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protoman21's review
3.0
This started out pretty well, but I really lost interest in the middle and by the end I had almost no interest at all. I found Samantha to be likeable enough as a character, but she really didn't have any depth. All of her issues were easily written off as "rich people problems." I'm not sure if having her drop $300 on a meal while working as an unpaid intern was meant to make the reader relate to her, but it had the opposite effect for me. I respect Grisham for shining a light on what is happening with the deplorable coal companies exploiting people and fighting to avoid paying any benefits to employees whose health was affected by the working conditions, but I think he could have done this while also telling a good story.
debbiecollectsbooks's review
5.0
I really enjoyed reading this new book by John Grisham. It was fast paced and hard to set aside. I loved the female character Samantha and rooted for her to stay and fight the issues of strip mining. I would definitely recommend this book to other's!
t8r's review
2.0
I listened to this book. I thought that the recording I had had cut off half the book. The story doesn't end, the characters don't develop and everything is left unresolved.
Also, this book send to be more sex-centered than most of Grisham's books. I don't appreciate that.
This is definitely a book I would not have read had it not been by Grisham.
Also, this book send to be more sex-centered than most of Grisham's books. I don't appreciate that.
This is definitely a book I would not have read had it not been by Grisham.
dewey_scrapper's review
3.0
It was interesting to see John Grisham have a female main character. I don't think it's something he's ever done.
alidottie's review
3.0
I decided to review Grisham's latest novel for my assisted living book group. It caught my interest when I read that it was about a NYC lawyer during the banking crisis of the late 2000's who goes to do legal aid work in Appalachia. Appalachia has interested me since I read Christy (by Catherine Marshall--I highly recommend) and then when I saw a special Idol Gives Back segment where American Idol raised money for charities including one that brought books to Appalachia. The statistics were unbelievable for number of books in the community per person (like one book for every 300). Anyway, I am amazed that the poverty in Appalachia and in inner cities exists in the USA, but I think it is more shocking in the gorgeous natural beauty of Appalachia.
Anyway, this book is a mini-education on coal strip mining and what it is doing to this beautiful landscape. How it is destroying land and water and people. I found that part of the book 4+ stars, but I felt like this book opened a lot of stories and ended none as if all we cared about was Samantha Kofer, the main character. In the end, I found that and the fact that Samantha treats intimacy like something that means nothing (I wonder how many women would write a female character like that--or am I just ignorant at how hardened woman today have become?) made me care less for the book.
Anyway, this book is a mini-education on coal strip mining and what it is doing to this beautiful landscape. How it is destroying land and water and people. I found that part of the book 4+ stars, but I felt like this book opened a lot of stories and ended none as if all we cared about was Samantha Kofer, the main character. In the end, I found that and the fact that Samantha treats intimacy like something that means nothing (I wonder how many women would write a female character like that--or am I just ignorant at how hardened woman today have become?) made me care less for the book.