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The Rooster Bar
Mark, Todd, and Zola came to law school to change the world, to make it a better place. But now, as third-year students, these close friends realize they have been duped. They all borrowed heavily to attend a third-tier, for-profit law school so mediocre that its graduates rarely pass the bar exam, let alone get good jobs. And when they learn that their school is one of a chain owned by a shady New York hedge-fund operator who also happens to own a bank specializing in student loans, the three know they have been caught up in The Great Law School Scam. But maybe there's a way out. Maybe there's a way to escape their crushing debt, expose the bank and the scam, and make a few bucks in the process. But to do so, they would first have to quit school. And leaving law school a few short months before graduation would be completely crazy, right? Well, yes and no
384 pages, Paperback
First published October 24, 2017
18542 people are currently reading
34008 people want to read
About the author
John Grisham
485 books89.4k followersJohn Grisham is the author of more than fifty consecutive #1 bestsellers, which have been translated into nearly fifty languages. His recent books include Framed, Camino Ghosts and The Exchange: After the Firm.
Grisham is a two-time winner of the Harper Lee Prize for Legal Fiction and was honored with the Library of Congress Creative Achievement Award for Fiction.
When he's not writing, Grisham serves on the board of directors of the Innocence Project and of Centurion Ministries, two national organizations dedicated to exonerating those who have been wrongfully convicted. Much of his fiction explores deep-seated problems in our criminal justice system.
John lives on a farm in central Virginia.
Grisham is a two-time winner of the Harper Lee Prize for Legal Fiction and was honored with the Library of Congress Creative Achievement Award for Fiction.
When he's not writing, Grisham serves on the board of directors of the Innocence Project and of Centurion Ministries, two national organizations dedicated to exonerating those who have been wrongfully convicted. Much of his fiction explores deep-seated problems in our criminal justice system.
John lives on a farm in central Virginia.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 8,019 reviews
November 1, 2017
Very disappointing
Horrible unlikable idiotic criminal main characters; barely fleshed out plot; I had to force myself to finish it. I cannot believe John Grisham wrote this. Total waste of time (and money!).
Horrible unlikable idiotic criminal main characters; barely fleshed out plot; I had to force myself to finish it. I cannot believe John Grisham wrote this. Total waste of time (and money!).
November 1, 2017
Oh, Grisham......
You are like the gentleman caller who promises wine and roses, but in the aftermath, there's a bit of a dull headache and the barb of the thorn.
My legs are dangling off a barstool in the ol' Rooster Bar. There's plenty to ponder here. Fellow occupants Mark, Todd, and Zola are in their third year of law school at Foggy Bottom (Yep). Many an individual drowns their sorrows here. But these law students, along with their buddy Gordy, are drowning in student loan debts. Just like the crotchety bartender tops off your drink, Foggy Bottom adds another layer of debt each year.....only there's no delightful buzz involved.
Promises of employment after graduation fizzles much like flat beer. Now desperation sets in and Gordy takes it to another level. He is becoming undone at a fast rate. His behavior is sporatic and he obsesses over details. There are papers tacked to the wall and scattered onto the floor in heaping piles in his apartment. Gordy is on to something big. But exactly what? His three friends keep a vigil over him. What to do about Gordy.....
But when you fall off that barstool, don't get back on. Look for another bar. And that's exactly what Mark, Todd, and Zola intend to do. It's time to scam the scammers. When your back is against the wall, you don a more steely personality and you deal with it. And there's plenty of wheeling and dealing going on here.
John Grisham seems to be re-creating himself in these later years. He tended to peter out a bit in The Whistler, but redeemed himself well into Camino Island. Grisham grabs text from daily headlines and circles the wagons around them. You'll see evidence of just that in The Rooster Bar. There are gaps in some of the premises that he throws into this one. But we are a forgiving lot and move along with the flow of the storyline. The Rooster Bar does entertain which is why I ratcheted it up to 4 stars. It delivers, but not at the 101 proof shot of Wild Turkey bourbon as in the past. There's still a kick to be had though.
You are like the gentleman caller who promises wine and roses, but in the aftermath, there's a bit of a dull headache and the barb of the thorn.
My legs are dangling off a barstool in the ol' Rooster Bar. There's plenty to ponder here. Fellow occupants Mark, Todd, and Zola are in their third year of law school at Foggy Bottom (Yep). Many an individual drowns their sorrows here. But these law students, along with their buddy Gordy, are drowning in student loan debts. Just like the crotchety bartender tops off your drink, Foggy Bottom adds another layer of debt each year.....only there's no delightful buzz involved.
Promises of employment after graduation fizzles much like flat beer. Now desperation sets in and Gordy takes it to another level. He is becoming undone at a fast rate. His behavior is sporatic and he obsesses over details. There are papers tacked to the wall and scattered onto the floor in heaping piles in his apartment. Gordy is on to something big. But exactly what? His three friends keep a vigil over him. What to do about Gordy.....
But when you fall off that barstool, don't get back on. Look for another bar. And that's exactly what Mark, Todd, and Zola intend to do. It's time to scam the scammers. When your back is against the wall, you don a more steely personality and you deal with it. And there's plenty of wheeling and dealing going on here.
John Grisham seems to be re-creating himself in these later years. He tended to peter out a bit in The Whistler, but redeemed himself well into Camino Island. Grisham grabs text from daily headlines and circles the wagons around them. You'll see evidence of just that in The Rooster Bar. There are gaps in some of the premises that he throws into this one. But we are a forgiving lot and move along with the flow of the storyline. The Rooster Bar does entertain which is why I ratcheted it up to 4 stars. It delivers, but not at the 101 proof shot of Wild Turkey bourbon as in the past. There's still a kick to be had though.
November 12, 2017
More disgruntled lawyer-types from Grisham doing questionable lawyer-type stuff. While not quite the same, I am reminded of The Litigators. If I ever really need a lawyer, I hope I don't end up with one from a Grisham novel!
This book was like watching a trainwreck and was actually quite enjoyable. His recent efforts have been both good (Camino Island) and disappointing (The Whistler). Luckily this one falls into the good category. While the series of events within are far fetched (as they often are with Grisham), I did not have a problem accepting them and enjoying the story. Sometimes if they are too far fetched or totally ridiculous, they are too distracting.
If you are a fan of Grisham's legal dramas, you know what you are you are getting into and I can almost guarantee you are going to enjoy.
This book was like watching a trainwreck and was actually quite enjoyable. His recent efforts have been both good (Camino Island) and disappointing (The Whistler). Luckily this one falls into the good category. While the series of events within are far fetched (as they often are with Grisham), I did not have a problem accepting them and enjoying the story. Sometimes if they are too far fetched or totally ridiculous, they are too distracting.
If you are a fan of Grisham's legal dramas, you know what you are you are getting into and I can almost guarantee you are going to enjoy.
December 8, 2017
Well this book certainly irritated me. I can not hold with the idea of would be pseudo lawyers pulling a scam on both unsuspecting clients and also corporations even if they are not on the up and up.
Perhaps my attitude toward this book is influenced by the fact that my eldest daughter is an attorney. She worked hard through law school while holding a full time job, passed the bar in both NY and DC, and is paying back her student loans and oh by the way, she has a job.
This book seemed to glorify the three main characters for pulling a scam. It annoyed me that the three protagonists were practicing law illegally on unknowing clients, skipping out on their last year in law school, and not paying their debt. They seemed to enjoy a lifestyle that while living on the edge once their identities were known and their ambitions revealed afforded them the ability to stay out of jail and not be prosecuted.
So, this book did not work at all for me. I think there are many noble courageous lawyers out there and I really felt this book gave the entire profession a real black eye. When I finished reading this book I didn't throw it across the room (heck it was a library book), but I did rant about it to my husband. So, no recommendation coming from me on this one.
