An amazing and thought-provoking emotional thriller. Defending Jacob by William Landay


Defending Jacob

By William Landay


PBR Book Review:


This book will grab and completely occupy you from start to finish. It's suspenseful, engrossing and has some very unexpected events. The plot is timely, a 14-year-old boy, whose father is a district attorney, is accused of killing his classmate. Guilty or innocent, the accusation is devastating to Jacob and his family. How they deal with this disturbing news and the resulting nightmare is real and full of raw emotion.

As a former district attorney, Landay layers the story with nuances that come only from a real working knowledge of the subject. He keeps the suspense high and the reader guessing not only about Jacob's innocence but also the verdict at trial's end. As the evidence against Jacob ebbs and flows - the circle of doubt expands and contracts - twists and turns multiply and surprise - the plot stays fresh and interesting. In short an intense legal thriller with lots of courtroom drama and thought-provoking circumstances and events.

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*Discussion Questions



1. How would you have handled this situation if you were Andy? Would you make the same choices he made? Where would you differ the most?

2. Before and during the trial, how would you have handled the situation if you were Laurie? Do you feel she made strong choices as a mother and a wife?

3. Is Andy a good father? Why or why not?

4. Do you believe Jacob is guilty?

5. Is Jacob a product of his upbringing? Do you think he is a violent person because his environment made him violent, or do you think he has had violent inclinations since birth?

6. How do you think people could or should stop adolescent bullying?

7. How much of a factor did Jacob's age play into your sympathies for him or lack thereof? If Jacob were seventeen, would you view him differently? What about if he were nine?

8. Do you think Neal Logiudice acts ethically in this novel? What about Andy?

9. What is the most damning piece of evidence against Jacob? Is there anything that you felt exonerated him?

10. If Jacob hadn't been accused, how do you think his life would have turned out? What kind of a man do you think he would grow up to be?

11. In the opening of the story, Cass says "We believe what we want to believe." The statement is repeated several times throughout the book. Discuss its significance. Is there a truth no one wants to believe?

12. Several of the characters changed as the story progressed. Who do you think changed the most? Which character surprised you the most? Who was the most dangerous character? Did this change for you as the story came to a close?

13. Who do you think was the real victim in this story?

(Discussion Questions by Publisher)


Book Summary
NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY Entertainment Weekly = The Boston Globe - Kansas City Star

"A legal thriller that's comparable to classics such as Scott Turow's Presumed Innocent ... Tragic and shocking, Defending Jacob is sure to generate buzz."-Associated Press

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER

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?


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