoult's "Nineteen Minutes", "Defending Jacob" provokes a parent's introspection. How would it feel as a parent to experience this particular set of circumstances? Could this be my child? How would I/my teen respond? If you're going to read this book, you have to commit to finishing it.
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Robert F. (Charleston, IL)
Engaging thriller
I like mysteries, particularly police procedurals, more than so-called thrillers, but this novel is an engaging mix of both. It's very readable: the plot has several twists, but they're not overly complicated or contrived. The story is driven by the narrator, who is brash and intelligent and who has an unusual backstory, which establishes his motives and provides some much-needed sympathy. The idea that secrets come back to bite you is not all that original, but Landay handles that meme in a credible way. I also liked the use of the transcripts from the grand jury; these excerpts furnished an effective counterbalance to the 1st-person narration and moved the story along quickly. I just wish the wife (Laurie) had been given more depth and had somehow been able to speak for herself.
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Patricia B. (Columbia, SC)
Defending Jacob/WLanday/Book Review
Mr. Landay gets carried away with himself trying to have the main character, Jacob's father, explain himself to the reader. This is annoying and unnecessary. He has his character assuming he knows what the reader must be thinking. Stop this!
The book labors in many places throughout. It seems to pick up most in the dialogue which moves the story forward better than the author/character's attempts at convincing the reader how smart or hip he is. There was a story to be told here, but Landay took too long to tell it. I had to force myself to keep reading this book and could take it in only carefully meted out doses.
The book is apparently more about a human being's extreme denial of anything approaching reality. If the reader is suppose to dislike the father, then Mr. Landay accomplished this. The book was all about the supposed intelligent father who was a perfect example of the ability of the male species's inability to see reality and deal with it head on. This book needs a lot of editing and revising before it is published. It was hit and miss over and over. A lot can be thrown out to tighten it up and make it a more compelling and powerful story. Please tell me the final copy will be a much more fine-tuned piece of work. Otherwise, I cannot recommend it to anyone to read. The reader has to struggle too much to enjoy the writing.
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