Theodore Boone: Kid Lawyer is the teen series by noted author John Grisham. It starts with young Theo looking forward to the start of a new trial in his town, a murder trial that has been big in the press. Theo is excited about the trial as he wishes to be a lawyer when he grows up, just like both of his parents. He manages to arrange for his government class to sit in the first day of the trial and he continues following it avidly afterwards. However, Theo unexpectedly gets involved when someone comes to him with information about the crime being tried. Information that may change the outcome of the trial but that is unable to be entered into evidence currently due to the ongoing trial. Theo is faced with figuring out how to follow the law and still ensure justice is done as he struggles with this legal dilemma.
I have long been familiar with the work of John Grisham ever since I first read The Client over fifteen years ago. However, I was not sure how well a legal thriller would transition to a younger age range. That doesn’t really sound like something a lot of teenagers would enjoy. I was pleasantly surprised by just how intriguing the story actually turned out. It still feels like a legal thriller as the protagonist struggles with how to handle things within the bounds of the law while still doing the right thing. Even the setting is familiar to fans of legal fiction as large parts of it take place in either the court house or the Boone family law firm offices. At the same time it is clearly geared towards that younger audience as Theo is only thirteen and not actually a lawyer, only an aspiring lawyer. It feels like it is part legal thriller and part teen mystery which creates an interesting blend that I could see holding a lot of appeal for a younger audience. I was happy to see Grisham successfully navigate the age difference as not all authors are able to do that so well. What was really interesting is how well he adapted his legal tangles for that younger audience. The whole story revolves around that legal tangle with the murder trial and the new information, much like many of his adult works focus on a specific legal tangle, but it is presented in a way that makes it easily accessible and understandable by a younger audience. It was still complex enough to make it fun to read but not complex enough to dissuade the readers from continuing, a hard balance for authors who are new to this age range but which was well handled. However, it does come close to feeling like a formula mystery and I hope that is not the way the rest of the series will go. Overall, an entertaining and intriguing read that introduces a new and fascinating character to the world of young adult literature. I am curious about where Grisham will take Theodore Boone in the rest of the series. A good book that gets four out of five stars from me.
This book is a teen legal thriller that starts a new series. I would normally suggest this book is for fans of the same age range who enjoy legal thrillers but I am not sure how many young adult legal thrillers there are. Instead, I will recommend that if you fall into the young adult or teen age range and you enjoy mysteries that you consider trying this book out as it is pretty good. If you are an adult who enjoys legal thrillers or mysteries this may appeal to you but it would probably be limited appeal as it is less complex than the average similar adult novel. While it is technically a young adult or teen novel it would also be suitable for younger readers who are over the age of about ten or eleven as there is not any content that would make it unsuitable for younger readers besides the skill level needed to read it. Like I said it is a pretty good book and I hope you consider trying it out. If you do feel free to share your thoughts in the comments.