The Appeal Review!
By: John Grisham, 2008 Media Type: Large Print, Soft copy book ISBN: 978-0-7393-2766-1 Genre: Legal drama
Review by: MargeMod Rating: Flower
Content Warning: Death, Family Loss, Depression, Leukemia, Cancer, Wrongful Death, Corporate Impropriety
This review DOES CONTAIN spoilers for The Appeal.
Summary: A family devastated by several deaths from industrial pollution receives a massive award. The book opens with a wrongful death verdict that includes $40 million for loss caused by environmental dumping by the town's largest employer. The story follows the company's legal and illegal actions to undermine the verdict and influence the appeal decision.
"...in Washington money arrives through a myriad of strange and nebulous conduits...In most democracies the transference of so much cash would be considered outright corruption, but in Washington the corruption has been legalized." (The Appeal, Chapter 37)
Review: I have read a lot of John Grisham novels and he is an expert in weaving interesting stories with engaging characters, believable twists and turns, and lots of good guys and bad guys. Sometimes the reader doesn't always know which side everyone is on, which can add to the thrill. In The Appeal, the good guys and bad guys are clear (which is fine), but the ending is a shock (not fine).
My favorite characters were the attorneys for the victim, wife and husband team who go all-in to finance their defense of the appeal including mortgaging their home, downsizing everything including getting a smaller older car, giving up eating out for mac and cheese at home. They were lovable, tenacious and fun to read.
When the new justice was elected (which I saw coming) and when his own child was severely injured and probably permanently disabled because of medical mistakes (saw that coming, too) the reader thinks they know how the appeal will play out. The author has given the characters a reasonable avenue to set things right. It’s a terrific read… until the end.
In my introduction as a reviewer, I said that the novels I enjoy don't have to be all sunshine and roses. I get that sometimes bad things happen, but I prefer that everything comes out in the wash and that the ending is satisfying. I like to read about how smart engaging people can figure out how to set everything right. In this regard, The Appeal left me unsatisfied.
This is a story about the many underhanded, legal and illegal things the bad guy uses to try to overturn a just verdict. The premise is interesting and compelling, but guess what? All their manipulations work! The ending has the bad guy sailing off on his huge new mega-yacht and the good guys are left battered and bankrupt. No thank you!
In the Author's Note, Grisham tells us that "...there is a lot of truth in this story. As long as private money is allowed in judicial elections we will see competing interests fight for seats on the bench. The issues are fairly common. Most of the warring factions are adequately described. The tactics are all familiar. The results are not far off the mark."
I'm not interested in my fiction mirroring reality this closely. Maybe this book was written (~2008) as a cautionary tale. Maybe it was an exposé. Was Grisham a visionary? I don't know. What I do know is that in my fiction, I need entertainment, twists and turns, questionable actions, suspense, joy, hope and a believable satisfying conclusion. For me, the bad guys should not come out on top. Deceit, bribery and manipulation should not be narratively rewarded. I guess I need to educate myself on judicial election reform.
Tldr; This book was the ultimate rollercoaster, but with a crash for the ending. An enjoyable exciting ride, but the final scene made me wish I didn't get on.