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3.6 AVERAGE
3.6 AVERAGE
Back when John Grisham first started writing his legal thrillers, I read a lot of his books, but I haven't read one in a while, and I haven't read one of his non-legal thrillers. I don't know if this book is typical, but I did not enjoy it as much as the thrillers. It is a coming of age story which I usually really enjoy, but this one just didn't grab me and pull me in like some others I have read. There just wasn't much storyline, and as a result, the book dragged. I enjoyed the book well enough, but if I didn't have it for a book group, I wouldn't have been compelled to pick the book up to continue reading. During our book discussion, I realized it actually has a lot of features I enjoy in a book- a strong sense of place, a caring family, and a small community- but those just didn't pull me in as much either. A likable seven-year-old boy presents the story, but I often felt like he was talking and/or acting like a 10-12-year-old. The book did have some interesting characters in it. I know a friend of mine has liked some of his other non-thriller ones, so I'll probably give one of them a try.
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
N/A
This is the book that first made me truly fall in love with reading for fun. It will always have a special place in my heart.
Definitely not like his other books I've read! I kept waiting for the courtroom. :)
Not a traditional Grisham book, but probably my favorite of all of them, with Skipping Christmas a close second.
If Grisham's legal thrillers are equivalent to good (but not great) candy, then this is like a good (but not great) store-bought pie. I enjoyed it but feel certain I won't remember it two weeks from now. The book does a great job of capturing the everyday hardships of life on a small Arkansas farm in the early 1950s. And it's an OK coming-of-age story. However, the romance and violence Grisham weaves in just aren't terribly satisfying. Stick to "The Firm" if you want to read some Grisham; go for Steinbeck if you want migrant/farm stories with real depth.
Awesome, my favorite Grisham ever and one of my favorite books of all time. Highly recommended.
This book is set in rural Arkansas in the '50s and told from the persepctive of a seven year old boy. No courtroom drama here. Well written and engrossing. And I love it for all the baseball references.
This is a departure from his normal law genre. I think I would have liked it more if it had resolved itself at a different point in the story. It didn't feel like it ended it the right place.