Perhaps my attitude toward this book is influenced by the fact that my eldest daughter is an attorney. She worked hard through law school while holding a full time job, passed the bar in both NY and DC, and is paying back her student loans and oh by the way, she has a job.
This book seemed to glorify the three main characters for pulling a scam. It annoyed me that the three protagonists were practicing law illegally on unknowing clients, skipping out on their last year in law school, and not paying their debt. They seemed to enjoy a lifestyle that while living on the edge once their identities were known and their ambitions revealed afforded them the ability to stay out of jail and not be prosecuted.
So, this book did not work at all for me. I think there are many noble courageous lawyers out there and I really felt this book gave the entire profession a real black eye. When I finished reading this book I didn't throw it across the room (heck it was a library book), but I did rant about it to my husband. So, no recommendation coming from me on this one.
July 1, 2019
I was so looking forward to this book. I usually love reading John Grisham’s legal thrillers. The Rooster Bar started slowly and soon was all over the place. The social issues , which the author is known to address , were also all over the place and there were too many plot diversions along the way. The characters were shallow and I didn’t like any of them. I understood their plight and empathized for a while until I just couldn’t stand any of them. When good people use victimization as an excuse to do bad deeds, I lose sympathy. This book was a major disappointment. I felt that Mr Grisham was churning out a book to beat a deadline.
December 4, 2017
Let’s call it 3.5 stars
John Grisham is back with yet another new take on the legal profession, shining lights where there has only been darkness, while entertaining readers in equal measure. Law school is a tough beast that only the fittest can survive. However, when Mark, Todd, and Zola arrived, they felt that their determination would help them sail through. Perusing the land into their last semester, all they can see are mountains of debt and a soon-to-be useless diploma from Foggy Bottom Law School, one of the lesser (lowest?) schools, located in the DC area. Armed with few paths to success and crippling financial ruin, they try to find an out. A fourth musketeer shines light on a potential grand scam, but has not taken the initiative to act on it. Tragic circumstances force Mark, Todd, and Zola to rethink their futures and the wheels begin to turn. Seeing hucksters on every corner, the three agree to create their own law firm and run it, without completing school or holding valid licenses. As long as they can stay one step ahead of the process, nothing can go wrong, right? Listing their firm out of the top floors of a bar, the three begin perusing the vulnerable at hospitals and in the courthouse. It takes guts, but there may be some return, as long as no one catches on. When a few larger cases get caught in their flimsy net, it’s time to weight the options between being caught and a massive payout. Greed trumps sense most times, but all three soon learn that legal matters can be as fragile as spun glass and lives are irreparably changed with one false move. As the cock crows on their legal (and personal) futures, The Rooster Bar may not be as fortuitous as they once hoped. Financial ruin may be the least of their worries, should all those who want their pound of flesh succeed in filing legal grievances. Grisham does a masterful job of painting an interesting legal picture while pulling on the heart strings of the reader. Fans of his work will like this one, as another one-off analyzes the wonders of the legal world, pitfalls and all.
While some feel the need to take Grisham with a grain of salt, I like his varied approaches to the legal profession and feel that he has a firm grasp on many aspects that are forgotten in the genre. Grisham’s unique approach is what makes me come back for more, though the characters and story found herein are also quite entertaining. It is a wonderful collection of personalities that make the story all the more exciting. Three core law students who are trying to dodge their creditors and attempt to see above all that is crippling them helps lay the groundwork for the great bamboozling that is this novel. Varied in their backstories, Mark, Todd, and Zola all bring a strong core belief system to the story. The past they bring helps to individualise them, as well as injects some humour into what can sometimes be a string of serious aspects. Touching not only on the law, but on the struggles of students, Grisham does not candy-coat anything and wants only to offer the reader some insight into how horrid law school can be beneath the surface, when it comes to loans and repayment. The collection of other characters remain stellar, as Grisham brings even more to the table and forces the reader to go through all the ups and downs that accompany Russian Roulette legal practice. The story itself is intriguing, even if it does not tap into the core of legal conundrums (as Grisham has done in the past). There is something here that cannot be dismissed and building on all the varied aspects of the story to create a checkerboard of drama and entertainment, Grisham keeps the reader in the middle of all the action. Between the DC issues and those across the world, there is little time for the reader to sit back and relax, though there is also little interest in remaining passive. Perhaps not his most gripping story, but Grisham is sure to pack a punch when the reader invests the needed time getting to the root of the issues here. I can only hope that there are more flashy stories like this to come.
Kudos, Mr. Grisham, for all you do. I know it must be tough, up to your twenty-fifth legal novel now, but you do it all so well.
Like/hate the review? An ever-growing collection of others appears at:
http://pecheyponderings.wordpress.com/
A Book for All Seasons, a different sort of Book Challenge: https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/...
John Grisham is back with yet another new take on the legal profession, shining lights where there has only been darkness, while entertaining readers in equal measure. Law school is a tough beast that only the fittest can survive. However, when Mark, Todd, and Zola arrived, they felt that their determination would help them sail through. Perusing the land into their last semester, all they can see are mountains of debt and a soon-to-be useless diploma from Foggy Bottom Law School, one of the lesser (lowest?) schools, located in the DC area. Armed with few paths to success and crippling financial ruin, they try to find an out. A fourth musketeer shines light on a potential grand scam, but has not taken the initiative to act on it. Tragic circumstances force Mark, Todd, and Zola to rethink their futures and the wheels begin to turn. Seeing hucksters on every corner, the three agree to create their own law firm and run it, without completing school or holding valid licenses. As long as they can stay one step ahead of the process, nothing can go wrong, right? Listing their firm out of the top floors of a bar, the three begin perusing the vulnerable at hospitals and in the courthouse. It takes guts, but there may be some return, as long as no one catches on. When a few larger cases get caught in their flimsy net, it’s time to weight the options between being caught and a massive payout. Greed trumps sense most times, but all three soon learn that legal matters can be as fragile as spun glass and lives are irreparably changed with one false move. As the cock crows on their legal (and personal) futures, The Rooster Bar may not be as fortuitous as they once hoped. Financial ruin may be the least of their worries, should all those who want their pound of flesh succeed in filing legal grievances. Grisham does a masterful job of painting an interesting legal picture while pulling on the heart strings of the reader. Fans of his work will like this one, as another one-off analyzes the wonders of the legal world, pitfalls and all.
While some feel the need to take Grisham with a grain of salt, I like his varied approaches to the legal profession and feel that he has a firm grasp on many aspects that are forgotten in the genre. Grisham’s unique approach is what makes me come back for more, though the characters and story found herein are also quite entertaining. It is a wonderful collection of personalities that make the story all the more exciting. Three core law students who are trying to dodge their creditors and attempt to see above all that is crippling them helps lay the groundwork for the great bamboozling that is this novel. Varied in their backstories, Mark, Todd, and Zola all bring a strong core belief system to the story. The past they bring helps to individualise them, as well as injects some humour into what can sometimes be a string of serious aspects. Touching not only on the law, but on the struggles of students, Grisham does not candy-coat anything and wants only to offer the reader some insight into how horrid law school can be beneath the surface, when it comes to loans and repayment. The collection of other characters remain stellar, as Grisham brings even more to the table and forces the reader to go through all the ups and downs that accompany Russian Roulette legal practice. The story itself is intriguing, even if it does not tap into the core of legal conundrums (as Grisham has done in the past). There is something here that cannot be dismissed and building on all the varied aspects of the story to create a checkerboard of drama and entertainment, Grisham keeps the reader in the middle of all the action. Between the DC issues and those across the world, there is little time for the reader to sit back and relax, though there is also little interest in remaining passive. Perhaps not his most gripping story, but Grisham is sure to pack a punch when the reader invests the needed time getting to the root of the issues here. I can only hope that there are more flashy stories like this to come.
