Dawn_Zuber

I read this book in just a couple of days, which means that I liked it. I found myself wanting to know more about Lucy/Joseph's childhood, but the book begins when she's leaving home in her early 20s. There are allusions to past events (a riot Lucy's father was involved in) that are not developed or spelled out, which was frustrating. I found it interesting and a bit frustrating that the author spent a great deal of time describing certain parts of Lucy/Joseph's life, but left out details about other parts.

I prefer character-driven novels, so my impressions reflect that. I thought the writing was good, but the plot drove the story. Unfortunately the plot wasn't all that original. If you like a fast-paced suspense novel, this may be the book for you.

This book was okay, but it followed the typical mystery/thriller formula. I enjoyed the descriptions of Acker's Gap, though, and the characters were pretty well-developed.

Defending Jacob alternates between first person accounts from the point of view of Andy Barber, former assistant D.A., and the transcript of Andy’s grand jury testimony regarding – well, we’re not sure what the grand jury is investigating until the end of the book. Andy tells the story of defending his son, fourteen-year-old Jacob, who is accused of murdering a classmate.

I found it hard to put this book down. Despite being a thriller, it explores family connections, loyalty, and truth. I plan to read it a second time, which, for me, is a very rare reaction to a book.