Rating: 
Summary: Unrealistic and overly dramatic
Review: Just as many of the movie reviews have likened the film to a soap opera, I would agree that the same can be said for the novel. The story seems unrealistic and overly dramatic to me. The mother has no redeeming qualities and is infuriating in her desire to control/destroy her daughter. I read the novel because I like to read the book before seeing the movie. The novel took away my desire to see the film.
Rating:
Summary: The good news and the bad news
Review: Ingrid Magnussen works by day and gives poetry readings by night. She lives with her daughter, Astrid, in Los Angeles. Ingrid is relentlessly pursued by Barry Kolker--not her usual type, and to her daughter's surprise and relief, Ingrid finally allows Barry into their lives. Ingrid imagines life with Barry as her step-dad. She imagines that a step-father would help create and provide the structure and permanance her life lacks, and for a while, it looks as though Barry might be the answer to Astrid's problems.Things abruptly turn sour. Barry tires of Ingrid, but she's not ready to let go. After Barry cruelly makes it perfectly clear that he has used Ingrid, she methodically and ruthlessly, takes revenge. This book is narrated by Astrid. Now this is a 12 year-old Astrid when Barry appears, and as this Bildungsroman develops, Astrid passes from what remains of her childhood, into her teens, and by the end of the novel, Astrid is a young woman. Now the bad news..... In my opinion, this novel has two major faults.... Fault #1-The writer uses far too many similes and metaphors. This interfered with the story, and I found it rather annoying. Fault #2-The "voice" of 12 year-old Astrid is not authentic. For example, when she begins her FIRST sexual experience, she says to Ray "I'm a fish swimming by, Ray," and then whispers that Ray should catch her if he can manage it. This is hardly the way a 12 year old virgin would approach a man in his 50s!! At this point, I should add, Astrid has had NO sexual experience--not even with her teddy bear. And the first encounter involves her stripping for her lover, sex in several positions, and no fear whatsoever!! I found it a little odd that the first foster home was the most dangerous--the others seemed mild in comparison. Also, I got the niggling feeling that the abuses that Astrid suffered were spread out before the reader. Abuses popped up, disappeared, but were replaced by others. We had marauding gangs of loose dogs roaming the streets, under-age sex, starvation, drugs. Astrid even turns "a trick." Indeed, Fitch seems to put one abuse before the reader, and then discards it, and moves on to the next one... Fitch seemed more "comfortable" with the book after she got over the sensationalism of the first 200 pages. Now the good news.... Fitch created marvellous characters!! My favourite was Rena, the Russian. Fitch's characters were well-drawn and memorable. This is a book that is difficult to put down. Fitch wrote a wonderful ending--it was brave, honest, and unforgettable.
Rating: 
Summary: A a masterful story, full of twists and turns ... loved it!
Review: As raw, ragging and heart wrenching novel as I have ever read. By fluke, I grabbed 'White Oleander' off a "trade-a-book" shelf, in a hostel in Peru. By noon I was entangled and engrossed in the struggling, teenage world of Astrid. Abandoned both physically and psychologically by Ingrid, her mother, first by intention, then murder, Astrid, via multiple foster care homes, seeks survival, self-awareness and love. Her journey brings her to face her to her own underworld, her mother's netherworld and finally to construct her own world. Janet Fitch tells a masterful story, full of twists and turns, but the story is never convoluted. Motherhood, a complicated and difficult subject at best, is dissected and the properties of it are examined via the characters of the various foster care mothers that Ingrid is forced to live with. But, always, as a constant contrast, motherhood is laid out against the dark and
deficient character of Astrid's own murderous and diabolical mother. This extraordinary novel deserves all the raves, awards and acclaims that it received and it deserves to be read. Highly Recommended.
Rating:
Summary: One of My Favorites
Review: I read this book as soon as it came out in paperback and it still remains one of my favorites. I love the adjectives that Janet Fitch uses to describe everything from her mother to the color of the sky. It's definitely one book that I will read again.
Rating:
Summary: An exceptional novel
Review: Have you ever read a story so beautifully written that the plot was almost secondary? White Oleander reminds me of Angela's Ashes by Frank McCourt. The plot deals with gritty themes of a child growing up in the midst of unspeakable adversity who develops an incredible inner strength that enables her transcend her horrific adolescence. The prose is so lyrical I found myself marking my favorite passages and reading them to my friends. This is one of the most beautifully written novels I've ever read.
