Rating: 
Summary: Why am I reading a Movie???
Review: Why is it that all new books by popular authors are written as screenplays? While the format is not of a screen play, this new books is bound to show up on the screen. I am really tired of my favorite authors writing simply for the money and a possible movie deal. While I enjoyed the book, the story was too far fetched to get into. The heirs are taken from the movie "Greedy", and the idea that Phelens leaves all his money to some unknown illegit daughter in brazil, is just too much! This book was written for one reason - To make a movie out of it. Grisham is not the only guilty one here, Clancy, King & Barker have fallen into the same rut with their new books too.
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Summary: Did anyone edit this?
Review: As I read this latest Grisham product, I kept wondering whether it was something he'd written in high school and come across while cleaning out the attic. The plot meanders, the characters are very thin and dull (the missionary chick is a dolt). Clearly no one read this book prior to publication, including probably Grisham. Just set it and forget it; crank out a few hundred thou. This would have been rejected by my high school English teacher. It contains numerous misspellings, continuity errors, and repetitions (how many times must we be read that Nate threw up in the shower -- often inducing it himself to get it over with?) It is very annoying to pay $20 bucks for a book (at Safeway) and be unable to read it without being jerked around at every turn by the intrusion of piddly-ass and irritating errors. Forget it! Not worth the trouble.
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Summary: Another winner from Grisham; does this guy ever miss?!?
Review: J.G. has done it again. The only two points in which I would criticize this book would be the length of time spent searching for Rachel on Nates' first trip into the Pantenal, and the rather sad note on which the story ended. J.G. has been rather good lately about surprise endings (especially here and in "The Partner"), but the end of this story was saddening nonethenless. Read the book in two days; couldn't put it down. Glad to see Grisham back on track, after being rather let down by "The Street Lawyer". Nice work, J.G.; looking forward to the next one!
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Summary: A new spirituality and maturity - His best work in years!
Review: Although his last two books were a little disappointing, in The Testament, Grisham has found the magic again. This book will not disappoint old fans, but should win lots of new ones. There is a spirituality and a maturity that I've not found in his work before. The characters are the best he's ever written.
Rating:
Summary: Cardboard characters and a strained plot
Review: John Grisham seems to be spending less and less time writing his novels, and the plots and character development show it. A Time to Kill and The Firm are well-plotted with several characters that are more than cardboard cutouts. But once he quit lawyering and writing part-time and started writing full time, his books have grown increasingly flat. Yes, he'll still sell thousands of copies and probably wouldn't sell any more if he were to spend more time at crafting his works. But it's disappointing that he is unwilling or unable to realize his potential.
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Summary: Grisham inspires us with his story
Review: I enjoyed reading this very different Grisham book. I see an author with character. His wife and family must be proud of his accomplishments and his moral integrity. It shows.
Rating: 
Summary: more like Danielle Steele than Grisham
Review: Though a Grisham fan, this book was a disappointment. I felt he must have had to dash it off in a hurry. None of the intricate twists and turns. No real great characters. I thought it was more like a Danielle Steele book (and that's not a compliment), something he wrote to meet a deadline, than the usual good plot and characters.
Rating:
Summary: One of Grisham's best
Review: This is one of Grisham's best books. I was beginning to think he was more intent on plugging his political views rather than writing a really good novel. He is back on track with this one.I will admit that other reviewers' criticism that Grisham didn't spend enough time on the religious conversion is probably very true. Since, as we Grisham fans know, he is very capable of going on ad nauseum on a favorite topic (homeless, cigarette companies, etc.) I hate to write that he needed to spend more time with this - but that is the only criticism I can find. This novel is a very fast read. I was hooked from page one and by the end of the 2nd chapter, I knew I wasn't going to put it down until I finished it. I recommend this as a great, fun way to spend a Saturday, or any other day of the week.
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Summary: Grisham's Book is not as advertised.
Review: The best way to describe my reaction after reading John Grisham's latest book, "The Testament" is one of disappointment. There is little or no "court drama" in this book; not a surprise, since little drama occurs in the probate courts of this country, no matter how much money is at stake. In addition, I have searched the entire text and cannot find any basis to characterize this book as an "action thriller." Indeed, whatever action is portrayed during the journey of the protagonist Nate O'Reilly down the Paraguay River is repetious, tedious and even discounted by the author in his postscript. Finally, the fact that this book may properly be characterized as a "tale of redemption" is at the crux of why the novel fails to come up to the first two promises. The entire subplot of the novel involving the mysterious renewal of the protagonist after a brief meeting with a Christain missionary and a nasty, but ultimately non-threatening illness, could have been developed as a full novel itself, apart form the purported legal drama. One wonders whether John Grisham's disillusionship with the legal system has now seeped into his career as a writer of legal thrillers. I wouldn't be surprised, especially after having read this book.
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Summary: Should be re-titled "What I did on my vacation."
Review: I have read every Grisham book and this one simply does not measure up. I skimmed long stretches of plotless descriptions of Brazil.
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