White Oleander: A Novel

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Summary: Incredibly poetic
Review: As a poet, I found this novel to be completely inspiring. Every girl and woman can identify with Astrid as she is placed in foster home after foster home. Though it can be depressing, it illustrates and focuses on various type of pain during the teenage years. What I found particulary good is how the author would compare a character I had forgotten to someone and the comparison would be right on the mark. The characters are sharp and believeable.

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Summary: White Oleander
Review: I found this to be a very moving book after I got into it. I confess I almost abandoned it when the focus was still on the self-absorbed mother and her "poetic" way of viewing life. But once the focus moved to others in the daughter's life -- all of whom were more accessible and multi-dimensional characters -- the book just kept getting better and better.

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Summary: Poetic prose
Review: I recommend this book highly. Not only is it a gut-wrenching story that flows beautifully, but it is superbly written. I found myself going over sentences and paragraphs just because they were so well-written. The story is tough, but it wouldn't have been true or believeable had the author skimmed over the "hard" parts, i.e. child molestation. But it was handled fairly and evenhandedly. Well-worth reading and then some. I'd give it a six if I could!

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Summary: compelling yet too thin
Review: I found this book had a similar problem to Wally Lamb's "i know this much is true" lots of story, plenty of characters, lots of style, but not enough substance. Nonetheless, it's worth reading because it's enjoyable, entertaining and has a few moments of beauty. Not enough to hold it together though.

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Summary: white oleander: A Novel
Review: This book was wonderfully written, and it really pulled me into the plot. I felt myself feeling sorry for the main character, or getting angry when she was mistreated, sad when she was sad. This book had many hidden lessons to learn. A must read!

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Summary: One of the best books I've read
Review: I LOVED this book. I work with foster children and am in the mental health field by profession. I read this book due to the nature of its plot (foster homes/children etc). Astrid the central character has many of the same qualities as the children I work with (depression, suicide attempts, love/hate stance towards parent). I could not put this book down. I read it about a month ago and every single character rings clear as a bell in my memory. You will never forget this book. The characters are so deep and carefully constructed. I've read other souther literature: Ya Ya Sisterhood, Redkneck way of Knowledge, Crazy Ladies, and more. But this is by far the best book. New Orleander is a lovely book and you will regret the time you will close the book when you get to the last page. You will mourn the death of a friend. READ THIS BOOK!

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Summary: White Oleander
Review: This book was difficult to put down, very entertaining. I hope the foster home program is better than depicted in the book. I hope this author publishes more!

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Summary: Enjoyable summer read
Review: Janet Fitch's rich imagery and flowing descriptions are at times a little too drawn out but the plot and well developed characters make the book hard to put down. My sister just become a foster mother and unfortunately "Astrid's" life experience is not unique. Sometimes depressive...but it's a book that you'll think about long after the last page.

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Summary: realistically thought-provoking
Review: I do believe that this was one of the most beautiful books that I have ever read. As the story unfolds you begin to feel the emotions of Astrid as she travels from one home to another. You celebrate in her joys and are deeply saddend in her despair. Her journey will make you laugh and cry simultaneously as if you were right there with her. The plot will captivate you from page one until you finally finish. However you musn't completely go by what I say, pick up a copy for yourself and see what you think!

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Summary: Too easy to put down...
Review: If you have limited reading time and you have read every Oprah book, this is perfect for you. I found this book too easy to put down... easy to only read on weekends. I was relieved when it was over.