Rating: 
Summary: OUTSTANDING
Review: The Deep End of the Ocean is a "must read" book. Jacquelyn Mitchard is such a brilliant author.
Although the Cappordora's experienced hard-ship, they managed to pull together as a family.
This book has tremendously expired me: no matter how deep in the ocean you go, you don't have to drown.
Rating: 
Summary: Emotionally Challenging
Review: This book was not easy to read, as the main character, Beth, was hard to like. But it is a satisfying story, and Mitchard captures the pain and suffering associated with the disappearance of a child. I do not have children, yet I was deeply disturbed by her description of the events surrounding the kidnapping and subsequent search for Ben.
The theme that I found most interesting was that ultimately, Reese/Vincent was the 'lost' child, due to his family's inability to cope with the events surrounding Ben's disappearance. Ben/Sam was truly loved and nurtured in his formative years, while Reese/Vincent was neglected, thus leading to his antisocial behavior later in life.
Maybe the anger at the treatment of Reese/Vincent and Kerry is the basis for the negative reviews other readers have posted.
Rating:
Summary: A realistic look at what might happen if you lost a child
Review: I read this book on a recommendation from a fellow book lover. Parts of the book were definitely slow, but I felt throughout the book that I was reading an actual account of a family who lost a son/brother. Beth is not a likeable character, but that is part of what makes this book real -- people don't always "behave" as others would like. The affects on each character were very different, and so you become involved in each character individually. Overall, this was a very thought provoking novel!!
Rating: 
Summary: Disappointing
Review: I read it only because of Oprah--I would never have picked this book up on my own. Did Mithcard write this with movie-made-for-television in mind? Beth was so unlikeable and the other characters were underdeveloped.
Rating:
Summary: A story that draws you in and makes you hold on
Review: As a business traveler I log nearly 1,000 miles per week. I listened to the unabridged "Books on Tape" version. At first the story moved a bit slow, but as the story progressed I was eager to view the return of the lost son. Maybe not totally unpredictable, I was still held in place by the progression of the story. My only dissapointment was in the ending. I felt there was just a little too much "undone business." I am almost anticipating a sequel! All in all, I would and have recommend this story to others.
Rating:
Summary: The children are the best part of this book
Review: They're well-developed and real. The author has a good ear for their dialogue (e.g., right after Ben goes missing, Vincent asks Beth a question, she ignores him, and so he tugs at her sleeve and says, "Mom, I asked you a thing.") And etc. Like many other readers, I couldn't stand Beth! It disgusted me that she became such a waste product that she could not (or WOULD not) mother her remaining two children. And that little obsession with Nick and the unrequited lust? Grow up and get over it already! Despite that, I liked the story. I liked seeing what the cbildren became in spite of their mother(s). Vincent and Candy were my favorite characters, and Sam's memory of the cedar chest and the ensuing discussion with Vincent was the best part of the book, to me. I think it's obvious the writer has 5 children, she has a very good sense of how they behave, not just with adults, but with each other.
Rating:
Summary: Calm down, everyone!
Review: Please calm down, everyone! Whoever said that Oprah had the knowedge, education, insight, instincts, to pick fine literature? Trust your own gut. And a book's appearance on any best-seller list does not mean that it's well-written, has good character development, likeable characters, or any decent plot; it just means that the book sold well. (Let's all think "The Bridges of Madison County"...thousands upon thousands of people bought and read that one, but that doesn't make it great literature!) I enjoyed this book (and, sorry to say, Beth reminds me of several mothers that I know)....but I wouldn't put it close to Dickens, Faulkner, Salinger, Marquez, Atwood, etc. That's why so many books are written...because people need to get different things from their reading at various times in their lives. Vive la difference!
Rating: 
Summary: Good title, but a very bad book
Review: I picked up this book because I was so intrigued by the title. It held such weight, I thought the book might have real depth and substance. Unfortunately, I was wrong. I despised Beth and her constant whining and selfishness. I was intrigued by Vincent, but wished his character had been developed beyond the stereotypical guilt-ridden "survivor" of a tragedy. The story-line amounted to nothing and kept going on and on in it's tedious rut. I continued reading the book in the hope that eventually someone in the book would wake up out of their stuper and do something memorable or notable or even just outrageous. Nobody ever did.
Rating:
Summary: I liked it.
Review: I'm always amazed at how disparate all these reader reviews are. For the most part, I really liked this book. It was incredibly depressing for most of the novel and I suppose that really isn't great for reviews; however, though I've never lost a child, I can't imagine the experience could be any less painful and horrendous for a family than was depicted here. Beth's not very likeable because there really isn't much left of her after her child disappears. Though a few of the characters were a little over the top (Candy Bliss, Nick what's-his-name) I liked the story. I thought the ending was hopeful. The book had emotion, mystery, humor, struggle, plot, various points of view, a different premise, interesting resolution. I definitely think it's worth reading if you like to read. I laughed. I cried. I give it an 8.
Rating:
Summary: DON'T BELIEVE THE KNOCKERS
Review: Don't read this book if you must have likeable characters or a mystery. However if you want a writer who understands how people really react in a crisis and who can translate that into believable fiction then this book is for you. She's also a terrific wordsmith. My only gripe is that the publisher gave away too much of the story in the blurb. Trust me -I hated The Horse Whisperer!
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