Book Review: There's Hope for Justice in 'The Trials of Kate Hope'

I’d like you to meet Kate Hope, the latest in a family of lawyers ... bright, go-getters who work hard and are reliable .. did I mention she’s 14? And that it’s 1973?

Her father and brother have died in a car accident leaving her family at a loss.  Her grandfather has stopped practicing law and her mother has become overprotective.  So how does she begin her “career”?  Due to a loophole in the Colorado constitution, she is able to practice law, first as her blind grandfather’s assistant, then she begins to go beyond just reading about cases and begins to try them in court.  

Along with her best friend (who's a boy and her friend ... does that make him her unofficial "boyfriend"?), Mike, she is able to track down information to help her cases. Kate is a tomboy who rides her bike to work as teen, changing into her professional clothes and transforming into the lawyer she has become. She must over come her youth and gender to prove that she can do what she believes is right and truthful ... oh, and still be a teenager with all the growing up to do along the way.  

In his third YA novel, Wick Downing introduces a strong, courageous young woman on a journey to find out who she is in this world.  Does he stick to the truth and nothing but the truth?  The story does depict the struggles of being taken seriously as a teen in the adult world.  Downing practiced law and was a district attorney in Colorado, so his experience with the law is a good asset for his story.  Could it really happen?  Why not? FYI, there are positive role models to be had in this story.   

Her grandfather challenges her to be all that she can be and think through every event, not just see the surface.  Mike is a good friend who sticks by her even when she forgets what’s important.  On the flip side, Mike’s mom does host a party where she allows the teens access to alcohol -- not such a good role model.  

Overall, its a good story that would make a pretty cool movie ... but that’s just my opinion. Let me know if you read it and what you think!