White Oleander: A Novel

Rating:
Summary: WONDERFUL!!!
Review: This book will keep you reading all night. It usually takes 3 weeks for me to read a book of this length, this was so intriguing that it was read in 4 days. I recommend it to anyone who likes stories, inside stories, inside stories.

Rating:
Summary: Keep away from the audio version
Review: 5 stars for the story; 1 star for the performance. After reading some of the glowing comments that have been posted, I have to write my review regarding the audio version because the story was done a great disservice by Oprah Winfrey's terrible reading performance. Often lapsing into an inexplicable "honey chile" Southern accent or a fake "la-di-da" upper class eastern accent, Ms. Winfrey did not give any character a single sustainable (and therefore recognizable) voice. In fact, the main characters had so many different voices, depending on Ms. Winfrey's mood at the time, that it was sometimes hard to figure out who was speaking. She never found the North European/Southern California voice that permeates the words of the book. I know Ms. Winfrey has done a lot to bring public notice to many deserving books (including this one), but when it comes to reading, she should let the pros do the books on tapes.

Rating:
Summary: the book is simply exhausting and very depressing
Review: i am so weary of oprah's "same old same old" picks. the book does get the reader hooked...you will feel for the girl, but i guess i am ready to read something more inspiring...there are so many young writers these days that write in this vein...sad sadder saddest.....if you don't read a lot, then this book will seem unique and praiseworthy...but for people that read several books a month....i think they will be disappointed.

Rating:
Summary: Beautifully written, moving, painful and evocative.
Review: One of the best books I have read. Fitch manages to contrast the cruelty of a childhood defined by the sick values of her narcisstic mother with the life lessons Astrid manages to sort from the wreck of horribly painful experiences she endures and survives. Astrid resists the temptation to keep her mother's flame alive by assuming her sickness but we learn that it was and many continue to be a lifelong struggle. The way Fitch conveys the constant internal tension was brilliant and beautiful. Her metaphors were unique and filled with imagery as if viewed through the eyes of a tactile artist. The power of art as healer (especially for broken children) should not be dismissed.

Rating:
Summary: excellent story of a coming of age
Review: This book was beautifully written, very descriptive. It made you feel the struggles of the young girl as she was finding herself.

Rating:
Summary: Poetic language makes dark subject a compelling read
Review: This first-time author uses language in a manner that all authors now have a goal to emulate!

Rating:
Summary: Beautifully written
Review: I loved this book. It takes you on a journey of the subjects mind and gives you hope that, yes, a good person can positively influence someone's life. The ending leaves you wondering just how far the apple as fallen from the tree, after you have gained faith that it can take distance. It also gives the reader a unexpected view of what life in foster homes can be, and a sadness that so many must endure this.

Rating:
Summary: It was just okay...nothing great.
Review: I found the book sad and disheartening. I prefer to read books that are more uplifting and positive.

Rating:
Summary: Unusually written and descriptive
Review: I had a hard time deciding whether to give this four or five stars! It is written in a peculiar, but fascinating style and once you get used to it, it is positively charming and mesmerising! A truly amazing descriptive narrative that provided me with an incredible imagination on who and what the characters were all about! I'm looking forward to reading what Janet Fitch comes up with next! This story was heart-rendering in a way that fiction seldom accommodates.

Rating:
Summary: A sensitive look into an isolated girl's struggles
Review: White Oleander was difficult to read at first, but then I found I couldn't put it down. Astrid's journey from one unsuccessful foster home to another was heart breaking. She never caught a break. Janet Finch's writing was accurate, honest, sensitive and very credible. She was able to shed light on the very dark subject of chilhood lonliness, isolation, etc. I look forward to her next work.