Rating: 
Summary: Mixed emotions
Review: Well, I will say that I do feel a great deal of mixed emotions after reading this novel. You may be a bit tired of similes and metaphors after reading the book, but let me add one more: reading this book is a painful shot in the arm that you can't wait to be over and done with. You feel a little relief and realize that it was necessary, but, my gosh, did it have to be so painful.
The book is sad and dreary, but I did find Astrid to be an intriguing character that one could actually "pull" for while reading. (Although, we already know that nothing good is going to come. Astrid always forewarns us of upcoming danger each time it is about to happen). Her self-discovery through the various foster homes in Los Angeles and the picture she paints with each episode is a life lesson. But, like others who have reviewed have noted, this does seem to be a stereotyped portrayel of ruthless and mean-spirited foster parents who always betray Astrid either physically, emotionally or psychologically. (Are foster homes really that bad?)
I felt a lack of compassion for Ingrid. Ingrid was quite annoying, with her "I'm better than the world" attitude about everything, her artistic and poetic expressions to justify murder and self-centeredness. I wished Astrid would have just told her to "shut up" and walked out of her life, but it never happened.
I realize there is a lesson to be learned, and I know the book's main focus is self-discovery and survival, but it was quite a long journey. And a sad one.
Rating: 
Summary: Wow
Review: This book is amazing! It gets a little explicit in some parts, (some things that could be left to the imagination and don't need great description to add to the storyline), but it's still very enjoyable. Astrid's journey is well written, if a little unbelievable. Each phase of her life brings new, vibrant characters, and each is eventually left behind. As the protagonist grows, however, she takes a part of each home along with her. Astrid deals with issues of abuse, suicide, alcohol, drugs, prostitution, attempted murder, actual murder, and an older man/teenage girl sexual relationship- and while i'm sure these things probably have happened from time to time in foster homes, it's a little hard to believe they all happen to one girl in the span of 8 or 9 years.even so, each little segment is vividly described, and the whole picture is breathtaking. it's definately a good read
Rating: 
Summary: Good but somewhat trite.
Review: This book was interesting with the situation of Astrid's mother killing her ex-boyfriend which forces Astrid to go into a series of dysfunctional foster homes. First her relationship with one of her foster mothers' boyfriend almost gets her killed, another foster mother dies from suicide and another foster mother treats her like a slave. At first it was interesting, but I quickly became annoyed because Astrid never seems to learn from her actions because of her innocence which causes her to get into bad situations almost constantly.
Rating:
Summary: A One-of-a-Kind Masterpiece
Review: First, the vain yet extraordinarily talented poet. A mother with golden hair yet an anything but golden heart. A murderer with a promise she couldn't keep, despair driving her to seek vengeance of a kind no one could imagine. Second, the innocent and artistic young girl. The daughter of hate, arrogance, and genius with everything to overcome. She is lost in her chaotic world with no one to guide her out of the dark which swallows her and drags her down to the pits of Hell. White Oleander is a masterpiece about these two women: Mother and daughter, each in their own battle for freedom yet each of a different kind. When Ingrid (the mother) poisons her ex-boyfriend, she is sent away to prison, leaving Astrid (her 13 year-old daughter) to fend for herself through a series of horrible foster homes, each involving tragedy. Only her love of painting can bring her through the difficult times she is faced with. One of the foster mothers called Starr is extremely religious, yet it is ironic how she wears miniskirts and low-cut shirts while she praises the Lord's name. Astrid is immediately attracted to Starr's boyfriend, who is the only person who has every really shown any affection for her and they eventually become seriously involved with each other. When Starr finds out, she becomes furious and in her rage and sends her away. The next foster home she stays at treat her like dirt and force her to be their maid, while Astrid finds comfort with the seemingly-flawless prostitute Olivea next door. Astrid finds her self following the guilt-ridden path that Olivea took and because Astrid visits Olivea so much, the foster family she is staying with turns her away. Astrid travels from family to family until she finds Claire, a struggling actress, and her husband. Then, disaster strikes in a caring household and Astrid turns her back on the only love she has ever known. As Astrid journey's through time and place in a search to find herself and not become her mother's daughter, the reader finds themself almost knowing the character personally. I love this book more than life itself and this book is a must-read for anyone who considers themself an 'avid reader.' Thank you Janet Finch!
