Rating: 
Summary: A Edge of Your Seat Masterpiece!
Review: "Drowning Ruth" is by far the best novel I have ever read. The characters and the storyline are so perfectly woven together and the author leaves you wondering, "What will happen next?!" And then, what happens next, is such a twist that it leaves you breathless. I highly recommend this wonderful masterpeice to anyone who is looking for a good book to read, and even those who aren't; avid readers and hopeless nonreaders alike will find "Drowning Ruth" a book worth curling up with come rain or shine.
Rating:
Summary: Good book!
Review: The author makes you want to just know what the heck happened. She doesn't tell you until the end, so you keep reading on. It's a good story, although at times I found myself skipping paragraphs just to know already what happened.
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Summary: drowning ruth.. one of the best books i've ever read!
Review: I definitely recommend this book. I could NOT put it down! I loved the style in which it was written (the perspectives of Ruth and Amanda then the original narration) and all the skips from the past and present. It could be confusing if you don't catch onto things quickly, but even then you should understand it. I have to say one thing: EVERYONE and I mean EVERYONE in this book has a connection to eachother, whether they know it or not! I mean, it's a SMALL WORLD! (You'll see what I mean when you read.. which you SHOULD ^_^) It's definitely mysterious and supsenseful. I think Ruth grows up too fast, but that's just my opinion. Wonderfully written, I love it!
Rating: 
Summary: Boring and implausible
Review: At the end of the paperback version that I purchased and read there were comments by the author. Scharz wrote that the plot was the most difficult element for her and so the book had too much plot. I can see why she thought the plot was the most difficult element because I don't think the book had much plot. The associations among the some of the characters and some of the key actions by characters were implausble. The writing was good but the story-telling was cryptic. I'm originally from Wisconsin and I bought the book mostly because the author grew up in Wisc and the story was set in Wisc. Using these criteria to choose a book was a mistake.
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Summary: A Disappointment
Review: After having read several of the books highlighted in "Oprah's Book Club," and enjoying them immensely, I expected to be similarly impressed with "Drowning Ruth." I was disappointed. I found the plot tedious, most of the characters shallow and unbelieveable, and the symbolism crude and obvious. I have learned my lesson. Never choose reading material based solely on its inclusion in Oprah's Book Club and the resulting hooplah.
Rating: 
Summary: Keeps promising and promising . . . but never delivers
Review: Christina Schwarz is a good writer. I envy her command of the language and her descriptive skill. Unfortunately, this book was derailed by the cumbersome plot, which was complicated by the way the author chose to present it. I have no problem with non-linear plots, as long as the author has the mastery to pull it off . . . you know, like Toni Morrison. I think this novel would have been strengthened had Schwarz not tried so hard to make it seem more complicated then it had to be. I feel she exerted too much effort convoluting the plotline and concentrated more on making the story more potent. I'll leave it at this: the end, when everything is finally explained, is a big disappointment.
Rating: 
Summary: Wonderful story-telling
Review: Amanda, in an unstable state of mind after an unhappy love affair, returned to share her sister Mattie¡¦s and niece Ruth¡¦s lives. A tragedy claimed Mattie¡¦s life. As the story unfolds, the reader finds out what happened before and on the tragic night of Maureen¡¦s death.
The plot is simplicity itself, but what captivated me and kept me turning the pages was the wonderful story-telling style of the author. The story and answer evolved naturally, there was no pretentious attempt to hype up the ending, which made the whole story subtly touching.
Rating:
Summary: Not as good as Saving Elijah or Rebecca
Review: This is a book with a lot to recommend it--lovely descriptions, powerful feelings, and a sense of mystery woven throughout. The thing that bothered me is that it manipulates you as a reader and the mystery is contrived, not real--the central character knows it all and only makes it seem mysterious through cryptic and essentially misleading narration for no real reason--just to confuse the reader. This is not the case at all in great books like Rebecca or Gaslight--there, the mystery is real and the heroine, too, does not know it all. I loved Saving Ruth for the power of maternal love, like the contemporary Saving Elijah. But that has more real mystery and is a genuine, not contrived, psycological thriller. By the end of Saving Ruth I felt quite let down.
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Summary: Wisconsin Gothic
Review: "Drowning Ruth" is a promising first novel, bound to do well with Oprah's coveted approval. Written in the style of Daphne DuMaurier, with a few well-defined characters, and secrets hidden over long years, this book will keep your interest. The climactic four or five pages at the end are satisfying, and all the plot ends are tied up.For someone who grew up in the lake country, in the midwest as I did, the geographic setting is familiar, and Schwarz does a fine job of depicting Wisconsin land and lakescapes. She also has a master touch in describing women's relationships-- sisters, mothers, daughters, friends. (That is probably why Oprah latched onto the book.) Her touch is less adept at fleshing out the male characters, but she gives it a good try. This is a light, entertaining read although its plotlines are heavily Gothic. You'll easily step into the world of Amanda, Ruth and Mattie, and the events of their circumscribed lives will easily engage you and stir your sympathies.
Rating:
Summary: Tense, Beautifully Written
Review: This is the best debut novel I've read in years. Schwartz is a startlingly inventive writer and the characters and plot are compelling and complex. I found this book highly rewarding--as successful as a subtle study of character as it is as a literary thriller.
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