Book ~ "Theodore Boone: Kid Lawyer" (2010) ~ John Grisham

From Penguin ~ In the small city of Strattenburg, there are many lawyers, and though he’s only thirteen years old, Theo Boone thinks he’s one of them. Theo knows every judge, policeman, court clerk—and a lot about the law. He dreams of being a great trial lawyer, of a life in the courtroom.

But Theo finds himself in court much sooner than expected. Because he knows so much—maybe too much—he is suddenly dragged into the middle of a sensational murder trial. A cold-blooded killer is about to go free, and only Theo knows the truth.

The stakes are high, but Theo won’t stop until justice is served.

Brimming with the intrigue and suspense that made John Grisham a #1 international bestseller and the undisputed master of the legal thriller, Theodore Boone: Kid Lawyer will keep readers guessing and pages turning.

I like John Grisham's books and have read a lot of them.

When I started reading this book, the writing seemed odd ... so I checked and discovered it's for young adults, ages 9 to 12. So I carried on with this in mind. I had read the Nancy Drew and Trixie Belden books when I was a kid.

The plot and the pace move fairly quickly. A lot of stuff is explained in detail in conversations like, for example, what a foreclosure is. As adults, we know what it is but kids might not. So topics are brought down to a kid's level.

I found that Theo is too perfect. He's is very polite and smart. He and his parents volunteer at a soup kitchen every Tuesday night where Theo mentors two Hispanic kids to help them learn English and math. He gives other kids correct legal advice and is able to hack into bank records. I don't know any 13-year-old kids like that. And the language used by the kids is too mature. There is one Hispanic 12-year-old who can barely speak English yet is using words like "ventured" and "throughout".

The book ends rather abruptly ... I assume so there can be a sequel or the book was too long so they cut it in half. Great for Grisham and his young fans!

I received a copy of this ebook at no charge in exchange for my honest review.