Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood: A Novel

Rating:
Summary: From a Ya Ya want-a-be!
Review: Absolutely the most unforgetable book I've read in a long time. It's real life at it's best and it's worst but REAL all the same. Who wouldn't want to be a Ya Ya??

Rating:
Summary: Disappointing
Review: The title is catchy, but the book is woefully disappointing. Contrary to the reviews on the cover, it really was not particularly funny. It read more like a motion picture script than a novel.

Rating:
Summary: It's not the best book I've read, but it's a good one
Review: The book had sort of a schizophrenic quality about it. On one hand, some of the writing was brilliant. On the other hand, some of the writing was what you'd find in a bad Danielle Steel novel. Some of the loves scenes between Sidda and Connor were corny, and I laughed harder at them than I did during the Shirley Temple scene. But I must admit, this was a great story and well worth the read! I guess all of us have resented our mothers at certain times in our lives, and this book shows us that Moms deserve our understanding, sometimes. In a way, this book might be the fictional equivalent of "My Mother, Myself." It's a must read for all women.

Rating:
Summary: A novel "lite"?
Review: I'll admit to being entertained at some of the young YaYas' exploits, and occasionally touched at the devotion that they had for each other. However, the characters (particularly the men), plot, and dialogue were contrived and stilted. I won't bother to read Little Altars!

Rating:
Summary: A good story, but don't expect depth
Review: I enjoyed this book and finished it in a couple days, but now I wonder if I just wanted to get to the end of the book. Vivi's story is what kept me reading; she was probably the most complex character in the entire book. Sidda was just a bit too precious and ever so damaged. Her story was too predictable and Hollywood. I was annoyed the way Wells portrayed the book "On the Way to the Wedding" as a marriage primer (which it is not) in the context of the story. After reading "Little Altars", I was disappointed. Big Shep was like a decoration in this book and Aunt Jezzie, who figured prominently in Sidda's childhood, was noticably absent. The ending was pure treacle. It's worth reading only if you enjoyed Little Altars.

Rating:
Summary: A wonderful read!
Review: This book was touching and very real. The emotions the characters share with the reader are so true to life that it makes you take a step back and see things from a different angle. A book that makes you love not-so-perfect characters is what makes a really good read.

Rating:
Summary: A maudlin, overwritten tribute to white southern womanhood.
Review: I picked up this novel because stories about mothers who lose it after the fourth or fifth child generally interest me, but I couldn't stomach the dose of sentimental drivel about the true (and therefore typically southern) friendship exemplified by that bunch of spoiled, rich, white belles. At least those passages are better written than the framing story about the protagonist putting off her marriage and planning to directing "The Women." Those sections are completely overwritten and even more nauseating, with their Harlequin Romance-like references to "his strong arms," etc. Why didn't Wells's editor at least tell her to cut that part?

Rating:
Summary: Great book but a few problems.
Review: I loved the book The Divine Secrets of the Ya Ya Sisterhoodbut there was one inconsistency that was like a thorn in my sidethroughout the book...Oh well, these things happen but I wish someone would have had caught these mistakes before it was printed. Then it would have been a perfect book. I am looking forward to reading Little Altars Everywhere.

Rating:
Summary: A very powerful book
Review: Since all of us either have or had a mother, you won't come away from reading this book about the complicated, often fragile bond between mother & daughter without being impacted by it. This book grabs you and pulls you in. You can't help but be fascinated by the relationship between Sidda and her mother Vivi, and also by the relationships between the Ya Ya's - ultimately Ya Ya's are thicker than blood. It is as if you are peeking into someone's family closet and all the skeletons are laid out for everyone to see. You get the feeling that you shouldn't be watching, but it is impossible to look away. You are shocked and at times horrified by what you see, it is almost too painful, but still you are drawn deeper and deeper into the closet. You emerge from this closet slightly stunned by all that you've seen. Don't let the cover of this book fool you; it is by no means a light-hearted romp back into the "golden years" of the 1940's & 1950's. Sidda's story is full of darkness and light, happiness and sadness. It is about one woman's quest to discover (and eventually accept) just who she really is. A journey that all women will embark on at some point during their lifetime.

Rating:
Summary: I found this book inane.
Review: I normally like southern women writers, but this left me cold. I found this book contrived, silly and a total waste of time.