Rating: 
Summary: Poetic Excellence; Far-Fetched Story Telling
Review: This book is the equivalent of a two-hundred-plus page poem, for the text is wistful, metaphorical and languid. Other than how beautifully it is written, the gnarled, diminutive plot takes suspension of disbelief to swallow all the circumstances and events following the climax. White Oleander, put simply, is the coming-of-age tale of a young girl separated from her mother by imprisonment for a hideous crime, and the tribulations she must endure to find her crumbling identity in a corrupt society. Though the book is lyrical and rhythmic in its amorous decree, the tale is heart-breaking and morose with its many tragedies and unrelenting focus on the struggle to survive in a cruel world. It all begins with a lover scorned, Ingrid Magnussen, a meditative, sharp-tongued poet with a touch of evil lurking in the pit of her stomach. She is enamored by the most unlikely of men and becomes passionate towards his nature, oblivious to the fact that she is not the only woman in his life. When she discovers her boyfriend's random activities, she concocts a deadly poison derived from the very title of the novel while her daughter Astrid (the main character) looks on in quiet contemplation. Soon after her lover's death, she is promptly arrested and sent to prison, leaving Astrid a helpless orphan without the vaguest conception of the consequences of her mother's actions. From this point, Astrid is moved to and from three different foster residences, each one leaving more tragedy behind than the previous home. She is scarred for life by the bullet of a jealous lover, marred by a crazed canine, captivated by the lifestyle of a neighborly prostitute and gains a sense of control over the hypnotic power her mother casts in the poisoning letters she recurrently writes from the confinements of her cell. I do not give four stars for the unbelievably outlandish plot, but simply for the bravery of Janet Fitch for a first novel with this context and the intelligence and imagination incorporated into her writing. May she be just as creative and triumphant with her second piece, and may we bless her with a five-star rating when it hits the shelves of Barnes and Noble, B. Dalton et.al worldwide.
Rating:
Summary: beautifully written and haunting
Review: Janet Fitch's novel is written with extreme vocabulary and feeling. As I read the book, which I had a hard time putting down, I began to feel like I knew Astrid or wanted to know her, help her, love her. The story line is a mother who murders her lover who spurns her for various women. As a result, Astrid is forced into random foster homes where she is treated merciless and loveless until she meets one who will change the way she views her life forever. Try as she might, Astrid cannot shake her visions of her early life with her mother and bad memories. Poignant ending and fabulous story. I reccommend this wholeheartedly.
Rating: 
Summary: I couldn't put it down!
Review: One of the best books I have ever read. Janet Fitch is a very descriptive and imaginative writer, I only wish I knew what else she wrote. The story takes you through the eyes of a teenager girl and her roller coaster life. I grew very fond of her character and the experiences she had. A must read!
Rating:
Summary: "the possibility of fixed stars"
Review: this can simply be described as the most amazing book i have ever read. the character of astrid touched my heart permanently. this story unfolds beautifully and most of all, it's never truly perfect, it's always bittersweet. the characters are all flawed, which usually attracts me in a major way. at one point, i read the last paragraph of a certain chapter and cried. i simply bawled and bawled, because the story just hit so hard. i truly suggest reading it. do it for yourself, it will change you forever.
Rating:
Summary: A eye opener
Review: Janet Finth keeps you on the edge of your seat with her book, White Oleander. It gives you an eye opening view into a young girls torn life as she travels through foster home to foster home filled me with emotion. I have cried for her, laughed for her and have been mad at her adn have loved her like a part of my own family. Twelve year old, Astrid Magnussen is forced to go through the foster home system when her self centered mother comits murder to her ex boyfiend. Astrid, who go throughts the next six years of her teen life incounters many new people who leave you all full of emotion. This is a great book for anyone who has never experienced this or who can relate. It has truly made me look at life in a different light.
Rating:
Summary: An emotional and very entertaining novel!
