Defending Jacob was written by William Landay. It is his third novel and it looks like it is under development to become a movie. Defending Jacob is a legal thriller written from the perspective of the father who is an assistant DA. Landay has an interesting way of telling a story; he was able to seamlessly move from the past to the present without leaving me confused or wondering what was going on.
I found that the way this book was written kept me wanting more. I couldn’t figure out where this book was going to go and the ending was literally a surprise. I did not see it coming, which doesn’t happen very often.
Defending Jacob is the story of a quirky, awkward, 14 year-old boy named Jacob who is accused of murdering a fellow student. His father is the DA initially in charge of the investigation of this murder; that is, until his son becomes the prime suspect. The story is told as the investigation and trial unfold. Not only is Jacob’s life drastically changed by this accusation, but so are the lives of his parents.
I found it interesting that Landay addressed the effect that online activity can have in a situation like this, how easily anything you do online can be used against you and that things you do online never go away. It was also fascinating that Jacob’s parents were absolutely clueless about so much of Jacob’s life. As details were exposed through trial preparations his parents were blind-sided as the found out their son’s life.
The book is around 300 pages and is a very easy read. If you are into legal thrillers, Defending Jacob by William Landay for you!
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