4.5 stars. 
 I love Ian McEwan--there's something about his writing that gets to me. It's powerful, quiet, and affective in so many ways. The Children Act was no different and I was enthralled from page 1. It's the story about Fiona Maye, a High Court judge in the family court, and her various difficult legal decisions. But, most importantly, it's about a decision she makes about Adam Henry, a 17 year old Jehovah's Witness who, along with his parents, refuses to have a blood transfusion to combat other treatments for his leukemia on the grounds that it violates his religion. 
 This novel stopped me in my tracks and made me really think about the responsibility we place in the hands of judges, social workers, and lawyers. Arguably, almost all of these decisions affect peoples' lives in ways we cannot comprehend until the consequences have been realized. 
 This is a quick but rather heavy read (what with all the moral/legal/religious questions raised in the book), but I highly recommend it to open your mind!