Rating: 
Summary: Edge of your seat reading!
Review: White Oleander is the first book I have picked up, other than a textbook in over 10 years! I read the entire thing in two days, which is amazing for me! I would recommend this book to anyone who likes to read and even to those who don't! Gives the reader a reality check regarding foster care in the U.S. Buy this book! You won't be sorry!
Rating: 
Summary: Great Drama
Review: This book takes a lot of turns and keeps you on the edge of your seat while reading it. I really enjoyed the writing and gained an understanding of a little girl whose life is turned around by her destructive mother. It is hard to believe that some people are selfish and harmful to those who care about them. This book clearly demonstrates the effects that wicked people can have over others. I would love to see a sequel to this story.
Rating:
Summary: Absolutely fantastic
Review: Although it might start a little slow, please continue, because it this book is an absolute treasure. Your imagination will have you smell the white oleander, feel the heat etc.. A story that will touch your heart.
Rating:
Summary: A Must Read
Review: I just finished reading White Oleander. I haven't read a book this good in quite some time. I couldn't put the book down. It's a must read, especially for mothers and daughters. I loved the complexity and richness of the mother/daughter relationship. The characters were wonderful. You want to cry and cheer for them. I hope that Janet Fitch writes another book soon.
Rating:
Summary: I loved this book
Review: This was one of those rare books that I hated reading the last page because I knew that I wouldn't be a part of the characters' lifes anymore. This book reminded me of Ladder of Years by Anne Tyler and She's Come Undone by Wally Lamb. The main character was so sympathic that I wanted to be her foster mother. I would definitely recommend this book to others.
Rating: 
Summary: Just This Once, Abridged is Ok
Review: The novel really picks up momentum as you get into it. It feels as though there are several stories going on at once. Every time Astrid goes to a new home a new segment of her life begins, marked with sadnesses of her previous lives. The beginning is not really all that exciting. At times the story seems wordy and too circumspect. It goes too far with the main character, Astrid, thinking so much about what is going on around her. On the other hand, I think that the abridged tapes, read by Oprah Winfrey, are the perfect format to appreciate this book. Oprah lends just the right quality of tone and weight to the words. Also, with so much introspection on the part of the main character, this abridged version has the right mix of action and drama.
Rating:
Summary: White Oleander
Review: Janet Fitch has made a grand entrance for her first novel. I must admit I couldn't put it down but I did find a few faults in the writing. First off she is too wordy, I found myself skipping over many of the adjective loaded prose to get to the meat of the novel. It was a little hard to get started but once Astrid's mother met Barry the novel picked up. The tragedy of the story is very believable, following poor Astrid through a Foster Care System that is exactly how I've heard it can be. This story carries you along at a fast pace, once you get past all the overly descriptive wording, and the ending leaves you flat! She wrote this great tragic story with no ending. It just fizzles out, what was the point? I felt cheated due to the ending.
Rating:
Summary: Great Page Turner
Review: White Oleander was a huge suprise. I had ordered it months ago, and then it sat in my bookshelf. I was searching for my next book to read when I decided to finally pick this one up. I had forgotten what it was even about, but from the first page I was hooked. I just could not put the book down without knowing what happened to Astrid. It was such a moving and intersting novel. I read it in two days! Any avid reader will love it!
Rating:
Summary: Hmmm...very interesting!
Review: Well, I have to say that in the beginning of this book, I wasn't sure that I was going to finish it. I found it very hard to read, until the poet-mother was incarcerated, and then the writing slowly evolved from vague, loaded poetry into the stark narrative of this poor daughter who was left behind. I found it really depressing to see the way this young girl's life was turning out, moving from one foster home to the next. It made me angry to see how the hopelessness in her life began to turn her into a person I hated. However, there were a lot of surprising turning points in this story, and in the end, I'm really glad I read it. It's a great book. Nice going, Janet!
Rating:
Summary: Fitch writes in mirror-stricken words
Review: Janet Fitch is a beautiful writer. Her characters are real, jumping off the page and into the reader's soul. All her characters share thoughts readers may have had at sometime. Fitch opens minds to new thoughts. Her main character, Astrid, is a dynamic character who slowly grows stronger through the play of the book. The strange relationship between Astrid and her mother is beautifully sad. Fitch accomplishes greatness in White Oleander.
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