Allreaders.com
Author John Grisham booklist (click here)

Book Review By Geoff Pears
A Time To Kill by John Grisham

The book is based in Clanton, Mississippi. Two drunk rednecks decide to rape a ten year old black girl. Her dad, Carl Lee Hailey, decides to kill the two rednecks. He gets his justice. He kills the two rednecks with an M-16 Automatic. He also accidentally hits one of the security guards. The security guard's leg has to get amputated. Carl Lee has to find a good lawyer. He finds a white man named Jake Brigance. The KKK comes back to Ford County for the first time in a long time. Carl Lee and Jake almost get killed many times throughout the book. At trial, Jake says that anyone with a daughter would kill the person that raped her. Carl Lee and Jake use an insanity defense. The case goes to the jury.


Plot & Themes
Tone of story - suspenseful (sophisticated fear)
Time/era of story:
Kid or adult book? - Adult or Young Adult Book
Legal Thriller Yes
Legal Plotlets
descript. of violence and chases - 20 %
Planning/preparing, gather info, debate puzzles/motives - 10 %
Feelings, relationships, character bio/development - 40 %
How society works & physical descript. (people, objects, places) - 30 %
Crime Thriller Yes
Crime plotlets:
General Crime (including known murderer) Yes
Who's the criminal enemy here? - hunted by BAD vigilante getting revenge

Main Character
Gender - Male
Profession/status:
Age: - 20's-30's
Ethnicity/Race
Unusual characteristics:

Main Adversary
Identity: - an organization
Age: - long-lived adults
Profession/status:
Motive of antagonist - revenge
The antagonists are: - racists/KKK
How sensitive is this character?
Sense of humor - Mostly serious with occasional humor
Intelligence - Average intelligence

Setting
United States Yes
The US: - Deep South
Small town? Yes
Small town people: - dumb rednecks, like Gomer Pyle

Writing Style
Accounts of torture and death? - very gorey references to deaths/dead bodies and torture
Amount of dialog - roughly even amounts of descript and dialog
Back To Main Menu