Rating: 
Summary: Unbelievably good first novel!
Review: poetic..I read it in two days, as I was loathe to put it down. The characters are so compelling and realistic you would swear she was writing about her own life...the reader is drawn right in. I feel like recommending it to everyone. Well, not everyone perhaps.
Rating:
Summary: Outstanding Novel
Review: This tale of a girl's life just prior to and after her mother commits and is convicted of murder is outstanding. Janet Fitch paints this story with beautiful poetic tools. I am not a fast reader but I flew through this book, reading it every chance I could get. It gripped me and I was wrapped up in every word. Whenever the main character had to move from yet another foster home I felt as if I were packing my things and heading out the door with her, uttering, "Here we go again, Astrid." This is a very good book and I highly recommend it.Best regards, Amanda Briles
Rating:
Summary: poetry
Review: This was a wonderful book! Fitch's use of the language was magnificently poetic. Not only could I not put it down, but when I was finished I wanted the story to continue. So I read it again!
Rating:
Summary: White Oleander is a Great Book
Review: As a 44 year old male, I may not fit the demographic of the typical reader of this work, but I found it to be a wonderful book in many ways and I am certain it will become a classic part of American literature. It is beautifully rendered and heartbreaking. I could not put the book down and dreaded that it would eventually come to an end. I teach college literature and will strongly recommend this to my students. It is hard to believe that this is a first novel, and I cannot wait for Fitch's next book. Though the book may not be for everyone, I felt that the writer was writing directly to me, and I am in her debt for sharing this part of herself with me and others. This book is an example of what most of us only dream of creating.
Rating:
Summary: finally.........
Review: "White O" is the most engaging book I've read since "She's Come Undone" by Wally Lamb. "White O" is very similar in the ride it takes you on with Astrid, You are constantly surprised and will find yourself unable to put the book down.
Rating:
Summary: My favorite book of 1999
Review: I loved this book. The writing was poetic, the story was intriguing and the characterization was excellent. Anyone interested in mother-daughter relationships, coming of age stories, foster children or depictions of southern California would find this book interesting. I read this book in two days...I literally did not want to put it down. It is excellently written without being too "high brow" or unaccessible to the casual reader. Definitely a wonderful read!
Rating:
Summary: Pure poetry
Review: I loved this book. It is a real story about life for many of us. I loved the characters, a real dicotomy of personalities. The mother was very complex, and gave me mixed feelings throughout the story. I have gone back through the book many times to re-read her letters.
Rating:
Summary: The Novelist is a Poet
Review: Janet Fitch's novel is a blend of story and poem. Her words flow and paint a wide range of pictures. It also brought the plight of foster children to my attention for the first time. I urge all socially aware people to read it. Although a man (I was told this was a woman's novel), I was moved by it and enjoyed the experience. I look forward to Fitch's next book.
Rating:
Summary: Great book!
Review: I highly recommend this book to anyone that wants a good read! I love the character, Astrid. I couldn't put it down! :)
Rating: 
Summary: Gritty, coming-of-age story
Review: The protagonist of White Oleander, Astrid, becomes very real for the reader. She is put in impossible situations and does the best that she can. Watching her grow and come to terms with her mother and herself was inspiring. Her decision that comes at the end of the book is a brave one and shows that she has become the kind of woman that her mother always spoke of, but never was herself.
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