Review: White Oleander is one of the best books that I have ever read. It kept me interested for the entire story, and I was eager to find out the ending. It is a story about a young girl who is forced to go to foster homes after her mother was sent to jail. The story shows the diffrent places that the girl goes to, most of which were horrible experiences. For six years, she was in and out of numerous homes, and she met a lot of people along the way. One thing that I really liked about this book was there was always something interesting happening. There was never a dull moment, and the characters were very diverse. Some of the homes the young girl went to were terrible, and she dreaded every minute in them. She got injured in a few of the homes and she had to go to the hospital. Her life definetly was changed when her mother got sent to jail. White Oleander is a very detailed and emotional story about a young girl's life in foster homes. The story really shows how she feels and how her life is changed. It shows the different letters that her mother writes to her from jail, and their difficult relationship throughout the years. I recommend this book to anyone who wants to read a book that is interesting, and that keeps you wanting to read more. It can really be a great book for teenage girls becasue I feel like they can maybe relate to the girl in the story; either because they are the same age, or an experience that she had. White Oleander deserves 5 stars, and it is an excellent book.
Rating:
Summary: Exceptional
Review: What a brilliant read. I couldn't put this book down. It was an amazing insight into Astrid's life in various foster homes and how each one was so different. I can't wait to read Janet Fitch's next novel.
Rating:
Summary: Janet Fitch's writing is incredible
Review: I usually avoid Oprah picks, because they always seem to be depressing and dysfunctional. However, I have to admit I was intrigued when she proclaimed it the best novel she'd ever read. High praise! Janet Fitch has the best use of metaphors and similes I have ever read. She is descriptive, but not overly detailed. I truly cared about Astrid and her unbelieveably bad chain of events- being uprooted from a place just when she finds someone to trust. The older man-teenage girl relationship really gave me the creeps in a Jerry Springer show sort of way, but it's a realstic portrayl of many situations today (no matter how disturbing). The mother is this novel infuriated me to no end. First, she lands herself in jail, and then writes to her daughter to stop boo-hooing about the hideous foster parent who tried to shoot and kill her because poor mommy has to share a cell with several women and one toilet. Wahhhh! She trained her daughter to pick the worst possible guardians to be with, apparently to gain experience and enlightenment in starving artist-like fashion. I have no respect for women that don't put their kids immediate needs ahead of their own, and I found myself hoping they'd give this skank the chair. Despite all that, the book is glorious. Be prepared, though, for a grim read. Astrid's life is pretty harsh, and her experiences are hard to swallow when you remember how young she's supposed to be. The writing is worth it, though, and I eagerly await Ms. Fitch's newest novel.
Rating: 
Summary: Lifetime Original in book form.
Review: Seeing Oprah's Bookclub logo emblazoned on a book cover usually sends me reeling in the opposite direction (yes, I'm an admitted book snob), but after much urging from friends and colleagues I decided to pick up White Oleander. Let me start by saying that I should have stuck to my instincts. Oprah and her ilk don't seem to realize (or maybe they do) that they are offering the same book each month. This is the same story I've read in Sheri Reynold's "The Rapture of Canaan", in Edwidge Danticat's "Eyes Breath Memory", in Paulina Simon's "Tully", and most recently in Wally Lamb's "She's Come Undone". A young woman lives through unspeakable horrors, remains stoic throughout, and becomes a better person for it in the end. A harrowing life all bundled up in a nice neat finale. There is nothing here that will challenge you or make you really think. It's like watching a Lifetime Original movie. It's the same middlebrow, two notches above mediocre fare that bored housewives flock to as a counter balance to The Young and the Restless and Days of Our Lives. This is not to say that Janet Fitch isn't a gifted writer. Her prose is languid and fiercely poetic, her characterization deftly acute. But the story is lacking. It feels too segmented and because of this it's hard to really connect with the protagonist. You encounter Astrid at different stages of her life, going through one horror after another. But instead of feeling her pain right along with her, it feels more like watching a car wreck from a safe distance. For something a little more engrossing and thoroughly satisfying, pick up "Blonde" by Joyce Carol Oates or "White Teeth" by Zadie Smith. Leave White Oleander for those days when you don't really feel like thinking, or need something to kill time at the beach this summer.
Rating:
Summary: Poetic, Profound, Rich and Lingering
Review: I'm not one who would ususally write a review, but this book has had such a profound impact on me that I feel compelled to discuss its merits. I found myself underlining sentences that were so poetic they were like a delicous meal that I would have to sit back and digest before continuing on. Astrid's personal reflection of her journey was so real to me that I feel as if I learned and grew right along with her. My enjoyment of this book was such that now that I have finished reading it, I miss Astrid. Although not a "happy" story, it is a story of overcoming obstacles, learning to cope with the struggles of life and defining one's identity. Janet Fitch's writing got inside me and I could not put the book down.
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