Where The Heart Is (unabridged)

Rating:
Summary: A Must Read
Review: I normally don't read Oprah selections, but something struck me about this book that made me want to read it. I am very glad I did. I think that everyone should read this book, simply because Novalee is the strongest female character I have ever read about. This book really gives you hope that good can come from even the worst situations. It also was great to read about about someone experiencing the fantasy my friends and I created in middle school: living in Walmart. I don't watch TV, so I just found out that they made a movie of the book, and I am very excited to see it.

Rating:
Summary: It was entertaining
Review: Though this book was a tad bit predictable, it made you feel good when you finished it. It is just a classic story about a girl with a not so good life that finds that there are careing people out there, and you can turn your life around. It isn't heavy reading or anything, its just a book that you sit down with and read in a couple of days, and enjoy. I recommend this book to anyone who just wants a good story.

Rating:
Summary: Not Great Literature, but Fun and Touching
Review: I must say I really enjoyed this book. No, it is not a Pulitzer prize winner for literature, and yes it too often seems to throw unrealistic scenarios in to keep your interest--but that's the point--it kept my interest. I really cared about the characters and enjoyed watching them progress as the book went on. I read overly-serious books all year for school (don't get me wrong, I like serious books too) and I must say it is nice to read a book every once in a while that doesn't revel in symbolism or delight in complicated thematic structure. Just nice, interesting, easy reading. Ahhhhh...

Rating:
Summary: CULTURAL ENCAPSULATION
Review: The author does an amazing job of capturing a little town in America. The author does not hold onto sterotypes that might be illicted in a small town, she gives us a true perspective. She shows the good and evill in all people and just how one chooses to embrace it... That is where the heart is...

Rating:
Summary: A charming and tragic tale with a touch of innocence
Review: I found this book to be touching and sweet. The characters are well defined and you really get a taste of life in the heartland of America. The ending needs a little more exploration by the author.

Rating:
Summary: This truly makes you think twice about your life
Review: Well, to be honest with you, I'm not a real big fan of reading until I went to see "Where the Heart Is" and I said to myself, "this is the best movie since "Steel Magnolias"" --which is my all-time favorite movie. I think that this is going to be a new beginning for me. Never before have I ever thought about reading a book for the fun of it; and now, I have just ordered this book online and I intend on reading it until my eyes hurt. It is just a story that touches your soul so much because it actually deals with real-life issues, something that we all live with. One minute you'll be laughing and the next minute you'll be crying. If you haven't seen this movie or read this book...I really recommend seeing/reading it because it will seriously make you think twice about how you're living your life and who your true friends really are.

Rating:
Summary: Great Reading
Review: Okay, let me admit first off that I am an English teacher, and with my critical eye turned to this book, I see its flaws -- namely that it isn't realistic. Ah, who cares. I loved it, and I admit it freely. It is one of only three books I have read in one sitting. I loved the story, and I loved the characters. I was pulling for Novalee and Lexie (and all the rest) for the whole novel. I was so angry at Willie Jack I could spit. Who cares if it isn't classic literature (come closer ... I'll let you in on a secret ... some of that so-called classic literature is soooo dry ... and I don't care for it at all). Give me Novalee Nation, in all her unrealistic splendor, over Captain Ahab anyday.

Rating:
Summary: Best book in Ages
Review: As a high schooler with a high reading level I rarely find a book that will strike my fancy. I have tried everything but not every book satisfies me. Where the Heart Is was a wonderful book! I couldn't put it down, I read until 1 in the morning just to finish the book. What makes you connect with Novalee is her vulnerablility. Sure I now realize all she went through may not happen to everyone, but you follow her will until the end. This book actually made me think about MY life and where I was going with it. I don't want to end up in the situations that Novalee went through, but I Do want the will that she had, that guiding force that tells you everything will be all right. All I can say is, Sequel anyone?

Rating:
Summary: Billie Letts Takes you there into "Where the Heart Is"
Review: With the new release of the movie version of this book I was excited to read it. I finished it in two days. Letts writes beautifully and the events in the novel are believeable, despite a bit of over dramatization. I reccomend this book to everyone I talk to. A lot of my friends have read one page and gotten hooked.

Rating:
Summary: This Book Is Worth Ten Stars
Review: The only reason I insisted on buying this book at first was because I had seen a preveiw of the movie and I love Natalie Portman, Ashley Judd, and just about every one in it. But the first page pulled me into it, and I couldn't stop until I'd finished it. Novalee Nation is an all American teen, dealing with, an unfortunatly common problem with us teens, teen pregnancy. But she overcomes it and becomes the gem of a small town in Oklahoma. And yes, the dialogue and overall word content of the book wasn't challenging but the things suggested in it were so overwhelming that Billie Letts seemed to know her readers might not be able to handle it. Even though the names are a bit unrealistic, they add spice and character to the book. It was a great read, and I hope the movie does it justice.