Rating: 
Summary: Funny book but not well-written
Review: There were parts of this book that I thought were hysterically funny and there were parts that hit way too close to home as a Southern daughter of an alcoholic mother. But, in general, I did not feel that it was very well written. Transitions between the Ya Ya stories were weak and flat. To me, it was as if the author had a whole bunch of stories and then said, "Let's see. How do I string these together into a whole?" Some of the dialogue sounded the same whether it was the Ya Ya's talking or the boyfriend. I thought some of the imagery was canned and cliche: I was so tired of that water and the naked bodies -- ANOTHER REBIRTH?! And finally, the premise of the book, that Sidda could not get married because she had unresolved feelings about men/family(?) because of her life with her mother(?) was suddenly resolved by the revealing of her mother's history by the Ya Ya's(?) was very thin and, for me, a big stretch. But Wells clearly has an incredible gift for telling a rip-roaring story and I will probably never forget Dr. Pooty Pootwell.
Rating:
Summary: Some good moments, but lacking depth in key characters
Review: I found the overall premise of the book engaging, but found the character of Sidda lacking much depth and I could not understand why she lacked the ability to love or have female relationships, which was the main thrust of the book. The Ya Ya sisters were much more intriguing. The very end with Sidda and her fiance reminded me of a Harlequin romance, a disappointment after some complex relationships were uncovered earlier in the book.
Rating: 
Summary: This southern woman wants to be a ya-ya too!
Review: I've never read a story so heartbreaking and hilarious at the same time. I don't think you have to be a southerner to find humor in the book, but I do think you have to be a southerner to truly appreciate all the southern humor that Wells incorporates into the novel. I look forward to future ya-ya stories.
Rating:
Summary: I wanna be a ya-ya!
Review: This book was fantastic. I have decided I would make a perfect Ya-Ya, as I'm sure many others have felt while reading it. The characters were superbly written, and I loved the flashback scenes - I felt I was right in the moment. A wonderful story about friendship, mothers and daughters, life and love, and women. I have passed this book on to many friends who have loved it as well, Dahlin.
Rating:
Summary: Divine Secrets is truly a Divine Experience--Ya Ya
Review: Not since She Flew the Coop and Virgin Suicides has a book moved me to a new surreal and spiritual realm! From the vivacious Vivi to the soul-searching Sidda, these characters are not to go unnoticed. Grab a Bloody Mary, some rosary beads and indulge in some Divineness!
Rating:
Summary: A Wonderful Counterpart to Little Altars
Review: After reading Little Altars Everywhere, I was a bit reluctant to read this book. The first book, while very good, was depressing. This book not only changed my feeling on the first book, but also left me feeling incredibly exhilerated.
Rating:
Summary: Immensely enjoyable - colorful, emotional & pleasurable!
Review: I could hear the charachters' voices in this book. I listenend to their conversations and viewed their lives in person! Rebecca Wells has a gift for colorful description and character development. "Divine Secrets" left me uplifted and content, and prompted me to purchase "Little Altars Everywhere" immediately!
Rating:
Summary: absolutely divine!!!!!
Review: Divine Secrets is the latest selection of my newspaper's book club, and it is wonderful. The characters are unforgettable, the language beautiful, and all in all a great read. It's for anyone that loves a good love story, a friendship story, a mother-daughter story, a southern story, anyone who likes a good story!
Rating:
Summary: Don't Stop With Wells--Read On!
Review: If you like the ya-ya's,which is so-so, you will LOVE these wonderful Louisiana authors:
Michael Lee West--SHE FLEW THE COOP: A NOVEL CONCERNING LIFE, DEATH, SEX, AND RECIPES
John Dufresne--LOUISIANA POWER AND LIGHT
Shelia Bosworth--ALMOST INNOCENT
Rating:
Summary: An OK read, but not life-changing
Review: I am a member of a mother/daughter book club and, based on the reviews, thought this would be the perfect book for our club. I am sorry to say it wasn't. I keep reading it with the hope that the characters (and themes) would converge into a cohesive whole, and it never did. The author's use of flashbacks made the unfoldling of the story very forced, and kept me distanced from the characters. I was unable to identify with either the mother or the daughter, because the author herself was unable to make a decision as to who's story was being told. I applaud her effort at trying to show how a mother's past struggles can lend valuable knowledge to her daughter's present struggles, but overall this was not an effective device. The incidents in the present merely provide a framework for which to string together tales of the mother's past, and did not clearly show how knowledge of the mother's history provided the daughter with a clearer understanding of why her mother is the way she is. Additionally, I was not impressed with the depiction of the dysfunctional Southern family that is common in family melodramas. This book included all the stock characters found in such tales, but did not portray them as vividly as other novels about eccentric Southern families
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