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Summary: one of the greatest novels i've ever read
Review: having heard so many wonderful things about this novel for nearly three years, i decided to crack into white oleander myself last week and i am speechless now. yes, this one of those few books that everything you are apt to read in the reviews is completely and positively true. after you finish reading the book, you will find yourself holding a book of kleenex in one hand and a cell phone in the other. after you had a great cry, you will be making quite a few phone calls to your friends, family, and anyone else you think might share your enthusiasm. you might even go the extent of recommending a group discussion be held for janet fitch's masterpiece. if you are oprah winfrey, you will simply dial the author with tears in your voice and ask her how is it that she writes so well. whatever you choose to do after reading the book, please know that will never forget astrid and this book will serve it's place in your memory for as long as you live. i have to admit that i am excited about seeing this film now and will be one of the first people in line when it hits the local cinema although i can't imagine the movie will begin to touch this EXTRAORDINARY book. janet fitch has fabricated a beautiful, intoxicating story which will remind one at times of oliver twist, the bell jar, and perhaps some novels by the late v.c. andrews although this book is far better than the books or writers i could mention. fitch has a writing style that i can't qui te place my finger on and i can only hope she continues to crank out more books like this one in the future. when reading this book, you can't help but to feel for the characters and you will definately be rooting for astrid until the last page of the novel. astrid's vivid, emotional rainstorm will leave you breathless and almost in state of shock as if you had lived through her experiences vicariously. unlike most popular fiction, white oleander is far more literary and poetic in it's lyrical vision than perhaps anything you are apt to find on the new york times bestseller list. this novel deserves to be placed in the modern classics section of your local bookstore quite frankly and this is a book i could see one day being required reading in high school or perhaps college. if you love great literature in a fresh unique voice, then pick this book up immediately. if you like reading what everyone else is reading, then pick this book up immediately. either way, you simply cannot go wrong. happy reading.
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Summary: Powerful and riveting...
Review: This novel was just exquisite. I loved everything about it...the writing was very sharp and poetic, the storyline was deep and engaging, the flow of the novel was very quick and rhythmic. White Oleander surprised me with its many fine points -- I highly recommend this book.Ingrid Magnussen, free-spirited poet and mother to 12-year-old Astrid, has finally done herself in. After being pursued by Barry, a man her total opposite, Ingrid does what she's always said is overrated -- falls in love. And Astrid, who is desperate for a family life, someone to take the place of her missing father, couldn't be happier. Suddenly things take a turn for the worse, however, when Barry's interest in Ingrid starts to wane. Ingrid, a fierce and fiery woman, cannot accept Barry's rejection and does what only comes natural to her -- she kills him. White Oleander is a novel of epic proportions, charting the journey of Astrid as she moves between foster homes and learns lessons about life. A somber, penetrating story of passion and power, weaknesses and desires, and the reality of what happens when anger comes before sanity and the destruction that is left behind. Excellent and truly wonderful.
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Summary: OMG What a Great Book!!
Review: This is one of the best memoir style-abuse related books I think I have read. You feel what the peron feels, see what the person sees. I would rate this book as up there with "Nightmares Echo" and "Running With Scissors". But I would also include "A Child Called It", "Lost Boy" and "Lucky: A Memoir".
What a powerful story this is....draws you in and keeps you there turning the pages through to the end. You will not believe the courage and determination...Amazing! If we could give higher than 5 stars...I certainly would!
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Summary: poetry at its best
Review: .... I ran out of reading materials, having just finished Lord of the Flies for school. I found Lord of the Flies to be magnificent, and figured that whatever book I read following it would probably not exceed William Golding's skill, but I was easily proven WRONG. Though White Oleander is difficult to read at times, the ringing poetry of Fitch's language will capture you from the very first page. The way the story weaves itself like a blossoming flower reminds me of the White Oleander that is so often mentioned in the book. Fitch creates characters that will never be forgotten, which lends to the magic of the tortured reality of the book. Astrid Magnussen's journey through countless foster homes molds her into someone that her mother, relentless poet Ingrid, cannot stand. While Ingrid attempts to brainwash Atrid from the prison she resides in, she finds it impossible to cage a phoenix. Ingrid is written with such depth that it is quite difficult for me to imagine her as a real person, though she opened up my world with the possibility that such people exist in the world. Astrid's bravery and courage often reminded me that life is worth living, despite hardships that will present themselves to you along your way. I think of Astrid often, incorporating her into my everyday life. My mind struggles to stretch around her, to comfort her, though she is not physically present. A character that powerful from such a poignant novel just cannot be cast aside. Fitch's White Oleander is poetry at its best, in prose form. This book is one you should NOT miss.
