Name: Defending Jacob
Rating: 3.888888888888889 (99 reviews)
ISBN: 9781410446947

William Landay

Defending Jacob

As is typical of these kinds of stories, I enjoyed this for what it is. I’m sure this is very thrilling in visual media form. 

The length of the story was a sore spot for me as it started to drag a little past the halfway mark. There was nothing especially exciting that justified how many pages there were. Another issue I had was the random fatphobia and misogyny thrown in there. The main character is supposed to be likable I think, or at least relatable, so this seems like a bit of the author bleeding into the writing as opposed to the character actually being fatphobic / misogynistic. 

Even after that, I liked the story. The idea of two parents with opposite beliefs on if their child is a killer or not is fascinating to me. There were also broad strokes of Nature vs Nurture built into the plot, which was enjoyable enough. 

Nik ✨

As is typical of these kinds of stories, I enjoyed this for what it is. I’m sure this is very thrilling in visual media form. 

The length of the story was a sore spot for me as it started to drag a little past the halfway mark. There was nothing especially exciting that justified how many pages there were. Another issue I had was the random fatphobia and misogyny thrown in there. The main character is supposed to be likable I think, or at least relatable, so this seems like a bit of the author bleeding into the writing as opposed to the character actually being fatphobic / misogynistic. 

Even after that, I liked the story. The idea of two parents with opposite beliefs on if their child is a killer or not is fascinating to me. There were also broad strokes of Nature vs Nurture built into the plot, which was enjoyable enough. 

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER * "A legal thriller that's comparable to classics such as Scott Turow's Presumed Innocent . . . tragic and shocking."--Associated Press SOON TO BE AN ORIGINAL STREAMING SERIES * NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY Entertainment Weekly * Boston Globe * Kansas City Star Andy Barber has been an assistant district attorney for two decades. He is respected. Admired in the courtroom. Happy at home with the loves of his life: his wife, Laurie, and their teenage son, Jacob. Then Andy's quiet suburb is stunned by a shocking crime: a young boy stabbed to death in a leafy park. And an even greater shock: The accused is Andy's own son--shy, awkward, mysterious Jacob. Andy believes in Jacob's innocence. Any parent would. But the pressure mounts. Damning evidence. Doubt. A faltering marriage. The neighbors' contempt. A murder trial that threatens to obliterate Andy's family. It is the ultimate test for any parent: How far would you go to protect your child? It is a test of devotion. A test of how well a parent can know a child. For Andy Barber, a man with an iron will and a dark secret, it is a test of guilt and innocence in the deepest sense. How far would you go? Praise for Defending Jacob "A novel like this comes along maybe once a decade . . . a tour de force, a full-blooded legal thriller about a murder trial and the way it shatters a family. With its relentless suspense, its mesmerizing prose, and a shocking twist at the end, it's every bit as good as Scott Turow's great Presumed Innocent. But it's also something more: an indelible domestic drama that calls to mind Ordinary People and We Need to Talk About Kevin. A spellbinding and unforgettable literary crime novel."--Joseph Finder "Defending Jacob is smart, sophisticated, and suspenseful--capturing both the complexity and stunning fragility of family life."--Lee Child "Powerful . . . leaves you gasping breathlessly at each shocking revelation."--Lisa Gardner "Disturbing, complex, and gripping, Defending Jacob is impossible to put down. William Landay is a stunning talent."--Carla Neggers "Riveting, suspenseful, and emotionally searing."--Linwood Barclay

Defending Jacob (TV Tie-In Edition)

Kayla

I really enjoyed this book, which I read after I watched the show (on Apple TV+). I enjoy the writing style and the suspense. However - I read the book after watching the show which left a lot of unanswered questions, in hope to get more answers. Unfortunately I know that cliffhangers are common, but this one was a little too open ended for me. I was left wanting a lot more.

Madhuri Sridhara

** spoiler alert **
           4.25- This was frustrating sometimes because Andy is a very single minded person and refuses to see it any other way than how he wants it to be. And he sticks with his version till the end. 

And the writing is annoying because the author objectifies every female character in the book and makes her into a cliche and most male characters get the same treatment. 

But some frustrating books are worth it. They usually turn out to be the best ones. And in this case it could be Andy's single mindedness that we see through the whole thin. We don't get any real answers but that's okay because we're not as blind as Andy. 

Would you have convicted Jacob? Which parent are you?

Laura

This is a legal thriller technically but is really more of a family drama with a lot of courthouse scenes. In fact, it strikes me as a male version of a Jodi Picoult novel, more specifically the one about the boy with Asperger's who is accused of murder. I suppose you could call it a housewife or Book Club thriller because I can imagine those demographics being the ones the most likely to pick up Defending Jacob.

The thing that really makes Defending Jacob stand out is just how much I hated the narrator. It is rare that I say this, but if I were to meet Andy Barber in real life, I would despise him. He was just so... obnoxious that I wanted to slap him. You know the stereotype of the arrogant male that feminists like to trot out? He's basically the embodiment of that stereotype.

In a lot of ways, he reminded me of a male version of those Martyr Mom characters I hate so much. On the surface, he'd seem like the kind of dad you'd want to have defending you, but dig a little deeper and it's clear he's just doing it for himself. The whole reason why he cares so much about his son being a murderer is because that reflects badly on him, not because he's worried about his son being in prison.

The biggest problem I found with the book, though, is not Andy. It's the fact that the author works off the idea that we believe as much as Andy did that Jacob is innocent and so as the evidence builds against Jacob, we are shocked and begin to see the prosecution's side. The problem with that is that I never saw Jacob as being innocent in the first place. Landley never gave us a reason to not suspect Jacob, except that Andy Barber "knows his son". I once watched a show on the ID channel in which they were talking to this little old lady, who was the mother of a quite prolific serial killer. She swore that her son had nothing to do with the crimes, even though it was obvious to everyone he committed those killings. My point is, parents don't really know their kids. 

Continue reading this review on my blog here: https://bookwormbasics.blogspot.com/2...

Nina

Kellie Rittershausen

Andy Barber has been an assistant district attorney in his suburban Massachusetts county for more than twenty years. When a shocking crime shatters their New England town, Andy is blindsided by what happens next: his fourteen-year-old son is charged with the murder of a fellow student. As the crisis reveals how little a father knows about his son, Andy will face a trial of his own--between loyalty and justice, between the truth and allegation, between a past he's tried to bury and a future he cannot conceive.

Defending Jacob

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