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Summary: Learning about Astrid
Review: This story follows Astrid, a pre-teen girl through her life in foster homes. Her mother, Ingrid, killed her lover and is now in jail for life. Through this compelling story of Astrid's life you learn that no matter how much she truely tries she can never get away from her mother. I thought that the book showed the changes of life through foster homes and how different life is when you do not have a stable family, but I thought that the book was missing something. I know that many people have enjoyed this book and that was why I choose to read it, but I thought that you needed to get rid of Ingrid to really see Astrid. Everytime you thought Astrid was going to come into her own, somehow her mother popped into her life again. I think Finch missed her mark by a little bit with this book. Still very compelling though.
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Summary: A Masterpiece Composed Of Tragic And Haunting Beauty
Review: I had the privelege of meeting the author, Janet Fitch, casually, accidentally during a rummage sale. This was years ago, before she had written the novel "White Oleander" and before the film was released. She is a woman with keen perception of human nature, with brilliant intellect and literary knowledge. Her first novel is a masterpiece composed of tragic and haunting beauty. The novel follows the life of the artistic, emotional Astrid, the daughter of a single mother, Ingrid, who is a sensational character. Ingrid claims descent from Vikings, some say an excuse for her violent and erratic behavior. Ingrid extracted revenge on an unfaithful boyfriend, Barry, through his murder with poison oleander. Ingrid is put in prison, but continues to communicate with her daughter through short visitations and letters.Astrid's journey is a classic coming-of-age story, retold in a highly realistic, modern fashion. Astrid is taken from foster home to foster home, each woman who cares for her a strong survivor in her own right (i.e. the prostitute). Astrid learns how to survive, but her intensity subsides with the nurturing and loving relationships she develops with all of these "foster" mothers. The book is well written, with engrossing imagery, with fatalism, with provoking prose. Janet Fitch is a truly gifted writer and we hope to see more of her works in the future.
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Summary: Amazing!
Review: Why this book has only averaged 4 stars on the review board here, I can not even begin to imagine. It is truly a 5 star work of art. For those of you R&B fans out there, if you had to pick a song to accompany this novel, it would be "Emotional Rollercoaster" by Vivian Greene. Why...because that is exactly what Astrid's life was. I wanted so much for Astrid, and just when I thought she'd finally get it...BAM...here comes another blow. How does Astrid endure all that she must live through? Well, I think that question is answered best by Astrid herself, who recognizes and CHOOSES not to allow herself to be a victim, but to learn from every situation and come out a Survivor. Pick this one up and you won't want to put it down.
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Summary: Don't stop reading it...
Review: This book took me about 30 pages to really get into but after I did, I couldn't get it out of my mind. The characters were very well defined and I learned to identify with both Astrid and her daughter. The relationship between a mother and a daughter can be tough, at best. Astrid's manipulation is evident but her daughters reaction to it is what keeps you reading. What a great book! Definately read this before you see the movie. You won't regret it!
Rating: 
Summary: a sensory experience
Review: What I liked most about this book was the prose. I liked how Fitch described scenes so vividly you felt you were staring through the window. This was especially true of the scenes with Olivia and Claire. However, the plot was too contrived. I agree with some readers that there were too many metaphors and too many cliches, especially of beautiful women being thin and elegant and having a distinguishing smell. I kept expecting the Chanel No. 5 woman to show up. Fitch does a good job of showing the reader how Astrid changes from a 12 year-old naive girl to a cynical 20-something, but Fitch's writing of Astrid's suffering seemed layered. One horrible scene piled on top of another without causing any permanent damage. My recommendation is enjoy the writing and look beyond the plot.
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Summary: JANET FITCH, ARE YOU AFRAID?