Kudos, Mr. Grisham, for all you do. I know it must be tough, up to your twenty-fifth legal novel now, but you do it all so well.
Like/hate the review? An ever-growing collection of others appears at:
http://pecheyponderings.wordpress.com/
A Book for All Seasons, a different sort of Book Challenge: https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/...
April 17, 2019
Let me start by saying I’m a big fan of John Grisham. He caught me with “The Firm” and I’ve appreciated his novels and movie adaptions ever since. His stories have an authentic feel due to his background and he writes taut and compelling action. Let me continue by saying this was my least favorite Grisham book so far. It’s good subject matter which I appreciated. It covers the trap of high-end college degrees such as law schools, where lower-middle class kids build gigantic student loan debts at sub-par law schools only to find their chance of passing the bar and landing a decent paying gig at a law firm are very long odds. It also some what timely hits on the challenges that immigrates find themselves trapped in. It mostly follows a very successful formula that Grisham has often explored – unfairly treated underdogs overcoming great odds to topple evil men and corporations.
However, I struggled with this one. Two of the three underdogs, weren’t quite the underdogs I was used to, walking very shaky moral ground throughout the story. They also make very bad decisions. Grisham spends significant effort (the first hundred pages at least), building up the case for their decisions and desperate actions. Most of the rest of the novel, the protagonist spent their time digging themselves a deeper and deeper hole. While this builds plenty of tension, I struggled to fully root for them and felt more angst than enjoyment. I won’t spoil the ending, which Grisham does well to leave in the balance until the very end, but it was slightly satisfying. However, it wasn’t the same underdog story where I was able to cheer like a crazed Leichester City F.C. supporter in 2016, which I have done in many of his other books. I spent more time questioning their decisions and wondering if they should pay a price or not. Maybe that’s what Grisham wanted, to mix it up a bit, and make the reader more uncomfortable.
A lesser effort from a master storyteller, which explores some relatively important themes with strong tension, but fails to build the same rabid underdog enthusiasm, that his best previous works have delivered.
However, I struggled with this one. Two of the three underdogs, weren’t quite the underdogs I was used to, walking very shaky moral ground throughout the story. They also make very bad decisions. Grisham spends significant effort (the first hundred pages at least), building up the case for their decisions and desperate actions. Most of the rest of the novel, the protagonist spent their time digging themselves a deeper and deeper hole. While this builds plenty of tension, I struggled to fully root for them and felt more angst than enjoyment. I won’t spoil the ending, which Grisham does well to leave in the balance until the very end, but it was slightly satisfying. However, it wasn’t the same underdog story where I was able to cheer like a crazed Leichester City F.C. supporter in 2016, which I have done in many of his other books. I spent more time questioning their decisions and wondering if they should pay a price or not. Maybe that’s what Grisham wanted, to mix it up a bit, and make the reader more uncomfortable.
A lesser effort from a master storyteller, which explores some relatively important themes with strong tension, but fails to build the same rabid underdog enthusiasm, that his best previous works have delivered.
January 20, 2021
Me pondré aquí en la minoría, ya que veo que esta novela no ha gustado mucho en general. Pero a mí me ha resultado plenamente satisfactoria su lectura. ¿Por qué? Por varios motivos, principalmente porque Grisham, fiel a su línea, aprovecha para poner en el punto de mira varios asuntos de la política de su país que no le gustan un pelo. Fundamentalmente, el de los abusivos préstamos universitarios a los estudiantes americanos, que, si no es una estafa, será porque allí no lo quieran ver así. Especialmente en las universidades de segunda categoría. Los préstamos concedidos por el estado y bajo concesión privada son una más que probable causa de ruina económica y social para los perceptores de dichos créditos, que firman aún a sabiendas de lo que se les puede venir encima. Luego, si las cosas vienen mal dadas (y suelen venir así, tal y como está el mercado de trabajo global), búscate la vida, pero a mí me devuelves hasta el último céntimo, y con intereses.
Y luego aborda (de forma casi magistral, a mi entender) el maltrato de toda índole contra los inmigrantes sin papeles, sin tener en cuenta los años que lleven viviendo en el país, las raíces que hayan podido echar, y, sobre todo y más sangrante, sin tener en cuenta que tengan descendientes que sí han nacido en suelo americano, destrozando a familias enteras y devolviendo a esas personas a sus países de procedencia, con el consiguiente maltrato al que serán sometidos en sus países de origen (aunque afortunadamente, esta práctica va cayendo en aplicación, pero “de a pocos”). Maltrato que, en numerosas ocasiones, conlleva incluso la pérdida de vida de los inmigrantes. En este caso, el país de retorno será Senegal, y la ciudad, Dakar.
Para mí lo de menos ha sido la peripecia de nuestros tres protagonistas, más o menos creíbles. Parece ser que practicar la abogacía sin estar titulado es moneda bastante corriente por aquellos pagos. No he empatizado enormemente con los protagonistas masculinos, pero sí con Zola y su familia. Y me he dejado llevar por sus motivaciones y sus desengaños. Ha sido una travesía muy placentera, quizás no de las mejores de este enorme autor, pero sí como para no relegarla al olvido.
Y luego aborda (de forma casi magistral, a mi entender) el maltrato de toda índole contra los inmigrantes sin papeles, sin tener en cuenta los años que lleven viviendo en el país, las raíces que hayan podido echar, y, sobre todo y más sangrante, sin tener en cuenta que tengan descendientes que sí han nacido en suelo americano, destrozando a familias enteras y devolviendo a esas personas a sus países de procedencia, con el consiguiente maltrato al que serán sometidos en sus países de origen (aunque afortunadamente, esta práctica va cayendo en aplicación, pero “de a pocos”). Maltrato que, en numerosas ocasiones, conlleva incluso la pérdida de vida de los inmigrantes. En este caso, el país de retorno será Senegal, y la ciudad, Dakar.
Para mí lo de menos ha sido la peripecia de nuestros tres protagonistas, más o menos creíbles. Parece ser que practicar la abogacía sin estar titulado es moneda bastante corriente por aquellos pagos. No he empatizado enormemente con los protagonistas masculinos, pero sí con Zola y su familia. Y me he dejado llevar por sus motivaciones y sus desengaños. Ha sido una travesía muy placentera, quizás no de las mejores de este enorme autor, pero sí como para no relegarla al olvido.
October 29, 2017
How sad is it that Mr Grisham has fallen so far that he can't even identify the interesting elements in his own stories anymore? (Warning, this review contains spoilers)
Overall, I'm going to have to give this one a 2-star review because it was okay at best. This is sad being as this is from an author that I once consistently gave 4 and 5-star reviews. It seems like at some point over the last 5-10 years, Mr Grisham has lost his nack.
Enough said. It's a 2-star review that was b0rdering on being a 1.
Overall, I'm going to have to give this one a 2-star review because it was okay at best. This is sad being as this is from an author that I once consistently gave 4 and 5-star reviews. It seems like at some point over the last 5-10 years, Mr Grisham has lost his nack.
Enough said. It's a 2-star review that was b0rdering on being a 1.
March 17, 2018
The Rooster Bar is a tale of four friends attending law school when they figure out the loans they took out for the second rate school is somewhat of a scam. They devise a plan to expose the shady lenders. They're going to pretend to be lawyers working for a firm. Nothing is real, it's all made up. A few of the characters have their own challenges going on. In the end it all ties together and it's good fun lawyer reading. Grisham can be hit or miss for me. This was a hit.
March 31, 2018
Not bad at all. The three characters were amusing in their shenanigans and their banter was entertaining. I was hesitant to read this because as a doctoral student, student loan debt hits home. But in the end it is a John Grisham novel so for me, a need to read. Most are going to admit wasn’t very thrilling as some of his legal thrillers but it offered a quick, entertaining story. I remember reading some stuff on how some people are considering law school to be a Ponzi scheme and also the Atlantic article (was researching stuff for a legal course awhile back) on the Law School scam that inspired Grisham to write the book. It’s rather interesting reading if you are interested it is readily available online.
