My friend Janine suggested I read the novel Defending Jacob by William Landay. It was a fantastic read! When a teen is murdered, a local family has to deal with the possibility that their son Jacob is the murderer. It’s a nightmare scenario for every parent. If you are a parent reading this book, you will find yourself being able to identify with the parents in the story. No parent wants to believe their child could so something so disgustingly heinous. This book will take you on an emotional roller coaster right up until the very end, which has quite a plot twist that will leave you with your jaw on the floor and wondering if you would have done the same.

This story was turned into a limited series on Apple TV+. It was good, but doesn’t hold up to the novel, in my opinion. You can watch the trailer for the limited series below.

So if you’re looking for a book that will get you pretty emotionally invested, consider reading Defending Jacob.