I finished reading Judge Stone about a month ago, and as I’m now publishing the review, I find myself having to rewrite it a bit, post the U.S. midterms that just happened.
Some out there try to bring left-wing socialist people like me down; taunts, smears, lies, and even threats. And that’s why books like Judge Stone are so important – they showcase the cruelty of today’s sadistic, irredeemable far-right militia in all its ugly pride. I could see everything in Judge Stone realistically happening, especially anywhere where despicable people are elected to power. And that’s what makes it truly frightening. Still, we’ve just had a huge blue tsunami of hope. And this book can stand beside it, proud.
Taking place in a small majority-black county in Alabama, Mary Stone is nearing completion of her first term elected as its main criminal and civil court judge. She’s just past 50, the oldest of three sisters, and is up for reelection in about a year. Her usual cases revolve around robberies and vandalism, and more than once, she has been cussed out by the defendants as an “affirmative action b****.” Sometimes worse. What’s more, she runs her family farm that has been in the family since it was built by her great-great-grandparents. By herself. And she gets up at 4:30 in the morning even on Saturdays, to be able to cook a community breakfast for those down on their luck. Whoo! I think if I had to put up with half of what she puts up with, I’d have a breakdown. Or need six cups of Joe a day.
And then there’s a sudden case she signs on for that gets international attention – a local 13-year-old girl named Nova Jones was raped and got pregnant, and asked the local doctor, Bria Gaines, for a secret abortion. Nova didn’t even tell her mother, who would’ve forced her to keep it. And when Nova gets sick and it is revealed what happened, the doctor is put under arrest and is forced to stand trial. If convicted, Dr. Gaines could get twenty to life, in the wake of the dismantling of Roe v. Wade, and Alabama being the strictest state in the country against being pro-choice. People everywhere begin putting pressure on Judge Stone to either drop out of the case or skew her sentencing, and the case turns into a spectacle the town is not ready for.
And you know what? I was hooked from the beginning. How could I not be? After the overturning of Roe v. Wade, this is the reality a lot of Americans face (hopefully with a new Dem supermajority, something can be done), it is the reality for a fair few other countries, and it could become the reality for other countries too if its people fall for the right wing’s phony contentions of respect and compassion. I know I sound angry, but this entire book really stokes the flames. There is something even more shocking than Dr. Gaines’ arrest that takes place around the halfway point. Not only will you know exactly what I’m talking about, but it is something that is going on across America, and there are no words that can properly describe how horrifying it is that that’s a fact.
This book has a few different perspectives, but it is mostly from the first-person point of view of Judge Stone, and I was honestly looking forward to a book told from her. I’ve never read a book from the view of a judge. And she makes her knowledge of the law entertaining, fascinating and down-to-earth at the same time. Judge Stone is a pragmatic point of view, but we are able to see her logic, and her fairness keeps us rooting for her, especially as the threats, the profanity, and the corruption starts to pile up.
This is my first time reading a James Patterson collaboration, or any James Patterson book. Though I’m certain we can primarily thank Viola Davis for the book. She’s an incredible actress and clearly an incredible writer. This book puts us smack-dab in the middle of the actual consequences of the overturning via a corrupt Supreme Court, and shows us how it is so important some judges DO NOT retain power, while some judges – like Judge Stone – DO. There are corrupt judges out there who gladly flex their power like Judge Stone flexes her power to do good. And that is terrifying. It’s easy to say how important it is that we don’t have judges appointed to power who will gladly take bribes and silence people’s human rights.
This book is a radical call to action against racism and hatred. That’s exactly why it’s amazing.
My grade: 5 stars out of 5
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