My quick and simple overall: good but not great. However worth checking out.
My quick and simple overall: good but not great. However worth checking out.
March 2, 2020
It's difficult not to enjoy stories by Grisham. Characters we can relate with, plots filled with surprises and pacing done to perfection. Similar in some ways to The Rainmaker, he twists the concept using frustrated students attending a questionable law school. Early in the story the trio decides to form as an illegitimate firm praying on drunk drivers and insurance cases. As the plot unwinds they elevate their game taking risks seasoned criminals would avoid. As momentum builds so does the danger and with it a frantic level of page turning! While not his best book, it's certainly one worth reading, especially if you've encountered shady law schools!
December 5, 2017
John Grisham takes on for-profit law schools, and wins!
"The Rooster Bar" is about a group of law school students who realize they've been scammed, and then try to do something about it. They each owe about $200,000 in debt, and the job market for new lawyers is so bad they don't have any hope of finding a professional job. Besides, they doubt they could even pass the bar exam because their law school has such low standards.
I don't read a lot of Grisham, but I picked up this one because I was interested in his take on for-profit schools. He came up with some good plot twists, and while I don't condone the fraudulent actions the students take to try and get even, it was an enjoyable ride of a novel. Recommended.
"The Rooster Bar" is about a group of law school students who realize they've been scammed, and then try to do something about it. They each owe about $200,000 in debt, and the job market for new lawyers is so bad they don't have any hope of finding a professional job. Besides, they doubt they could even pass the bar exam because their law school has such low standards.
I don't read a lot of Grisham, but I picked up this one because I was interested in his take on for-profit schools. He came up with some good plot twists, and while I don't condone the fraudulent actions the students take to try and get even, it was an enjoyable ride of a novel. Recommended.
July 8, 2018
I like John Grisham books. They are like going to your favorite diner or regular restaurant, you know what you are going to get, it’s familiar and comforting. I describe these meals as pleasant, food has the same taste, same waiter/waitress. Generally the only time that meal isn’t good is when you decide to try something else and it’s not as good, you leave feeling unsatisfied and fulfilled.
Grisham’s book, “Rooster Bar” left me unfulfilled. I finished it and two things came to mind, glad I got it from the library (free) and with so many books to read, maybe I didn’t need to have read this after all.
I did not like the characters and there was no good versus evil theme, this time everyone is bad.
Grisham’s book, “Rooster Bar” left me unfulfilled. I finished it and two things came to mind, glad I got it from the library (free) and with so many books to read, maybe I didn’t need to have read this after all.
I did not like the characters and there was no good versus evil theme, this time everyone is bad.
October 30, 2017
4.5 Stars #1 New York Times bestselling author, John Grisham returns following Camino Island with his 25th novel THE ROOSTER BAR — a legal thriller exploring conspiracies inside for-profit law schools and the lives it destroys in this modern-day scandal ripped from today’s headlines.
Inspired by an article in the Atlantic called “The Law-School Scam,” a lengthy investigation of for-profit law schools, the author takes off an inside look at corruption in the legal field and student loans.
Gordy, Mark, Todd, and Zola each have their own stories and how they landed at Foggy Bottom— a third-tier for-profit law school. Each has borrowed heavily and student loans are enormous, there is no way they will ever attain a job to begin paying back this debt.
Each of the three is drowning in student debt, which it would seem will be impossible to ever pay off. Mark owes $266,000; Todd, $195,000; Zola, $191,000.
Foggy Bottom had enticed them to take out huge federally backed loans — from an equally disreputable bank that offered easy money with the false prospect that they would get high-paying jobs immediately upon being graduated and passing the bar.
They each had high expectations as well as their families. Soon they realize there is more to the story. Gordy (bi-polar), is engaged to be married (to wealthy white girl from his hometown); however, seeing Zola on the side. She is black Muslim-American.
Gordy has done much research and lays out all the players for the group. His obsession turns to madness quickly and they all are concerned.
Their school is owned by a corrupt New York hedge-fund operator Hinds Rackley, who also happens to own a bank specializing in student loans, and connected with various law firms. He is a billionaire and using thousands of students to bankroll his lifestyle. A scam. However, what will they do with this information? Who will believe them?
They are in their third year and the $$$ and interest are mounting daily. Drowning in debt, pressures from debt collectors, and no promise of a job, they set out on a dangerous course to try and outsmart the conman. They will never be able to repay this debt.
Gordy cannot take it anymore. After he is gone, they decide they will honor him by fighting back the best way they can to survive.
Taking a page from SUITS, (even though I think Michael Ross is smarter); they decide they will practice law without a law degree. Going rogue is a little difficult when they do not have the funds to make this work, or will they?
Will they be able to pull off their own scam to con a con, (David vs. Goliath) without being sent to prison before they are found out? In the meantime, who will bring down the bigger scam that drove them to desperate measures?
With only Mark, Todd, and Zola remaining, they will have to stay one step ahead of the impending danger, in order to beat the system.
Mixed with legal-drama, suspense, action, and humor, THE ROOSTER BAR uncovers greed, conspiracy, and throws in Zola’s family issues (deportation) for added conflict in this compelling thriller.
"More than 44 million Americans who have borrowed money to pay for college owe over $1.4 trillion in student loan debt."
More fact than fiction — we are well aware, the significant number of real-life American millennials duped by unscrupulous banks and businesses today, is astounding.
I listened to the audiobook, narrated by Ari Fliakos for an entertaining listening experience.
The entire time I was reading/listening kept thinking about Roosters, the popular gay bar here in West Palm Beach, FL with the Best Drag Show and has been around for over 30 yrs.
Love the Cover and the Title!
JDCMustReadBooks
Inspired by an article in the Atlantic called “The Law-School Scam,” a lengthy investigation of for-profit law schools, the author takes off an inside look at corruption in the legal field and student loans.
Gordy, Mark, Todd, and Zola each have their own stories and how they landed at Foggy Bottom— a third-tier for-profit law school. Each has borrowed heavily and student loans are enormous, there is no way they will ever attain a job to begin paying back this debt.
Each of the three is drowning in student debt, which it would seem will be impossible to ever pay off. Mark owes $266,000; Todd, $195,000; Zola, $191,000.
Foggy Bottom had enticed them to take out huge federally backed loans — from an equally disreputable bank that offered easy money with the false prospect that they would get high-paying jobs immediately upon being graduated and passing the bar.
They each had high expectations as well as their families. Soon they realize there is more to the story. Gordy (bi-polar), is engaged to be married (to wealthy white girl from his hometown); however, seeing Zola on the side. She is black Muslim-American.
Gordy has done much research and lays out all the players for the group. His obsession turns to madness quickly and they all are concerned.
Their school is owned by a corrupt New York hedge-fund operator Hinds Rackley, who also happens to own a bank specializing in student loans, and connected with various law firms. He is a billionaire and using thousands of students to bankroll his lifestyle. A scam. However, what will they do with this information? Who will believe them?
They are in their third year and the $$$ and interest are mounting daily. Drowning in debt, pressures from debt collectors, and no promise of a job, they set out on a dangerous course to try and outsmart the conman. They will never be able to repay this debt.
Gordy cannot take it anymore. After he is gone, they decide they will honor him by fighting back the best way they can to survive.
Taking a page from SUITS, (even though I think Michael Ross is smarter); they decide they will practice law without a law degree. Going rogue is a little difficult when they do not have the funds to make this work, or will they?
Will they be able to pull off their own scam to con a con, (David vs. Goliath) without being sent to prison before they are found out? In the meantime, who will bring down the bigger scam that drove them to desperate measures?
With only Mark, Todd, and Zola remaining, they will have to stay one step ahead of the impending danger, in order to beat the system.