Rating:
Summary: Glenn Coine Bak Middle School of the Arts
Review: Opening this book was like opening the door to an unknown soul; full of misery and mistrust. Fitch tells a heart-wrenching, tear-jerking, and thought-provoking tail of girl forced to grow up too fast. "The future was a white fog into which I would vanish, unmarked by the flourish of a rustling taffeta blue and gold. No mother to guide me." In reading this and the myriad of other poetic metaphors filling this book, chills shot down my spine. As I read, Fitch's words seeped through me like the poison of oleanders; affecting and intertwining her characters unpredictably. Her investigations of a vulnerable youth's reality lead me to question my own environment, and to discover more efficient ways to approach imperfections. And her vast exploration of the human heart and mind was both informative and beautiful. With her artful and detailed writing style, her story never failed to intrigue and entertain me. I must say that White Oleander was in every possible aspect one of the best books I have ever read.
Rating:
Summary: No Wilting Flower
Review: Janet Fitch weaves a world alternating in bright colors and dark pools of emptiness. The characters are each unique and vividly described. Reading it makes one feel kindred in spirit with the words on the paper...especially with Astrid. As long as you can trust Astrid's strong spirit to prevail through the blank pages after the incomplete ending, then this is a book for any poet, lover, sister, mother, or simply human trying to connect to something in this world.
Rating:
Summary: From innocence she flys
Review: Astrid, a thirteen year old teenage girl, is bumped from trailer park to trailer park and house to house during her teenage years. After her mother is thrown in jail, Astrid must learn to live without her and learn to change who she is. As she moves from home to home, her innocence is slowly lost. She goes from being a blonde hair, blue eyed school girl, to a dark haired tough Artist. Through her change Astrid realizes who she really wants to be. Astrid also realizes how much she dislikes her mother and how her mother will do anything to keep her child unhappy. Janet Fitch did an amazing job with her debut novel. It kept me hooked from cover to cover, there was never a dull page or moment. She wrote about so many various topics all connected into one Child. It is an incredible novel about one young girl, whoi is forced to grow up in an unfriendly enviornment of Foster Care. I would highly reccommend this book because of the intense subjects Janet mentions and also the suspense each page contains.
Rating:
Summary: Someone call the simile police!
Review: Ms. Fitch obviously thinks she is quite the writer, but her overuse of comparisons is amateurish and annoying. One example: "I am hypnotized by keys, thick fistfuls of them, I can taste their acid galvanization, more precious than wisdom." This is the worst mixed metaphor I have ever heard, and it doesn't even make any sense. There are many more throughout the book. The other infuriating annoyance in this book is the author's use of commas when there should be a period or semicolon instead. The book is full of run-on sentences that show poor editing. Maybe I am being a grammar Nazi, but mistakes like this hurt the author's credibility. If she can't master the English language, then in my opinion her book is not worth reading.
I have to admit that this book was a page-turner despite its wildly unbelievable situations and badly-turned dialogue. The ending was anticlimactic, however. The best part of the book is the chapters where Astrid lives with Rena Grushenka. I agree with many other reviewers that Astrid is a strangely unsympathetic character; no matter how hard I tried, I could not conjure up any feelings for her or her plight. I give two stars because of the characterization and poetic descriptions.
Rating: 
Summary: Lacks true grit
Review: Let me caution you....this books runs a distant third to a luke warm bath with NO bubbles. It drones on and on and weighs the reader down with teenage self pity. The mother in this story is truly egocentric and pitiful with her "poetic banterings." I kept reading it, hoping for a light at the end of the long, dreary tunnel...there was none.....don't waste your precious time on this foolishness.
Rating:
Summary: White Oleander
Review: One of the best books I have ever read. It's just one of those Novels
that you absorb.
Certainly I consider
"White Oleander" to a page turner
as I couldn't put it down.
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