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Summary: Unforgettable- Janet Fitch is one to watch
Review: I don't wait with baited breath for Oprah to tell me what book to buy next. But, after hearing her proclaim "White Oleander" the best book she's ever read, you know I was mentally forced to get it. I'm so glad I did. Janet Fitch is a wonderful author-her use of similes and metaphors is amazing. We have Ingrid, a narcisstic, over-the-top mother whose daughter, Astrid, worships her and hangs on her every word. Unfortunately, Ingrid feels the defenition of being a mother stopped at actually pushing her baby out, because Astrid is pretty much cast to the four winds. The only wisdom this so-called "mom" is interested in imparting to her precious daughter is in the form of poetry and prose-like speech- "never let a man stay the night; dawn has a way of casting a pall on any night magic". Excuse me? After Ingrid is arrested and charged with poisoning her lover (using the poisonous white oleander flowers that grow everywhere around them); Astrid is shuttled from one bogus foster home to another. She is shot at, gets mauled by a pit bull, kept in a home where the refridgerator is padlocked and the girls practically starve, and is forced to sell clothes for the foster "mom" in one house. Where's the beauty of the novel?, you may ask. Unbelievably, Astrid manages to find at least one piece of beauty and/or wisdom in each home she stays at and that, eventually, will educate and shape the woman she is to become. Ingrid writes to her from prison, telling her not to complain about her foster homes. "If they're not beating you, consider yourself lucky", she writes. Hmmmph. I found myself wishing they'd have given this selfish woman the chair. If the storyline doesn't sell you, believe me, Janet Fitch's fabulous writing will. Defenitely a book you'll want on your shelf for years to come.
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Summary: White Oleander reviewed by Niki CRAWFORD
Review: The novel White Oleander is like a more extended version of story that can be found in a Chicken Soup novel full of stories that warm the soul. The author, Jane Fitch, does a wonderful job making the novel touching to the soul. Her themes mainly revolve around the search for one's self and the relationship between mother and daughter. The main character in the novel is Astrid, who is very young and grows up having to overcome difficult times. Astrid loved her mother and admired her, but all that changed when her mother let a man break her heart. Ingrid, Astrid's mother, eventually killed her boyfriend. She was sentenced to prison for life, leaving Astrid to grow up in a series of homes. The relationship between Astrid and her mother changes many times through out the novel. Astrid only wants to know that her mom loves her. Astrid also wants to have the satisfaction of her mother admitting that she was wrong to commit murder and leave her daughter alone. Through out the novel Astrid and her mother send each other letters which only contain their arguments to each other. Jane Fitch created a mother daughter relationship that certainly left you wondering if they would ever come to good terms with one another. In the novel Astrid goes to a variety of different homes. Every home she experiences is different and she learns a lesson from each one. With each home, Astrid takes on the characteristics of different people. Her first placement home was with a woman named Starr who exposed Astrid to religion, which led Astrid to try and be religious, which her mother didn't approve of. Astrid seems to get herself into trouble though, which forces her to be moved to another home. Next she is thrown into a home where she meets a prostitute and then decides to try it out and see what it's like. Eventually, Astrid is moved to another home where she is forced to dig out of a trash can in order to keep herself fed. Astrid eventually gets herself moved into a nice foster family. Her new foster mother Claire shows love towards Astrid, which makes Astrid's mother jealous. At this home, Astrid does well in school and wears some of the top clothing brands, but the good times couldn't go on forever. Astrid is convinced that her mother manipulated Claire in some way, which led to Claire commit suicide. Astrid is eventually almost 18 and is sick of being moved around so much. She lets a careless women take her in. Here, Astrid turns into a gothic teen and gets involved with illegal drugs. Through out the story you question whether or not Astrid will ever find out who she is and what kind of person she wants to be. Janet Fitch writes very well written similes and metaphors through out the book. Many poems are used also. It all adds to the emotional effect that the book has on you. Reading about someone's quest to fine them selves and the struggles between a mother and daughter is really touching and Janet Fitch does an excellent job with bringing out all the emotions. This is defiantly a book I would read twice. The novel really puts you through one person's experience and it's very interesting and exciting. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes a good novel about a search for one's self and struggles between mothers and daughters.
