Rating: 
Summary: Excuse me, your moralism is showing.
Review: Grisham built his reputation on the superb suspense of "The Firm," "The Pelican Brief" and "The Client." In "The Chamber" he slid into preachiness, but his mastery of the thought and speech of the unrepentant southern rake produced enough verbal zingers to carry it. "The Brethren" has rakes but few zingers, and the preachiness has metastasized, along with an endlessly repeated image of gay men reduced to quivering jelly at the threat of exposure, an image that might have flown in the 1950's. (In "The Street Lawyer," he simply dismisses gays as "queers.") Petulant criticism is unflattering to any writer, but a clumsy, unbelievable plot in addition to it, make this the worst thing a book can be: boring. BORING.
Rating: 
Summary: A page turner till the very end!
Review: Grisham starts out telling two completely different stories at the same time for the first several chapters. It wasn't confusing, it only adds to the interest. The plot really comes together when the two separate stories come together and forms the most magnificent scenario by Grisham yet. I found it very hard to put the book down and am thoroughly glad I read it.
Rating: 
Summary: My first Grisham book
Review: This book was the first book I read by John Grisham. I have to say that I liked the book overall. I was VERY disappointed with the ending and how the CIA handled the situation. It made the CIA look like a bunch of wimps who were afraid of three redneck judges! If Grisham wants to include the CIA in his novels, he should read some of Clancy's work or do more research on the topic. Also in this book, there were characters introduced who did not play a big part in the story line. But, paragraphs and pages were written about these characters. This book did keep me in suspense and up late at night reading it. But I was very disapointed when I read the ending. My next Grisham book I will read is "The Firm". From what I've heard it is an excellent book. I'm looking forward to it.
Rating: 
Summary: Disappointed
Review: I guess this is John Grisham is due a bad book once in a while, I heard some people I spoke with his "laundry list" proving some people will buy anything certain authors write. Since the "Pelican Brief" Grisham has gone down hill some but this book is just plain bad. The story seems to go nowhere fast and seems to limp along at the end.
Rating:
Summary: Weak Plot
Review: This is Grisham's weakest novel todate and can only have made the bestsellers list based on reputation and promotion rather than merit. Certainly looks as though it was written with the movie rights in mind. Plot also weak in that it hard to believe that: - 3 convicts would be allowed the freedom to hold court sessions in prison - that the CIA would chose to negotiate with 3 convicts - a man on a life sentence would be incarcerated in an open prison. If Grisham publishes back to back books of this quality he will soon lose his following. I certainly won't purchase his next offering blind.
Rating:
Summary: Below Average
Review: I sure expected more from this book. Grisham does a fantastic job all the way through half the book. After that, the story is predictable, some secondary characters are never mentioned again (not that they were missed) and the conclusion is anti-climatic. Not best Grisham material.
Rating:
Summary: Unbleieveably amateurish!!
Review: I was one of those who could not wait for the next Grisham novel. For whatever reason I had not kept up with his latest couple or so. This one, was obviously written for one reason, and one reason only, to catitalize on his name. It is without question one of the worst books I have read. The plot(?) is telegraphed within the first couple of chapters. There are virtually no suprises in the whole book, except for the fact that there are no suprises. Character developement is shallow, superficial and meaningless. Rotten Read! I will have to pause before reading "The Testament" which I have available.
Rating:
Summary: As an English teacher...
Review: After reading, and loving, the other Grisham books, I eagerly anticipated the paperback release of The Brethern. Although I did finish it, I was incredibly disappointed in it. There was not enough of a balance between the main characters, and Teddy had more power than any other man I believe (or would like to believe) that a man could have. The ending was incredibly unsatisfying as well. When I put this book on my shelf, I knew it would be sitting there for a long time before I would take it off again.
Rating: 
Summary: Someone tell John to think "cohesion"
Review: John Grisham successfully paints a cast of interesting characters, a sterile candidate for president, three wobblesome and eccentric judges, and a dark fiend controlling the fate of our country by manipulating the deaths of Americans. However, the cast wanders about a dim stage, trying to rouse the dozing audience. I wonder if John will look back at this effort and say (as did Kevin Smith for Mallrats) "It seemed like a good idea at the time. I am sorry." John leads us on an interesting path of government secrets, through the much-idealized powers to create and destroy people and pasts, however, the key link to the plot is weaker than a chain of soggy cheerios. If/when you read this book, you too will wonder what the presidential candidate's motivation was for contacting "Ricky" - it is a key concept, and entirely ignored. Because of this factor, the whole story is more like a dream had after too many corndogs and coke than a best selling novel. I reccommend reading almost anything else. Not Grisham at his finest.
Rating:
Summary: More interesting than just a page turner.
Review: I liked this book from the beginning. The plot concerns 3 judges in prison who are running a sex scam and catch a presidential candidate. While most of the characters aren't likable they aren't unlikable either. The interesting part of the book is watching the interactions between the characters. While some books are filled with action and sudden plot twists this book is more subtle and always leaves open many different plot paths to hold your interest. My only complaint is that the very end could have been tied up a little tighter. If you start reading this book you will know by the end of the first few chapters if it is right for you.
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