Summary
It’s 10 p.m. on a Thursday in the spring of her freshman year of college, and April is standing at the back of a crowded Manhattan bar waiting for her friend, Rudy, to arrive. Their eyes lock the moment he enters the room, and in an instant, lives and legacies are altered forever.
Within hours, Rudy is arrested. Within days, April is expelled. Within weeks, he’s incarcerated. And within months, she meets Peter, a prodigious young attorney who makes her world recognizable again.
My Thoughts
I selected this book on Net Galley a couple of months ago when I first saw the colorful cover and then read the summary, it piqued my curiosity. Such Good People takes the reader on an emotional roller coaster as you learn about the history of the friendship of Rudy and April. I enjoyed the multiple points of view in the book and was presently surprised on the mysterious way the author laid out the story. It kept me guessing for a good part of the book. I really enjoyed all the rich details of the food and the bonds that were formed in this community, specifically between April and Rudy’s family.
The book made you think about the legal justice system and how complicated cases can be. The story showed how a split second decision sent both Rudy and April on very different paths. How things can snowball with devastating results.
I found this book very easy to fall into and the pacing was perfect. I had so many moments I was talking to the characters, trying to give them advice. It makes you think of what you do for found family and friends, and it also showed how class had an impact on the outcomes of a case. The victim’s family had the means to create the narrative that suited them. Those were hard sections to read but very important. The story was thought-provoking without being preachy.
I think this book would also make a great book club book with so many different issues to discuss.
This is the author’s second book, and I will be sure to read more from this author.