Rating:
Summary: Enthralling...but depressing
Review: I found this book extrememly interesting, and it flowed almost like a soap opera. There are several episodes of Astrid's life included in this coming-of-age novel. The character development was excellent, you could almost see (and smell) the characters according to Fitch's detailed descriptions. However, I found that Astrid was a difficult character to call a heroine because she was inconsistently brave and weak. At times she seemed worn down into resignation, other times she seemed resolved and stronger by her experiences. I was a bit disappointed in the end to find her still so wishy-washy about life and men. However, I can't help but think that the author intended to end the book on an uncertain note- no happily ever after. This book is definitely well-written and a page-turner, but don't look for Astrid to be some kind of role model or inspiring character, because her role appears to be the eternal victim.
Rating: 
Summary: My Thoughts on White Oleander
Review: I have just finished reading the book, White Oleander, by Janet Fitch. I selected this novel because it was the #1 National Bestseller and it was recommended by Oprah's Book Club. Also, it had outstanding reviews. I wanted to read a novel that would nourish a woman's soul, and I think this book fit that criteria.
This novel chronicled the life of a young girl, Astrid, stressing her relationship with her mother, Ingrid. Ingrid was put in jail convicted of murder, which left Astrid homeless. Astrid was put into foster care and throughout the book she lived in several different homes. She had to become part of different families and adjust to different lives. We moved with her from one place to another and saw how she interacted with other people. We saw the lessons that Astrid learned from every place she went. We also saw her general outtake on life. The main idea of this novel was the influence that Ingrid had on her daughter.
I think Janet Fitch did an excellent job in writing this novel, especially since it was her first one. She paid great attention to detail and opened up all of my senses while I read. Some parts were a little slow, but most of the time I was very interested. Overall, I would say that this is a great book. I would recommend it to anyone who would like to read a light-hearted, yet touching novel. I am truly looking forward to Janet Fitch's next novel.
Rating:
Summary: Engaging and magnificent
Review: I bought this book months before the movie started to advertise on TV, but as soon as I saw the generic and silly looking trailer, I knew I had to read the book before I formed any opinions about the story. Needless to say, it was excellent. Fitch has a distinctive voice; her diverse characters and the poetic expression of her words were unbelievabaly intriguing in light of today's mass-market productions. Her words were a breath of fresh air.
I have never felt so connected to any other character; Fitch's ability to transport the reader into the mind Astrid, the main character, is amazing.
I will definitely look forward to reading more of her masterpieces.
Rating:
Summary: Love, Loyalty, Survival, Life
Review: When reading White Oleander by Janet Fitch you are brought into a world that most authors could not capture in this way. You experience the love, envy and compassion that Astrid has for her mother, Ingrid. You are also brought to almost envy Ingrid yourself. Her beauty is compared to an, "edge of a very sharp knife." Beauty was Ingrid's, "Law, her religion. You could do anything you wanted, as long as you were beautiful, as long as you did things beautifully. If you weren't, you just didn't exist."(pg.11) Ingrid drummed this belief into Astrid's head over and over. After Ingrid poisons her lover with white oleander she is sentenced to life in prison leaving Astrid to experience the roller coaster world of foster care. Astrid is left to forge her own personality despite the presence of the strong willed women who come along in her life. Weather it's a jealous born again Christian, a con-women, or well-off wife of a TV producer Astrid learns how to become her own person despite the changes and influences she is forced to go through. It is an adventure to experience these different settings with Astrid and learn how she deals with each different situation. This is a story that is both Haunting and Heartwarming. It is a story about life, love, loyalty, survival and the need for a place to belong.
Rating:
Summary: A Young Girl's Journey
Review: When I first picked up White Oleander, I had no idea that this novel would take me on such a fascinating journey. Astrid's story is truly one of courage, strength, and beauty. Fitch's use of simile and metaphor will draw you in almost instantly, and you will be captivated until the last page. White Oleander tells the story of a young girl named Astrid, who was placed in foster care after her mother, a poet, kills her former boyfriend using the poison of white oleanders. Her journey takes us from the slums to a beautiful home in Hollywood. As she goes through each home, she learns a little more about herself, and tries to escape from her mother, who is still attempting to control her every move, even from prison. Astrid, however, will not allow herself to stay in her mother's grips, and she does everything she can to become her own person and get away from her mother's fatal grips. She encounters many other characters who teach her how to survive in life all on her own, and in their own way, help her to become the woman she is meant to be. On the surface, this novel is a gritty and honest story of living as a foster chld, but beneath the surface, it is the beautiful, moving story of a young girl struggling to find herself. Fitch's poetic style brings this story to life, takes the reader to many different worlds, and teaches us all a lesson about life: we must never allow ourselves to be stifled by the negative things present in our world, but take those negative experiences and turn them into a source of strength and creativity.
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