Would You by Marthe Jocelyn and Theodore Boone: Kid Lawyer by John Grisham: Reviews

In Would You by Marthe Jocelyn, a Sequoyah Award nominee for high school, Natalie and her friends play an endless game of “Would you rather…” – “Would you rather lose all of your hair or all of your teeth?” They also engage in pool hopping, finding swimming pools in backyards and taking a quick dip before being caught by the owners. They work summer jobs, and bicycle around town. All of that changes when Natalie’s older sister Claire is hit by a car.


Natalie and her friends are likeable, believable characters. They are not the coolest kids in school and they aren’t troubled. This novel takes the reader inside a normal family in crisis. It also allows us to see how an average girl reacts to extraordinary circumstances.

Theodore Boone: Kid Lawyer is John Grisham’s first attempt at young adult literature. Although only 13, Theo Boones is something of a legal expert. The child or lawyers, he has been raised around the courthouse and is very knowledgeable about the legal system. He even provides free legal advice for students in his class at school.

In this novel, Theo is excited about being able to watch the proceedings of a murder trial. This is, by far, the most sensational trial Theo has ever been able to witness. During the proceedings, Theo becomes privy to information about the murder that is not known by the attorneys or the judge. He has to determine how to protect his source without letting a cold-blooded killer go free.

This book will grow on you. Initially, I felt that the legal information might be boring to young readers, but soon the characters, particularly Theo, and the murder trial will catch your attention and keep you reading.