Log #4

Theodore Boone: the abduction

by John Grisham

Pages: 158-End(71 pages)

     This story is about a girl, April's disappearance from the town. As the plot goes, of course our protagonist Theodore found some clues of her leaving and brought his best friend back to the town. I'm going to talk about my reflection toward the character, and my opinions on the advantages and the disadvantages of the story.

     Firstly, I REALLY like April, the brave, poor, and talented girl. I admired her actually. April comes from a terrible family with her terrible parents—so awful that both of her older brother and sister have run away from home. April is just thirteen, so she has no choice but to stay home, stand her parents, and get involved in their divorce fight. She is even left at home by herself for several nights sometimes. April is scared, but she is strong. Trying to get help, trying to get through everything, and trying to find hope in her family, April is a courageous girl. I can't forget the scene that April stands straight on the court but with a break voice, "I'm leaving, too, as soon as I can. Until then, though, please don't abandon me." The thirteen-year-old girl is trying to become independent while begging a little care from her parents. I am touched by the girl: Be brave, be independent, and if you can't deal with problems, then at least try to get along with them. We can't choose our family; however, we can free ourselves from the limitations and step forward. Everyone including April will one day overcome and fly high. 

     Second, in my opinion, there is something could be improved in this book. Here are some logical problems in the book. As the title of the book "abduction", the author arranges a kidnapper caught by the police when April disappears. Then, everyone including readers is eager to know where the kidnapper Jack Leeper hides April. However it turns out to be an misunderstanding— it is April's father instead of Leeper that takes her away. This is great; the suspense or crime plot changes into something closer to readers—family problems. It also mentions the conflicts within a marriage and the hurt to the child. Again, this is great, but the author doesn't explain everything: Why is Leeper so confident to have a deal with the police that everyone including readers is convinced that he kidnaps April? Why is April's father so careless that he takes her away without informing anyone? Why doesn't he call anyone else if he couldn't contact April's mother? It seems to me that the author wants a seem-to-be abduction and he arranges these coincidences. I don't like this feeling and feel unacceptable.

     

     Finally, I enjoy the author's writing. His sentences and words thoroughly express the characters feeling. Students' initial fervent temptation to search for April, and their nervous mindset after they found out that April might have died are well depicted. The author also described the depressed and desperate atmosphere existing in the town excellently. Thus, it's easy for me to get into the imaginary world. Besides, the characters under the author's pen are vivid. Theodore is just a thirteen year old kid, so he is sometimes careless and makes mistakes. Ike's children don't live with him, so he treat his nephew Theodore as a son and a friend. Mr. Finnemore had a big dream but achieve nothing, so he fools around and chases after rainbows with his mid-age friends. Characters' behavior correspond to their images, and this is an important element for a good book. The author does it thoroughly even on a tiny character like old Speedy who only appears for two pages. This is something worth learning.

     All in all, I like the Theodore Boone series. It not only gives me an insight into the legal system in the United States but also provides an enjoyable plot. This is a good story and a great reading experience.