The Abduction is the second book in the Theodore Boone series by John Grisham and it continues the adventures of young Theo. It opens a few months after the previous book when Theo and his family are woken up by a phone call from the police. His best friend April has gone missing and no one seems to know where she went. Theo, while surprised she is missing, is aware that she has considered running away and did not necessarily feel safe at home due to the situation with her parents. As the investigation picks up it is revealed that April was a pen-pal to a distant cousin in a prison in California, a cousin who recently escaped and was seen in town. However, Theo is not entirely sure the two events are related and continues trying to find April on his own even going so far as to lead search parties around town with his classmates.
This book was a great addition to the story of Theo Boone but in some ways it was not what I expected after the first book. With the previous book focusing on the law and Grisham being known for legal thrillers I was expecting there to be a closer focus on the intricacies of the law in this story but there wasn’t. It read more like a traditional straightforward mystery story with a kid’s friend going missing and him trying to figure out what happened. Don’t get me wrong, I did enjoy the story but it had a different feel to it than the previous book so it leaves me not really sure where the rest of the series is going to go. All of this taken into account the story still had a pretty good plot with plenty of twists and turns and new information being revealed over time. It was well developed with just the right amount of tension for a teen book. The pacing was good and just right for the length of the book as well so it should have a pretty good time drawing teens in and keeping their attention. It was interesting getting to know more about Theo and his family since more background is provided in this book. The dynamics are intriguing as his parents clearly support his interests while providing good boundaries. Overall, a good addition to the series, even with the difference in how it feels, so I am happy giving it four out of five stars.
This book is a teen or young adult mystery story so if you fall into that age range and enjoy that type of story feel free to try this one out. I am not sure how well you will enjoy it if you are neither of those things though but if it sounds interesting feel free to try it anyway. The book is primarily aimed at younger teens, probably from twelve to about fifteen or so, and it is a pretty easy read overall because of that. While it can be read by older readers I am not entirely sure it would hold a lot of appeal for them. However, there are some minor references related to the police investigation that may make this book unsuitable for readers younger than that age range so they should probably be careful before trying it. This book is also part of a series so while I would suggest you read the previous book first this story can be read without doing so. You may just have difficulty with some of the minor references that are made. If you decide to try it out feel free to share your thoughts in the comments.