Mixed with legal-drama, suspense, action, and humor, THE ROOSTER BAR uncovers greed, conspiracy, and throws in Zola’s family issues (deportation) for added conflict in this compelling thriller.
"More than 44 million Americans who have borrowed money to pay for college owe over $1.4 trillion in student loan debt."
More fact than fiction — we are well aware, the significant number of real-life American millennials duped by unscrupulous banks and businesses today, is astounding.
I listened to the audiobook, narrated by Ari Fliakos for an entertaining listening experience.
The entire time I was reading/listening kept thinking about Roosters, the popular gay bar here in West Palm Beach, FL with the Best Drag Show and has been around for over 30 yrs.
Love the Cover and the Title!
JDCMustReadBooks
June 5, 2019
This book started very well for me. I found it interesting and fun at the beginning, but when I was almost in the middle of the book, I began to feel bored and thought the author was going the wrong way. From then on, I dragged myself through the reading until I finished this book with great difficulty. It's a pity because I find that John Grisham wrote good entertaining books.
May 3, 2023
Are for-profit law schools a problem? Yes. Do I feel bad for people who fell for the over-promising and got into serious debt by enrolling in such schools? Sure, to a point, though they were adults when they made that choice. But am I supposed to root for two guys who drop out of law school with one semester to go because they don’t like their situation, start pretending to be actual lawyers, screw actual innocent people because they don’t know what they’re doing, and then steal millions of dollars while on the run from the law?
Mr. Grisham is a fine storyteller, but his books tend to work best when there are clear good guys and bad guys— The Firm, The Rainmaker, The Runaway Jury. In The Rooster Bar, the main characters are at best naive victims who become serious criminals all the while denying the severity of their actions. The so-called villain does not appear until the final pages and, while he may be shady, he is not even accused of breaking the law.
Once again, Mr. Grisham seems to have found a cause he wants to write about—in this case, three causes: immigration enforcement, for-profit law schools, and Wells Fargo—and then cobbled together a story around them. Disappointing. Not recommended.
Mr. Grisham is a fine storyteller, but his books tend to work best when there are clear good guys and bad guys— The Firm, The Rainmaker, The Runaway Jury. In The Rooster Bar, the main characters are at best naive victims who become serious criminals all the while denying the severity of their actions. The so-called villain does not appear until the final pages and, while he may be shady, he is not even accused of breaking the law.
Once again, Mr. Grisham seems to have found a cause he wants to write about—in this case, three causes: immigration enforcement, for-profit law schools, and Wells Fargo—and then cobbled together a story around them. Disappointing. Not recommended.
December 9, 2017
4 Stars. Surprisingly enjoyable.
November 2, 2017
57 years ago, readers were introduced to the upright, morally independent attorney Atticus Finch. He was a lawyer to be emulated. Now, Grisham gives us three morally stunted law students who decide to skip the last semester of law school and begin the unauthorized practice of law. They hustle DUI and small misdemeanors clients by slipping into the zoo of crowded courthouses. They hustle a med mal case involving the death of a child, then they blow the statute of limitations. Their motivation? To avoid paying the crushing educational loans they voluntarily incurred, to avoid the embarrassment of failing the DC bar, and to forego seeking a real lawyer job in a difficult job market.
This could have been a comedy, and there is a certain lightness in the style. But this is no laughing matter. The three protagonists are portrayed as sympathetic (a DACA woman whose parents face deportation, a young man whose poor younger brother is facing jail time for drug trafficking and hopes his law student brother can help him, and another man whose success so far has been bartending and so acts as a sounding board for others.) But they are felons, which they admit. There is little discussion of the people they have scammed, and the parents of the dead baby are portrayed as culpable themselves for waiting so long to seek legal help. There is no discussion of the fees they have stolen from other hardworking attorneys. It's all a lark, and all someone else's fault.
Ultimately, the three escape retribution for their crimes and steal additional millions by creating fictitious clients for a class action so that the three students can fraudulently collect legal fees, then retire to a remote, non-extraditable but beach-friendly country. A fantasy ending to real world problems.
None of the attorneys in this book come off well. A female prosecutor is portrayed as someone who sleeps around aggressively in a competition with her female roommate. Other attorneys are trapped hustling at hospitals, paying bribes to police officers and ambulance drivers. No one shows the character traits of an Atticus Finch, or even a Perry Mason.
So, over all, I am saddened by the portrayal of a profession that strives at its best to help others. No doubt there are abuses and weaknesses, as there are in any occupation since there are weaknesses in human nature. This book is a disappointment at portraying any moral compass. What is the profession coming to? I guess they are the convenient bad guys these days.
This could have been a comedy, and there is a certain lightness in the style. But this is no laughing matter. The three protagonists are portrayed as sympathetic (a DACA woman whose parents face deportation, a young man whose poor younger brother is facing jail time for drug trafficking and hopes his law student brother can help him, and another man whose success so far has been bartending and so acts as a sounding board for others.) But they are felons, which they admit. There is little discussion of the people they have scammed, and the parents of the dead baby are portrayed as culpable themselves for waiting so long to seek legal help. There is no discussion of the fees they have stolen from other hardworking attorneys. It's all a lark, and all someone else's fault.
Ultimately, the three escape retribution for their crimes and steal additional millions by creating fictitious clients for a class action so that the three students can fraudulently collect legal fees, then retire to a remote, non-extraditable but beach-friendly country. A fantasy ending to real world problems.
None of the attorneys in this book come off well. A female prosecutor is portrayed as someone who sleeps around aggressively in a competition with her female roommate. Other attorneys are trapped hustling at hospitals, paying bribes to police officers and ambulance drivers. No one shows the character traits of an Atticus Finch, or even a Perry Mason.
So, over all, I am saddened by the portrayal of a profession that strives at its best to help others. No doubt there are abuses and weaknesses, as there are in any occupation since there are weaknesses in human nature. This book is a disappointment at portraying any moral compass. What is the profession coming to? I guess they are the convenient bad guys these days.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 27, 2020
John Grisham - Group
NYT #1 - 2017/11/12 (Hawes.com)
This is another great Grisham book with a easy theme to follow & one of today's greatest legal crime - "For-Profit Law Schools". NY times & John Grisham's CBS interview links at the bottom of this review you must visit!
John Grisham link below, talks of the book in a great “Youtube” discussion. I feel the book could be made into another of his great movies easily.
This book is new, why are aren't more of us reading it?!
The "NY Times newspaper (Aug. 15, 2017) For profit Charlotte School of Law closes" link shows how today's college costs are unrealistic. Costs are increasing & some colleges are only looking for profit!! Shouldn't monies paid to colleges prepare students for the hurdles encountered later in life....??
This book shows 4 college students attend & "fail" their scholastic goals. Their investment was not being returned. Hence, it was a better achievement & power retribution against Foggy Bottom Law School college controlling & taking their money...to close them!!
Four Foggy Bottom Law School college students have been "scammed" with college loans impossible to pay & get their careers started. Law degrees take 3 years to complete. They each borrowed more than $65,000 per year with poor classes & NO education. Hinds Rackley's Swift Bank owns the college & has over $4.2 billion profit providing their POOR Law School educations with student loan scams.
Mark Frazier, Todd Lucero, Zola Maal & Gordy Tanner owe over $900,000 together.
One works at a dive called The Rooster Bar (hence the name of the book) above the bar is where they set up their headquarters.
One of the 4 classmates devises a plan for retribution, but pressures are too much & it leads one of them to suicide. The other 3 skip their final semester, successfully uncover the Hinds Rackley's Swift Bank scam & they are arrested.
Unfortunately, Zola's family has been deported to Africa. But the end is good...