Review: I loved this book.... and really didn't expect to find it so compelling. I thought the writing was beautiful. I've never been a knowlegable fan of poetry, but an avid reader, ...enchanted with the written word, when done well... since I was a child. I know this is a strange comparison, but when reading this book, it made me remember reading "Heidi" as a child. To this day, I can vividly picture Heidi and her grandfather toasting cheese over the fire, eating it with crusty bread. I can smell the Alps, the flowers, feel Clara's lightness, and the Grandfather's love beneath the rough exterior. This is how I felt reading "White Oleander." I savored the writing as I do fine cuisine, carefully prepared, creatively inspired, lovingly served. I would read the lines over and over feeling their beauty as if it were something tangible. Ms. Fitch put so much thought into each sentence, each emotion, and I believe she expressed it with insight, intelligence and creativity. To compare feelings with seaweed? It would never have crossed my mind... but it so perfectly expained Astrid's mindset at the time... the green, the tangling, strangling vines, floating. I felt Astrid age, mature, however much she was hampered by circumstance...how she managed to display the childlike thoughts confused with, poisoned or wisened, maybe both, with the maturity that was thrust upon her...the perplexity between the chilishness and the wisdom that were both beyond her years, at times inappropriately young, and conversely too old. I have no idea how Ms. Fitch was able to so profoundly express these deep complexities that resided inside this unusual chararcter. The story? Not really that exciting or novel as stories go...however, what I found amazing is that she took this subject matter and molded it into what I perceive as a beautiful work of art. Now, Ms. Janet Fitch, are you afraid? Why have you followed this work with nothing else? There is always more inside of you. Take the leap, lady!
Rating:
Summary: A young girl's journey through tragedy
Review: This book concerns a young girl's treacherous journey through foster homes. Her mother is imprisoned for murdering a lover who dumped her. The story of Astrid's journey is thrilling, yet a bit 'Hollywood-ish'. ...gave this book the 'middle of the road review'. While I grippingly read this book in two days, it left me wondering not how it would end, but if it would end. When it did, I was a bit disappointed, though I'm not sure why. It just seemed to lack something. That some of the customers didn't like the evil mother's character (Ingrid) gives us some insight into how successful Fitch was in creating a truly absymal character. She fully succeeded in creating a loathsome mother/person in Ingrid. We've all known people like her. So, it was a bit disappointing when she tore down the character that she spent over half the book building up into a monster. Additionally, some of the trials and tribulations that Astrid faced are a bit far-fetched and self-prophesized. While they may be metaphorical for her predictament, they went a bit over the top for one young person to experience in the face of about a year or so. Although, I did like that the author didn't put Astrid in a string of bad moves. At least the poor girl experienced some good in her life to help her grow. The other characters were fairly well developed. Some reviews have complained that the book was 'too flowery' with prose and similes and metaphors. Admittedly, the book would have been much shorter without all of the similes; some, I felt were pertinent to the story and/or the characters. Those that weren't, I could easily skip over. In short, the extrapolations from the plot did not bother me. All in all, I think the book was fairly well-written and researched. It is an exceptional book for a first-time published writer. Janet Fitch shows great promise for producing excellent books in the future. It's worth giving her a chance.
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Summary: the greatest book i have ever read!
Review: this was one of my favorite books i have ever read, and i plan to reread again too! it was a lot better than the movie.
Rating: 
Summary: Waste of time...ridiculous!
Review: After laboring for 300+ pages, I'm going to give my review without even finishing it, even though I'm so close to the end. I can't believe I wasted so much time trying - really trying to see what everyone found so compelling! First, as many reviewers have stated - there are too many similes. Do you really need to take up half pages and pages filled with 50 million adjectives to describe one thing - literally going on and on about how something looked or smelled that has absolutely nothing to do with the plot. One reviewer commented that it seems like Janet Fitch is showing off - and were it true, I would be embarrassed to be Janet. It's a really poor attempt to make it artistic. Second - and most importantly - this story is completely unbelievable. Please stop here if you haven't read the book in order not to give it away. The fact that Astrid was involved in a statutory rape situation and then shot - near fatal wounds - without any repercussions is absurd. That she continues to float through different foster homes without any investigation of this incident- etc., etc. - is pure fantasy - not just fiction! Third - not one single character in the book has any redeeming qualities. Astrid, herself, is cold, boring, antisocial and unlikeable - just like her mother. Nothing makes this girl happy, one day drags into the next. Even Claire, whom you think would be this ray of light at first - kisses Astrid??? Huh? It's predictable how she turned out to be as crazy as the rest. And when Claire died, how Astrid changed her clothes and sat with the dead body near an entire day, talking to her and brushing her hair??? WHAT??? I like fiction, but I can't recommend this book. Reading the reviews, it seems like there are some really die-hard Oprah fans out there. The rest of us are telling the truth without the rose colored glasses.
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Summary: Disturbing, a mythical tragedy
Review: This book seems so over the top by the victimization of the young girl, Ingrid. Yet, I'm convinced by the mastery of Fitch's storytelling she hasn't created a voyueristic, sadistic novel with an innocent girl destroyed. Fitch has redeemed the awful brutality by somehow successfully elevating Ingrid into a whole, healed, fully functional young woman. Janet Fitch has to be an exceptional author to accomplish this.
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