Grisham’s newly reanimated storytelling skills are what make The Rooster Bar such a treat ... The Rooster Bar is written with the same verve Grisham brought to this summer’s Camino Island; with the same sense that this reliable best-selling author is feeling real pleasure, and not just obligation, in delivering his work. He seems genuinely to like this book’s main characters, even if the two men sound very similar and could be mistaken for young boys if it weren’t for their perfunctory sexual encounters — with the same woman, Hadley, an ace prosecutor who’s young, single and competing with her roommate over how many guys each can sleep with. As in all of Grisham’s best books, the reader of The Rooster Bar gets good company, a vigorous runaround and — unlike those poor benighted suckers at Foggy Bottom — a bit of a legal education.
This is a legal book that lawyers can read. (It’s also pretty great for non-lawyers, too.) Not only is it free of any major legal gaffes, but it also addresses a problem within the legal profession that deserves attention: the deceptive practices of for-profit law schools ... Sure, there are some lucky coincidences and things happen on a very expedited timeline in this fast-paced novel, but no more than you would find in your average thriller. Moreover, The Rooster Bar highlights the appalling way that many for-profit law schools ruin many of their students. In the author’s note, Grisham writes that his book was influenced by an article in the Atlantic called 'The Law-School Scam,' a lengthy investigation of for-profit law schools. Bravo to him for using his star power to shine another spotlight on an all-too-real problem in this gratifying and all-too-real book.
Somehow we root for this trio even when they’re buying fake IDs, breaking every rule in the book and venturing into territory that could land them in jail, like signing on to a class-action lawsuit inspired by the Wells Fargo customer-fraud settlement, which could earn them millions. Grisham, who’s at his best when he brings his sardonic sense of humor to the sometimes questionable ethics of law and banking, also takes aim at the politics of immigration ... As the tension mounts and the walls close in on our naughty young heroes (a few rookie mistakes are inevitable), Grisham plays a card from his most famous novel, The Firm. Lazy recycling or an intentional homage to an early classic, the one that got the lawyer-turned-writer started on his remarkable string of courtroom victories?
The novel has some strikingly well-drawn characters and a plot that edges tantalizingly close to a full-on caper story, but it also boasts some shrewd commentary on the scourge of fraudulent for-profit universities and the disastrous impact they can have on people’s lives. It feels like this is a subject close to Grisham’s heart, and he makes the most of it.
Never shy about shedding light on injustice and unethical behavior, John Grisham sinks his teeth into a juicy target in his latest novel: privately owned, for-profit law schools … Grisham details the dismal mediocrity and hopelessness engulfing the school and its students … Grisham sets in motion a scam both ridiculous and sublime: Gordy’s three classmates start practicing law without a law license. They vow to retire their staggering debt by going off the grid in plain sight … For the finale, Grisham serves up a pitch-perfect cocktail of escapism and derring-do that will leave readers (apologies) crowing for more.
...insightful, if flawed ... Mark and Todd feel like the same person at times, and what drives their choices isn’t always clear. This intriguing story has some suspenseful moments, but thinly constructed characters dilute the impact.
Mr. Grisham’s tale is a thoroughly engaging, seriocomic caper that satirizes and exposes unsavory for-profit law schools, along with banks that exploit students with loans they’ll never be able to pay off, unfair United States immigration policies — and, for that matter, the entire legal profession in this country … It’s no surprise that the author’s writing should be brilliant, nor that his far-fetched plot is compelling from chapter to chapter. It appears light and funny, but his characters’ travails reflect those of a significant number of real-life American millennials duped by unscrupulous banks and businesses.
Grisham is never reluctant to base his novels on the flaws and failures of our legal system...At the same time, he manages to educate readers while not preaching and does so in entertaining and enjoyable books that often provoke stimulating debate among the legal community. is no exception … There are no good guys in this novel, just bad guys and really bad guys. Fortunately, the bad guys have enough good in their hearts to make their exploits endearing.
Grisham, the undisputed king of legal thrillers, does a fine job presenting an entertaining plot here. Likewise, he manages to shed light on diploma mills and the student debt crisis, both of which deserve and, frankly, need more attention. However, his characters do lack development and, worse than that, they’re downright unlikable at times. Their saving grace is that readers will likely give them a pass for some of their actions due to understanding their predicament, but even so, there’s little depth to them, which makes rooting for them a real challenge at times.