YOU TUBE link to watch - John Grisham's interview on how For-Profit College debt crisis inspired The Rooster Bar (CBS This Morning)
NY Times newspaper (Aug. 15, 2017) For profit Charlotte School of Law closes
NYT #1 - 2017/11/12 (Hawes.com)
This is another great Grisham book with a easy theme to follow & one of today's greatest legal crime - "For-Profit Law Schools". NY times & John Grisham's CBS interview links at the bottom of this review you must visit!
John Grisham link below, talks of the book in a great “Youtube” discussion. I feel the book could be made into another of his great movies easily.
This book is new, why are aren't more of us reading it?!
The "NY Times newspaper (Aug. 15, 2017) For profit Charlotte School of Law closes" link shows how today's college costs are unrealistic. Costs are increasing & some colleges are only looking for profit!! Shouldn't monies paid to colleges prepare students for the hurdles encountered later in life....??
This book shows 4 college students attend & "fail" their scholastic goals. Their investment was not being returned. Hence, it was a better achievement & power retribution against Foggy Bottom Law School college controlling & taking their money...to close them!!
Four Foggy Bottom Law School college students have been "scammed" with college loans impossible to pay & get their careers started. Law degrees take 3 years to complete. They each borrowed more than $65,000 per year with poor classes & NO education. Hinds Rackley's Swift Bank owns the college & has over $4.2 billion profit providing their POOR Law School educations with student loan scams.
Mark Frazier, Todd Lucero, Zola Maal & Gordy Tanner owe over $900,000 together.
One works at a dive called The Rooster Bar (hence the name of the book) above the bar is where they set up their headquarters.
One of the 4 classmates devises a plan for retribution, but pressures are too much & it leads one of them to suicide. The other 3 skip their final semester, successfully uncover the Hinds Rackley's Swift Bank scam & they are arrested.
Unfortunately, Zola's family has been deported to Africa. But the end is good...
YOU TUBE link to watch - John Grisham's interview on how For-Profit College debt crisis inspired The Rooster Bar (CBS This Morning)
NY Times newspaper (Aug. 15, 2017) For profit Charlotte School of Law closes
December 25, 2017
3.5 stars
A big thank you to Goodreads giveaways for an ARC copy of this book. I'm a loyal Grisham fan, and this one did not disappoint. It didn't exactly thrill me or delight me, but it was an enjoyable way to pass some reading time and kept my attention throughout.
The focus is on businesses passing themselves off as schools (here it's a D.C. law school) which really are only in it for the money and do not prepare it's students for actual careers, at all. In this case, four third-year students are among the many who have each accumulated close to a quarter million dollars in college loans, with no foreseeable way of paying the money back. This part of the story was interesting as I've heard of such cases in other so-called schools and cannot believe they're allowed to ruin so many innocent lives. Three of the four devise a scheme to get revenge on the one guy who seems most guilty of cheating the students, and revenge is sweet, yes, except... That was my main reason for not loving the story. I guess I didn't get to the point where I loved these characters so much, that I'd accept anything and everything they did to get out of the trouble they were in. Never got to that point, so could not love the ending.
Regardless, I'll still read anything and everything this man writes!
A big thank you to Goodreads giveaways for an ARC copy of this book. I'm a loyal Grisham fan, and this one did not disappoint. It didn't exactly thrill me or delight me, but it was an enjoyable way to pass some reading time and kept my attention throughout.
The focus is on businesses passing themselves off as schools (here it's a D.C. law school) which really are only in it for the money and do not prepare it's students for actual careers, at all. In this case, four third-year students are among the many who have each accumulated close to a quarter million dollars in college loans, with no foreseeable way of paying the money back. This part of the story was interesting as I've heard of such cases in other so-called schools and cannot believe they're allowed to ruin so many innocent lives. Three of the four devise a scheme to get revenge on the one guy who seems most guilty of cheating the students, and revenge is sweet, yes, except... That was my main reason for not loving the story. I guess I didn't get to the point where I loved these characters so much, that I'd accept anything and everything they did to get out of the trouble they were in. Never got to that point, so could not love the ending.
Regardless, I'll still read anything and everything this man writes!
December 30, 2017
Very enjoyable! Quick, funny, smart, likeable characters...
October 19, 2017
I won an advanced reader's copy of this book. It is typical John Grisham and I loved it. His imagination is amazing. I finished the book after work in three afternoons.
If you are a fan Grisham, you will not be disappointed!
If you are a fan Grisham, you will not be disappointed!
December 26, 2017
When I was about 100 pages, or a third of the way through this book, I found myself stopping to ponder. You know, I have never really ever read anything by John Grisham book that I didn’t enjoy. I went through all of his titles in my head, and yes, I liked some more than others, but I can’t say I didn’t like any of them. Grisham’s worst is still better than most everyone else.
That is until now…
Grisham’s new legal (if you can call it that) thriller, “The Rooster Bar” starts off during the Christmas holiday season, with four law school students and buddies – Gordy, Mark, Todd, and Zola – going into their last semester before graduation and the payback of their outstanding six-figure loan debt. Each of them has borrowed heavily to attend a lower-tier and lower-rated law school for profit. A school so mediocre that its graduates are rarely able to pass the bar exam and get the higher paying jobs most law students dream of.
One of them, Gordy, has researched further to discover their law school is one of a chain owned by a disreputable New York hedge-fund investor. Using shell companies, the investor also owns a bank specializing in student loans to the chain schools, as well as a group of low-scale law firms hiring the students for those schools. It is a greatly orchestrated law school scam in which they are now involved.
After a dramatic and personal loss, three of them quit school, acquire new identities, and start practicing law without licenses out of a local joined called the Rooster Bar. There are challenges along the way and it doesn’t take long for them in to get into trouble with unsatisfied clients, other cutthroat lawyers, and eventually law enforcement. In addition, Zola’s parents and brother are taken by federal authorities and deported to Senegal, causing her to work through the challenges of corruption in her home county’s legal system in hopes of saving their lives.
Eventually, as with other Grisham novels, the three eventually hatch a risky plan in hopes of getting back at the evil hedge-fund investor, the bad guy that created their unfair student loan situations. I will keep from spoiling the details and the various plot outcomes for those who want the experience of reading the book for themselves.
This book brought home for me a certain truth. John Grisham is an excellent storyteller. He can write an instruction manual or a cookbook and I would somehow be drawn in to his masterful prose. His writing flows in a way that few writers can capture. I often find myself losing track of time, staying up late and ignoring other responsibilities when I am devouring a Grisham book.
Unfortunately, it is that very great writing style that exposes the weaknesses of this book, which is that of a weak plot, less than interesting male protagonists, and a less than stellar ending. The plot lacks any real sustaining interest or suspense for the reader. The conflict does not create much worry or risk for the characters outcome. I was never scared that something really bad was going to happen them in terms of physical harm or serious legal penalties. And although I was drawn into Zola’s fight to save her parents, both Mark and Todd were one dimensional and provided no reason for sympathy or empathy. I had no reason to cheer them on, and the more mistakes they made, it was even tougher to side with them. What ended up saving the book and keeping my interest was Grisham’s strong writing. My enjoyment of his style kept me going to finish the book, even when the ending petered out in a very predictable and flat manner.
Overall, this would have been a good short story or novella, but there just wasn’t enough content for a novel length adventure. Grisham’s storytelling power still reigns, but this story needed more tension, suspense, and content to carry the length of a novel. It needed characters that I cared for and rooted for them to overcome their conflicts and challenges. And it needed an ending where I didn’t think so what about the outcome. That’s it? Really?
I guess there’s always a first, even for the best of them. I can't believe I am saying this, but better luck next time John…
That is until now…
Grisham’s new legal (if you can call it that) thriller, “The Rooster Bar” starts off during the Christmas holiday season, with four law school students and buddies – Gordy, Mark, Todd, and Zola – going into their last semester before graduation and the payback of their outstanding six-figure loan debt. Each of them has borrowed heavily to attend a lower-tier and lower-rated law school for profit. A school so mediocre that its graduates are rarely able to pass the bar exam and get the higher paying jobs most law students dream of.
