The Brethren

Rating:
Summary: A great book
Review: Once in a while an author writes a book that seems to reaffirm the beliefs of all of his fans. The Brethren is just such a book. Grisham's newest is an incredible page turner. I recommend this book to all readers. I wont spoil any part of the book, but I promise that you will not put this book down.

Rating:
Summary: Disappointed and Confused
Review: I am a huge Grisham fan, particularly because there are always characters that you are left admiring, as well as providing a measuring stick for one's own beliefs. This book has no such characters. I was so disappointed and confused at the end. I kept looking for the three judges to "get their due." It never happens. Instead, it appears that all the bad guys win. Moreover, the homophobic undertones of the book surprised me, mainly because John Grisham has never shown any hint of prejudice in his books. Quite the contrary, if you think of the "Street Lawyer" and "Time to Kill." I hope that there is a sequel coming, because it appears that the story is unfinished. The end just cannot be as Grisham left it, and still be a Grisham novel. Hopefully, the next book will take longer to write and give Grisham fans the excitement, the sense of justice, and the gritty characters that have excited us through all of his other books.

Rating:
Summary: Killer Anti-Climax
Review: Grisham has unparalleled ability to create suspense and intrigue in his books. I read the The Brethren in 2 hours only to be incredibly diappointed in the end. I am still confused as to why he ended the book this way. The book was over 50 pages prior to the last page. I wish he would rewrite the last 7 chapters, I was very disappointed.

Rating:
Summary: very good
Review: Three judges in federal prison operate a scam for blackmail, involving the presidential candidate and others. This is a good idea of the way the CIA for FBI can work. Involves people from higher up in politics to the scummiest prison inmate, to a bad lawyer on the take. A very well written story and holds your interest to the end. John Grisham is getting his groove back.

Rating:
Summary: A Major Disappointment
Review: The book started out okay then it started to get really interesting, but at the end it just stopped. No closure, no solving all the characters in the book. It seems like John Grisham got tired of writing the book and just ended it where he stopped! That's the only explanation I can think of. I felt like I wasted my time reading it. John what happened?

Rating:
Summary: Oh where, oh where has John Grisham gone....
Review: This MUST be his evil twin. There is no way this is the same author that wrote The Firm and The Client. I gave this book 100 pages (my general rule) to grab my attention. After that, I just gave up. In the past, I would have waded through the novel, hoping that eventually it would live up to its potential. I did that with The Chamber and what a waste of time that was. Waste no more. Maybe it's not fair for me to pass such judgement when I didn't even finish the book, but had the book been anything like his earlier works, it wouldn't have taken 10 pages to grab my attention.

Rating:
Summary: The Brethen
Review: The Brethen started out pretty good and it had it good story to it. But the ending left me hanging for more. I don't know if the ending is leading to a sequel but the ending made me angry. I was expecting more.

Rating:
Summary: Thunderous Thud
Review: This page-turner moved along at a fast pace and appeared to be a real winner. At the end, it appeared that Grisham had nowhere to go, so it simply ended in silly bland foolishness. If he only worked a little harder on the last 10 or 15 pages, he could have had a real winner.

Rating:
Summary: Unoriginal plot but Grisham saves it
Review: The idea behind this book is simple. Three men in a prison are running a scam, and the President-to-be is caught in it. Thankfully, being the great writer he is, manages to keep the reader flipping the pages all the way till the end. A book worth waiting for.

Rating:
Summary: A disappointing effort
Review: I read this book with great anticipation. It had all of the elements necessary for me to love it: a tawdry plot, interesting characters, and a political story line (its so hard to find good political fiction). Yet this book is so disappointing. The ending seems to be building into a cresendo and then thud. You feel duped and betrayed. A decent book but nothing like I expected. If Grisham doesn't shape up soon, I am going to have to stop reading.