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farrahjune's review against another edition
The plot is predictable, so may things that happen are nonsensical and unrealistic. The characters are flat, stereotypical and the main character Sara is extremely unlikeable and almost dumb (which is not something that's fun to read about when she's supposed to be a cool lawyer. I believe the author just made her to be insufferable without wanting to). It's supposed to be a book about lawyers that battle each other but the only battle I got was when I was trying to understand why Sara is yet again complaining about her situation and why this book is so badly written instead of seeing good courtroom and law action.
livelywormy32's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
kstumpf's review against another edition
4.0
Fun, quick read. Somewhat predictable, but a few clever plot twists.
pickleballlibrarian's review against another edition
5.0
Another excellent legal thriller from Brad Meltzer! Please Brad go back to writing these!!
rosehaven's review against another edition
5.0
Great exciting book. Lots of twists and turns. Really enjoyed it.
bibliophilelinda's review against another edition
2.0
This is my second disappointing stab at reading a Meltzer novel. I'm simply underwhelmed with his weak writing ability. The actual story behind "Dead Even" is really quite good, but Meltzer's characters are so utterly annoying that reading about them is the literary equivalent of enduring nails raking down a chalk board. Ugh! In "Dead Even" the female protagonist, Sara, is a complete witch (or think of a rhyming synonym) but we, as readers, are supposed to sympathize with her. Her husband, Jared, in contrast, comes off as a spineless wimp (who needs to discover the word "assertive") instead of portraying the loving and protective husband. The plot: Sara, an unemployed lawyer, finally lands a job at the NYC DA's office. However, major City budget cuts are announced on her first day of work and she fears for her job. As the rookie, she's desperate to prove herself so she takes on a few cases. One of those cases, however, was a home robbery misdemeaner earmarked for a more prestigious and well-regarded Assistant DA, but she takes it anyway. By that small act of legal thievery, Sara becomes entangled in a dangerous cat-and-mouse game full of crooked public employees, psychotic murderers, and heartache as the defendent "hires" Sara's husband to represent him. Both Sara and Jared are told, without each other's knowledge, that they must win the case or the other will die. Thus, the thrilling circus begins. And it is a great story; one that would have been marvelous had a better writer set upon it. Awful dialogue and irritating characters do not a great book make.
eitan743's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
abbasyaldah's review against another edition
emotional
funny
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0