One of them, Gordy, has researched further to discover their law school is one of a chain owned by a disreputable New York hedge-fund investor. Using shell companies, the investor also owns a bank specializing in student loans to the chain schools, as well as a group of low-scale law firms hiring the students for those schools. It is a greatly orchestrated law school scam in which they are now involved.
After a dramatic and personal loss, three of them quit school, acquire new identities, and start practicing law without licenses out of a local joined called the Rooster Bar. There are challenges along the way and it doesn’t take long for them in to get into trouble with unsatisfied clients, other cutthroat lawyers, and eventually law enforcement. In addition, Zola’s parents and brother are taken by federal authorities and deported to Senegal, causing her to work through the challenges of corruption in her home county’s legal system in hopes of saving their lives.
Eventually, as with other Grisham novels, the three eventually hatch a risky plan in hopes of getting back at the evil hedge-fund investor, the bad guy that created their unfair student loan situations. I will keep from spoiling the details and the various plot outcomes for those who want the experience of reading the book for themselves.
This book brought home for me a certain truth. John Grisham is an excellent storyteller. He can write an instruction manual or a cookbook and I would somehow be drawn in to his masterful prose. His writing flows in a way that few writers can capture. I often find myself losing track of time, staying up late and ignoring other responsibilities when I am devouring a Grisham book.
Unfortunately, it is that very great writing style that exposes the weaknesses of this book, which is that of a weak plot, less than interesting male protagonists, and a less than stellar ending. The plot lacks any real sustaining interest or suspense for the reader. The conflict does not create much worry or risk for the characters outcome. I was never scared that something really bad was going to happen them in terms of physical harm or serious legal penalties. And although I was drawn into Zola’s fight to save her parents, both Mark and Todd were one dimensional and provided no reason for sympathy or empathy. I had no reason to cheer them on, and the more mistakes they made, it was even tougher to side with them. What ended up saving the book and keeping my interest was Grisham’s strong writing. My enjoyment of his style kept me going to finish the book, even when the ending petered out in a very predictable and flat manner.
Overall, this would have been a good short story or novella, but there just wasn’t enough content for a novel length adventure. Grisham’s storytelling power still reigns, but this story needed more tension, suspense, and content to carry the length of a novel. It needed characters that I cared for and rooted for them to overcome their conflicts and challenges. And it needed an ending where I didn’t think so what about the outcome. That’s it? Really?
I guess there’s always a first, even for the best of them. I can't believe I am saying this, but better luck next time John…
June 23, 2018
This book is all about friendship and how far you would go to fulfil your friend's dream. It keenly looks into lives for 4 friends at law school and the trauma they go through due to the never ending student loans they have got themselves in.
First half of the book gives the readers all the compelling reasons why Mark, Todd and Zola should fight back. There is a burning desire for revenge that builds up after going through all the materials their dead friend Gordy has left behind after committing suicide.
Second half is all about executing their neatly laid plan. They quickly realise that the path they have chosen is not at all going to be smooth. The situations that they get into are quite interesting and constantly compels you to think what you would have done in those.
The most touching portions are the hardships Zola's family has to undergo. The reader would inevitably tend to pity their situation as all their dreams for a better future are crushed in matter of days. The saddest portions are ones when they come back to their homeland and the way they are treated and extorted.
One of the best thing is that Mark and Todd never give up on helping Zola and her family. The way the three stand for each other is very touching. Throughout the novel it seems as though Mark and Todd are the same person with different personalities depending on their mood and there is Zola. Glad that Zola did not have any chemistry with Mark or Todd or else the story would have been very awkward.
One of the reasons, they made it successfully to the end could be that they all not only trusted each other but were ready to execute based on one another’s plans even if they did not understand it completely. Mark comes out as adventurous and Todd as a follower. I think what Zola's family goes through itself is very overwhelming for her to take any decision and she kind of tags along with the two.
Towards the end of the novel once she is reunited with the family is where I found her confident. You start feeling happy for her once she has gotten over the grief of her dead boyfriend and is looking forward for what future has in store.
Overall a great book where a perfect crime meets a happy ending.
First half of the book gives the readers all the compelling reasons why Mark, Todd and Zola should fight back. There is a burning desire for revenge that builds up after going through all the materials their dead friend Gordy has left behind after committing suicide.
Second half is all about executing their neatly laid plan. They quickly realise that the path they have chosen is not at all going to be smooth. The situations that they get into are quite interesting and constantly compels you to think what you would have done in those.
The most touching portions are the hardships Zola's family has to undergo. The reader would inevitably tend to pity their situation as all their dreams for a better future are crushed in matter of days. The saddest portions are ones when they come back to their homeland and the way they are treated and extorted.
One of the best thing is that Mark and Todd never give up on helping Zola and her family. The way the three stand for each other is very touching. Throughout the novel it seems as though Mark and Todd are the same person with different personalities depending on their mood and there is Zola. Glad that Zola did not have any chemistry with Mark or Todd or else the story would have been very awkward.
One of the reasons, they made it successfully to the end could be that they all not only trusted each other but were ready to execute based on one another’s plans even if they did not understand it completely. Mark comes out as adventurous and Todd as a follower. I think what Zola's family goes through itself is very overwhelming for her to take any decision and she kind of tags along with the two.
Towards the end of the novel once she is reunited with the family is where I found her confident. You start feeling happy for her once she has gotten over the grief of her dead boyfriend and is looking forward for what future has in store.
Overall a great book where a perfect crime meets a happy ending.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 22, 2023
The Rooster Bar was an interesting novel. The beginning started a bit slow, laying the groundwork for what is to come, and a lot of this information was pertinent throughout the book, so make sure you pay attention.
This is a book about student loan debt, crooked people, and how a trio of law students found themselves making poor life choices due to rationalizing themselves as victims after being unfairly blamed for the suicide of a friend/fellow student.
Each of these students has their own issues going 0n in their lives that lead them to take advantage of others in interesting ways.
I loved that we also got to see different interactions with the student loan collection officers, as I have myself completed a degree and could relate to some of their hardships and bleak thoughts of the future due to student loan debt which is a very real issue in our country.
By the end of the book, though, enough had occurred that the only one I actually had any sympathy left for was Zola.
A solid 3.75 star read for me (rounded up to 4)
This is a book about student loan debt, crooked people, and how a trio of law students found themselves making poor life choices due to rationalizing themselves as victims after being unfairly blamed for the suicide of a friend/fellow student.
Each of these students has their own issues going 0n in their lives that lead them to take advantage of others in interesting ways.
I loved that we also got to see different interactions with the student loan collection officers, as I have myself completed a degree and could relate to some of their hardships and bleak thoughts of the future due to student loan debt which is a very real issue in our country.
By the end of the book, though, enough had occurred that the only one I actually had any sympathy left for was Zola.
A solid 3.75 star read for me (rounded up to 4)
May 22, 2018
Disappointing
Early on I loved all of the John Grisham stories. A Time to Kill, The Firm, The Chamber. They had likable protagonists. In this latest offering we have neither a good story or a likable protagonist. I had hopes after Camino Island that he was back but it does not appear that is the case.
Mark, Todd, and Zola are in their third year of studying law at Foggy Bottom. May be one of them had been motivated because they wanted a career where they could help people and make difference but others seem to have been motivated by a promise of a career with a huge salary. They could not be accepted at Stanford, Harvard, or any prestigious law school. They choose Foggy Bottom based on slick brochures. Now in their third year no one has promised them a job and they have a mountain of debt. Their immediate future is to pass the bar and begin paying off that debt. Rather than do that they decide to expose their school for what it is. A for profit school owned by a shady New York hedge-fund operator. Just one of chain. He also owns a bank specializing in student loans.
