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Summary: Quirky Characters
Review: This book is full of very strange, quirky characters. It took me some time to respect and even like the main character, Novalee. Once I did though, I sat and cheered on her and Americus, and her love for Forney. Willy Jack was probably my least favorite character. His demeanor and attributes made me sick to imagine that a girl such as Novalee could have become involved with him. When he later drops her off at a Wal-Mart store in the middle of nowhere, my original assumptions about him were confirmed. This story seems to exist in almost another time period. The fact that there are people out there like Moses Whitecotton and Sister Husband that open their hearts and lives to you is almost foreign in this day and age. Lexie's story, interwoven because of her friendship to Novalee, was a heart breaking one. However, Letts gives the reader the endings that they long for. Willy Jack gets his in the end and Lexie, who seems beat, has a nice, happy ending that is refreshing. This book has some common threads that hold it together, the number seven, the idea of home, and the importance of friends and family. This is a great summer read, you won't get too attached to the characters and if you can let go of their quirks, you may be able to see this story happening in real life.
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Summary: Bad books make good movies
Review: I loved the movie so I checked out the book ... for people like me, this is a warning: the book is not like the movie at all. Billie Letts didn't make the characters terribly sympathetic. Novalee just seems dumb, promiscuous and irresponsible ... I especially objected to the scene where she drinks wine when she's pregnant. You'd think an "educated" librarian would have enough sense not to offer it to a pregnant underage girl."Where The Heart Is" tries for a heartwarming take on how small town people deal with problems. It comes off as a heavy handed, trite, overblown, sentimental, syrupy and ultimately stupid soap opera. The account of Novalee's life is right out of a People magazine success story. Willy Jack, the guy who dumps her, gets way too much of a harsh treatment; the author practically hits you over the head with "And that's what happens to bad people." Don't bother. If you really want heartwarming, see the movie. The cuts and additions the filmmakers add made it wonderful, and the excellent performances bring unwritten depth to the characters.
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Summary: I Love It!
Review: I am 14 years old and I loved this book. My mother, sister, and grandmother read it swell and they loved it. You know a book is good when it appeals to such a wide range of ages. The previous reviews do a good job of summarizing the book so I won't repeat what other people have said about it. I just want to clear up anyone's mind who is trying to decide whether or not to buy this book.BUY IT!!!!!! You will not regret it.
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Summary: MUST READ BOOK
Review: I read this book when I saw it on Oprah and I loved it. It is a really great book---much better than the movie. I recommend reading it.
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Summary: Couldn't Put It Down!!
Review: I haven't read a book in a long time that I was so completely engrossed in that I read the whole book in a day, and this is no mini book. Where The Heart Is grabs you at your gut and just doesn't let up. Novalee Nation is 17, pregnant and on the road with a scum bag that leaves her stranded when she goes in an Okalahoma Wal-Mart to buy a pair of house slippers for her swollen feet. Not knowing it at the time, but this was the best thing that scum bag Willey Jack Pickens could have done for her. Novalee doesn't have a formal education, but the education she gets as resident of Wal-Mart and there after teaches her life is what you make it. That there is good and evil in all of us and life is Where The Heart Is. Billie Letts writes down to earth, where you can just picture the people and become a part of their lives. There were times I could have sworn I was looking at a soap opera and not reading a book, that is how vivid her characters are. Don't waste another moment....order this book, you won't be sorry!
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Summary: Where the heart is
Review: This book is about 17 year old Novalee Nation who is 7 months pregnant and whose boyfriend has just left her in the parking lot of a Wal-Mart. This book tells the story of Novalee and her daughter Americus. Billie Letts does a wonderful job of describing each of the characters. When you read the book you feel like you are there with the characters. This book is heart warming and sad at the same time but it truly shows you where the heart is. This is the best book I have ever read and i really dont like to read that much but this was one book that when I picked it up I could not put it down. I encourage everyone to read this book and take a trip to Sequoyah, Oklahoma and meet Sister Husband, Forney Hull, Novalee Nation, Americus, and many other wonderful characters and take a trip to Where The Heart Is.
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Summary: Can't get enough
Review: The only disapointing thing about this book was that it had to end. I give it five stars. The characters are irrestible and the book itself is addictive. Don't make the mistake of watching the movie. I rented it on video after I finished the book. It was a let-down.
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Summary: Feel-good book
Review: Where the Heart Is is a positive, feel-good, easy read. It's like a fairy tale where in the end everyone gets what they deserve; for that reason, the plot is just too obvious. There's never any question that in spite of everything, Novalee will end up happy, nor is there any doubt that Willy Jack will pay. The characters are also too two dimensional. They are neither interesting nor complex, and in many cases, boring. But this book does have an uplifting message that I think would particularly benefit teenage girl readers who might need some inspiration to take responsibility for their lives and choices they make. Novalee certainly is an admirable heroine in that she didn't sit around wallowing in self pity. She didn't play the blame game, either. She moved on with her life and did the best she could. A decent read, but don't expect intellectual stimulation.
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Summary: It's #1 on my list
Review: Where the Heart Is This is a great book about life and hard times, growing and achieving dreams and goals and always pushing yourself to do better in life. This book is about a girl named Novalee, an18 year old, with an unlucky number of 7, pregnant with a baby girl, and going to California with her boyfriend. Novalee wants to live on the water but Willy Jack (her boyfriend) says there "ain't any oceans in L.A.'' When they stop at Wal-Mart to use the bathroom. She also needs to get a new pair of sandals, because she lost hers. She gets a change back as $7.77, something is wrong! She runs outside, and, the car was gone Wily Jack left her. She's sits on a bench, not knowing what to do, a women came up to her and gave her a plant and told Novalee to stop by anytime. Novalee ends up living in that same Wal-Mart for 6 months without being discovered, until one night her water brakes and her baby was coming. Things don't turn out so bad for her, in fact they turn out better. I really think anyone should read the book its great and I give it 5 STARS. This is book for Pre-Teens, Teens and Adults. You should be at least 12 years old. 5 STARS
Rating:
Summary: A good read
Review: I really did enjoy the story. I wish they would have given more detail on her life in the Walmart store. The ending was a bit much, but all in all I really did like it. A feel good book.
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