Wonderful read from a very brilliant attorney in Georgia.
Sometimes slowing in a pace that causes the reader to question where the theme is or is going. Then suddenly it returns more richly than before.

Interesting read with the plot told from the first person perspective of a mentally handicapped person written by a highly intellectual one.
Yet, brilliantly authentic as if it had been 'told' to the author first. ( )

Plot Summary: What happens, When & Where, Central Characters, Major Conflicts
The reader first meets Jimmy as a 12 year old boy about the take the stand as a witness in a case involving a policeman who mishandled a case. His father is the lawyer for the defendant, and despite the misgivings of Jimmy's mother Jimmy's testimony helps them win the case. Jimmy has some mental limitations that make him different from other boys, but one thing he does know is how to tell the truth. We learn that Jimmy also sees what the calls "watchers", angel like figures that sometimes help him in difficult situations. And as Jimmy has plenty of those, such as learning to climb to the top of a utility pole with his grandpa, facing his fear of water, deciding whether he wants to see his birth mother, dealing with death, and starting high school. Jimmy's biggest challenge comes when he overhears a conversation that could get some people in big trouble--and that could make him a target.






Style Characterisics: Pacing, clarity, structure, narrative devices, etc.
"Whitlow does a great job of making Jimmy come to life as a believable character. His mother and father are also well portrayed, especially the struggles they face with Jimmy's ""specialness"" and birth mother. The only characters that don't come off well are the bad guys, who don't seem to have believable motives. The watchers element is woven in very well, these angels seem real and not just stereotypes. The story moves somewhat slowly, as the plot centers around Jimmy's struggles with live as a 12-13 year old boy. The ending was upsetting, but there is an alternative ending on the authors website.
"






How Good is it?
An emotionally involving book. ( )