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beecee12's review against another edition
4.0
A highly respected judge at the top of her game; a marriage unexpectedly turning topsy-turvy; a young man's life in the balance. But, above all, an exquisitely told character study of Fiona, a woman who has it all (well almost). A woman whose intellect has been fine-tuned, after hours of research and reflection, into making judgements in the best interests of the young people in the cases she presides over. A woman used to being in control; a woman who fails to see what is being presented to her; who inadvertently omits to maintain her lifelong commitment to 'best interests' and who will forever live with the consequences of her omission.
berylbp's review against another edition
4.0
Quick, but very we'll written. The pacing and tone reminded me of Ann Patchett. I'll have to try a few more of his books...
abandonedmegastructure's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
This book had some neat parts, particularly the bits focusing on judicial dilemmas. These are engagingly described and make up good little mini-narratives.
The core plot starts out as just another such case: a Jehovah's Witness three months shy of eighteen refuses a life-saving blood transfusion, and our judge protagonist Julia must choose whether to side with his parents or the hospital. An interesting case, and one the book wraps up as satisfyingly as possible, and the stronger part of the book by far. Even though it's clear where the author's sympathies lie, I didn't find the story to get unpleasantly heavy-handed about it.
Unfortunately, the largest part of this book concerns Julia's interpersonal relationships, which I did not care much for at all. Her crumbling marriage with her husband is described through painfully cliched events and conversations, while her growing fascination with the aforementioned seventeen-year-old is intriguing but painfully unexplored.
Although the book tries to make some kind of point about class divide between Julia's muted wealth and the working-class poor that flock into her courtroom, it felt a little too ambivalent about it all to deliver more than a token nod towards the issue, which I think was a missed opportunity.
The end result is perhaps one-fourth of a good book stapled to three-fourths mediocrity, never really bad but hardly entertaining. It's just all a bit disappointing.
The core plot starts out as just another such case: a Jehovah's Witness three months shy of eighteen refuses a life-saving blood transfusion, and our judge protagonist Julia must choose whether to side with his parents or the hospital. An interesting case, and one the book wraps up as satisfyingly as possible, and the stronger part of the book by far. Even though it's clear where the author's sympathies lie, I didn't find the story to get unpleasantly heavy-handed about it.
Unfortunately, the largest part of this book concerns Julia's interpersonal relationships, which I did not care much for at all. Her crumbling marriage with her husband is described through painfully cliched events and conversations, while her growing fascination with the aforementioned seventeen-year-old is intriguing but painfully unexplored.
Although the book tries to make some kind of point about class divide between Julia's muted wealth and the working-class poor that flock into her courtroom, it felt a little too ambivalent about it all to deliver more than a token nod towards the issue, which I think was a missed opportunity.
The end result is perhaps one-fourth of a good book stapled to three-fourths mediocrity, never really bad but hardly entertaining. It's just all a bit disappointing.
lagarrett's review against another edition
3.0
Mixed feelings about this one. Well written, but the characters were a bit two dimensional and the plot a bit predictable. At least it was short.
theelmstreetlibrary's review against another edition
A lot of legal jargon, which made it feel quite dry and repetitive?? Also just could not connect with the main character.
clearlywords's review against another edition
This is a McEwan book that is true to form: a difficult and morally excruciating situation must be undergone by its protagonists, who are meticulously described.
nicktraynor's review
3.0
It was a nice, easy read, nothing much to get too excited over. I suppose the one thing it did make me think about is the moral component of the application of the law, which was interesting. The ending wasn't very satisfying.