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Summary: Incredible tale of dysfunction gone worse
Review: For the first time I'm having trouble writing a review of a book. The reason for this is simple: I'm still blown away by this "gift" of a novel that Janet Fitch has bestowed upon us. WHITE OLEANDER is by far, one of the most riveting reads I've ever come across, and what makes this great book so intriguing is not only the story, but the writing. Astrid is the main focus of this remarkable book, and her journey through myriad foster homes is just amazing. Fitch could easily have written a book on each one of Astrid's separate travels, but has chosen instead to give us a collection of them, interweaving them into this family (or sometimes lack thereof) tale of dysfunction and horror. Not since Jackson McCrae's BARK OF THE DOGWOOD has there been a portrait of so damaged a group of people, especially the mother in WHITE OLEANDER. Ingrid, the mother in this book, is at once over the top and yet believable. There have been several other books written about the lack of nurturing in motherhood, but this one draws the most disturbing portrait to date. Oprah almost lost me a while back with some of her questionable picks for books, but I have to say that she was right on the mark with this one.
Rating: 
Summary: White Oleander
Review: White Oleander is a book that follows one young women's struggle to come of age in spite of the many hardships she encounters. The book starts when the main character, Astrid Magnussen, is twelve. She has been raised by her single mother, Ingrid Magnussen, a very self centered poet, who works at forming her daughter with the same care and detachment she used in forming her poetry. Astrid's life changes dramatically when her mother kills her ex-boyfriend earning herself a life in prison and sentencing her years of hopping from foster home to foster home. Astrid must learn how to survive in this new environment, according to the rules of each home. During this time, she gets attached to anyone who will show her the least bit of attention, but with each heartbreak and each physical trauma Astrid learns to become more and more independent. Throughout the book Astrid attempts to figure out who she is and where she came from. Astrid is a very likable girl. She grew up traveling around the world, fed on poetry and schooled by her mothers free willing example. The problem with White Oleander is that it asks readers to empathize with a character they don't really understand. Astrid's mother Ingrid is even more difficult to comprehend. She is the most selfish and uncaring maternal figure I've ever read about in literature. Astrid relates tragedy after tragedy to her mother, and receives in return poetic letters commanding her to savor her pain, as it will make her a stronger artist. Another reason White Oleander makes for a painful reading is that Astrid is subjected to a awful series of abuses at the foster homes she is placed in. She is shot by her foster mother in one home, starved in another, and attacked by dogs in the third. In the end the reader is forced to swallow the idea that this abuse did not permanently harm Astrid but only make her stronger.
I liked the novel a great deal. It taught a lot of lessons and morals.
Rating:
Summary: Well worth the read
Review: Great "crazy mother" book. HIghly recommended. Also recommend "Liar's Club", "Sights Unseen", "An Egg on Three Sticks", "The Queen of Sheba."
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Summary: Mother-daughter relationship at its most complex
Review: The book explores the complexities of the mother daughter relationship as well as the downfall of the foster care system. Astrid (a 13 year old girl) is shown going through many foster care experiences after her mother is sent to jail for killing her lover. Throughout a span of years, Astrid grows and changes with the help of the various characters she meets in the system. She grows and changes but always hears the voice of her mother. No matter how much time has passed or how much has happened, Astrid says "my compass always points west" toward her mother. Wonderful novel showing how evern the most beautiful things can be the most poisonous and deadly. Highly recommend!!
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