Mark, Todd, and Zola are not alone. Some may not make it and take a desperate path. Most will see it through. They will finish their final semester and study for the bar. Some will pass and others will not. They will find jobs ... in the legal sector, or the public sector, or somewhere else. The point is that they will move forward to the next phase of their life. Not Mark, Todd, and Zola. They decide to drop out, practice law without a license, and expose the school and bank. And to make some money in the process.
Often when I start a book I may not like the protagonist but he or she grows on me as I read. This was not the case here. If anything I found that I liked Mark, Todd, and Zola less. Zola was somewhat likable and I had some sympathy for her. Overall these characters had no interest in the law, in helping others, in making a positive difference. They were self centered and only thinking of themselves.
Grisham's earliest books were something to look forward to. As soon as they were released I eagerly bought them. Before reading a single review. Recently they are hit or miss. I still read them but I borrow from my local library rather than spend the money publishers expect readers to fork over nowadays. I cannot say that I am looking forward to his next book. Lets just say I hope it won't be yet another miss.
Early on I loved all of the John Grisham stories. A Time to Kill, The Firm, The Chamber. They had likable protagonists. In this latest offering we have neither a good story or a likable protagonist. I had hopes after Camino Island that he was back but it does not appear that is the case.
Mark, Todd, and Zola are in their third year of studying law at Foggy Bottom. May be one of them had been motivated because they wanted a career where they could help people and make difference but others seem to have been motivated by a promise of a career with a huge salary. They could not be accepted at Stanford, Harvard, or any prestigious law school. They choose Foggy Bottom based on slick brochures. Now in their third year no one has promised them a job and they have a mountain of debt. Their immediate future is to pass the bar and begin paying off that debt. Rather than do that they decide to expose their school for what it is. A for profit school owned by a shady New York hedge-fund operator. Just one of chain. He also owns a bank specializing in student loans.
Mark, Todd, and Zola are not alone. Some may not make it and take a desperate path. Most will see it through. They will finish their final semester and study for the bar. Some will pass and others will not. They will find jobs ... in the legal sector, or the public sector, or somewhere else. The point is that they will move forward to the next phase of their life. Not Mark, Todd, and Zola. They decide to drop out, practice law without a license, and expose the school and bank. And to make some money in the process.
Often when I start a book I may not like the protagonist but he or she grows on me as I read. This was not the case here. If anything I found that I liked Mark, Todd, and Zola less. Zola was somewhat likable and I had some sympathy for her. Overall these characters had no interest in the law, in helping others, in making a positive difference. They were self centered and only thinking of themselves.
Grisham's earliest books were something to look forward to. As soon as they were released I eagerly bought them. Before reading a single review. Recently they are hit or miss. I still read them but I borrow from my local library rather than spend the money publishers expect readers to fork over nowadays. I cannot say that I am looking forward to his next book. Lets just say I hope it won't be yet another miss.
November 2, 2017
I finished this book in two sittings: on my lunch break and on my bed the moment I got home. I didn’t get up to eat dinner, use the bathroom, anything. The Rooster Bar is one of those books.
Like almost every Grisham novel, this is a high-stakes crime thriller . . . but the stakes here feel so much higher than in his other books — at least the ones I’ve read, which I admit isn’t a large number. Three laws students mired in debt without any job prospectives on the horizon decide to drop out of sight, change their identity . . . and become faux street lawyers. They know the ropes (well, some of them) and they put up a front. And they’re successful. At least for a while. Then the phony partnership go after bigger fish, more money . . . and from there unfolds one of Grisham’s most captivating plots to date.
Does that sound hokey? Silly? Yes, maybe it does. But this book really spoke to me: the frustration with college, the fears of the future, the desire (and, in these characters’ cases, success) to start all over and go on an adventure — an adventure with quite the cash prize, if all goes well. That spoke to where I am at right now. And Grisham writes this story with the reverence, skill, and knowledge that is present in all his works.
Surely one of my picks for favorite new release of the year, this was a book I just could not put down. Check it out — but not with any pressing plans.
Like almost every Grisham novel, this is a high-stakes crime thriller . . . but the stakes here feel so much higher than in his other books — at least the ones I’ve read, which I admit isn’t a large number. Three laws students mired in debt without any job prospectives on the horizon decide to drop out of sight, change their identity . . . and become faux street lawyers. They know the ropes (well, some of them) and they put up a front. And they’re successful. At least for a while. Then the phony partnership go after bigger fish, more money . . . and from there unfolds one of Grisham’s most captivating plots to date.
Does that sound hokey? Silly? Yes, maybe it does. But this book really spoke to me: the frustration with college, the fears of the future, the desire (and, in these characters’ cases, success) to start all over and go on an adventure — an adventure with quite the cash prize, if all goes well. That spoke to where I am at right now. And Grisham writes this story with the reverence, skill, and knowledge that is present in all his works.
Surely one of my picks for favorite new release of the year, this was a book I just could not put down. Check it out — but not with any pressing plans.
March 3, 2021
Countless times we’ve been told about the importance of the first sentence of a book. We are told that editors and publishers scrutinize the first sentence and if they don’t like it you lost a deal. Many books might not get written because the budding writer cannot think of the perfect opening.
Yet, for a reader, the last sentence makes or breaks the story. It is what will sound in our ears for some time after we closed the book.
While reading “The Rooster Bar” I admit thinking that it is not Grisham’s Best. But when I came to the last sentence, I knew I liked the book. Liked it very much.
He created very likeable characters despite them being liars, cheaters, dropouts, criminals even. No pretense, no hypocrisy. Identifiable with anyone of us. Driven by a simple urge to make some living and escape the debts, frustrated when found out that they've been scammed they make lots of mistakes. Grisham also briefly, but cleverly touched the problem of illegal immigration and the consequences of deportation.
All in all, I think the book is great, and the last sentence is excellent.
Yet, for a reader, the last sentence makes or breaks the story. It is what will sound in our ears for some time after we closed the book.
While reading “The Rooster Bar” I admit thinking that it is not Grisham’s Best. But when I came to the last sentence, I knew I liked the book. Liked it very much.
He created very likeable characters despite them being liars, cheaters, dropouts, criminals even. No pretense, no hypocrisy. Identifiable with anyone of us. Driven by a simple urge to make some living and escape the debts, frustrated when found out that they've been scammed they make lots of mistakes. Grisham also briefly, but cleverly touched the problem of illegal immigration and the consequences of deportation.
All in all, I think the book is great, and the last sentence is excellent.
December 31, 2017
The Firm —Lite
As a long time John Grisham reader, I wouldn’t say Grisham peaked with his early most successful work. He has done a great job of keeping plots fresh and finding worthy subjects —til now. “The Rooster Bar” continues Grisham’s long time theme of the misery of being a lawyer/ becoming a lawyer. I was hoping Grisham would take this group of disgruntled law students and go in a different direction than he did in previous books but unfortunately he did not. Beyond the theme of the book, the plot closely resembles “The Firm” to the point by the middle of the book I predicted the rest of the story down to the ending. After reading such Grisham masterpieces as “An Innocent Man”, “The Appeal” and “The Racketeer” this one feels like Grisham phoned it in. I would skip it.
As a long time John Grisham reader, I wouldn’t say Grisham peaked with his early most successful work. He has done a great job of keeping plots fresh and finding worthy subjects —til now. “The Rooster Bar” continues Grisham’s long time theme of the misery of being a lawyer/ becoming a lawyer. I was hoping Grisham would take this group of disgruntled law students and go in a different direction than he did in previous books but unfortunately he did not. Beyond the theme of the book, the plot closely resembles “The Firm” to the point by the middle of the book I predicted the rest of the story down to the ending. After reading such Grisham masterpieces as “An Innocent Man”, “The Appeal” and “The Racketeer” this one feels like Grisham phoned it in. I would skip it.
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