Noah's Law

Title: Noah's Law
Author: Randa Abdel-Fattah
Published: 2010
Genre: Crime, Contemporary, Australian
Rating: 4 out of 5

Due to playing a prank at school, sixteen year old Noah has been sentenced to a summer holiday's worth of work at his aunt's law firm by his well profiled barrister father. While at the law firm, Noah starts paying attention to a case he's been photocopying papers for: an employee who was robbed and bashed when she was transporting money for her employer. Sensing something isn't straight with the case, especially with the dead employee's husband who is seeking compensation for his wife's death, Noah begins to investigate.

Noah's Law was great to read, especially since it was written from a male point of view. The pace was fast and never dull. The characters were also funny and realistic, especially Noah's father who held courtroom sessions in disciplinary matters regarding his household and children. Another nice fact was that Noah was half Egyptian and he had a Bengali friend. Although this fact didn't feature significantly, it did portray Australia's multiculturalism. The fact that a novel, especially YA, written and set in Australia doesn't necessarily have to be about an Anglo character was a bonus. There was also a bit of romance between Noah and Jacinta, an 18 year old intern, however I didn't find the need of romance in this novel as the mystery was strong enough.The only weak point would be the use of legal terms which confused me, since I don't really watch many legal tv shows or have relevant knowledge.

Overall, anyone who wants to read a refreshing novel from a male POV, a novel set in Australia, a contemporary with suspense or a 'legal thriller' should read Noah's Law.