Rating: 
Summary: WAY TOO MUCH HYPE!!!
Review: Don't get me wrong...I did enjoy the book. I do think that Oprah hyped this book just a tad too much. I enjoyed the explicit use of description throughout the novel. It gave me a good mental picture of the setting. The only person I was unable to picture was the star of the book Astrid...it was hard to get a strong mental picture of what she looked like. I thought the author used too many liretary and film references that could make it hard for the average reader to follow. I really wish Oprah would pick a happy novel for once...they are all SOOO tragic. This book would be a good library read...not one I would buy.
Rating: 
Summary: Maudlin and ho-hum
Review: I'm trying to figure out why Oprah said this was the best book of the year. If you want a soap-opera story with no redeeming ending, you might like this. It certainly isn't 'spirit uplifting'. We all have 'our' story which was a childhood of abuse, mistreatment, molestation, etc. Some of us don't want to replay the past. If you are into victimization of self, read it.
Rating: 
Summary: beautiful, lyrical descriptions
Review: This book is written with beautiful, lyrical descriptions of nearly everything. Gorgeous writing style. I read 4-6 books/week and it's one of my favorites in the past year. Looking forward to her next one!
Rating: 
Summary: Perils of Pauline Return
Review: Oprah has done it to us again. Astrid has soooo many bad experiences that they start to become unbelievable. The ending, too, reads like something that must be" continued next week" so that we really know what happens--a cheap trick in my book. Why must we always be exposed to the sadness of life in Oprah's choices? Is it because she needs guests that share the characters' experiences? Give me Ann Tyler or Gail Godwin any day.
Rating:
Summary: Another Winner for Oprahs Book Club
Review: This book was hard to put down! I was taken into the world of Astrid Magnussen and didn't want to leave. Although, the ending could've been formed a little bit better, I think that I had already formed my own ending, and it didn't matter what Janet Fitch had written. This book made me want to become a foster parent to help get these poor children out of such terrible situations. Hopefully, the homes in this book are the exception and not the rule in foster care. Bravo to Ms. Fitch for opening up a world to me that I didn't know existed.
Rating:
Summary: Save your money
Review: Take the overall average with a grain of salt. I was notimpressed with White Oleander. The lyrical writing everyone ravesabout felt forced and over-done to me. Parts of the story were hard to believe and others down right ridiculous.Save your money for Hannibal or 'Tis, when they are released.
Rating: 
Summary: Well-written, but not an encouraging, uplifiting read
Review: Astrid gained incredible strength as she became a pawn in the foster care system. I know from my own childhood that "whatever doesn't kill us makes us stronger". This story makes me question how we, as a society, and me personally, might be able to make a difference in even one child's life. However, bringing on a foster care child into a family needs to be a family decision. In so many of Astrid's homes, I felt that there wasn't a family commitment to Astrid, but more that the foster children were invited to live in a home to fill an emotional and/or financial need for the foster mother -- rather than to fill a need for the foster child. Astrid was not allowed to be a child, and instead, always seemed to feel the need to live in a defensive mode. What if we brought foster children in with the idea of 'what can I give to this child' instead of 'what's in it for me?' I believe we as individuals, families, and a country could change the foster care system and provide a win/win situation for these homeless children.
Rating:
Summary: Becoming a little disappointed in Oprah's book selections
Review: When I was given "White Oleander" as a gift, I was very excited because I had watched Oprah raving about it on her show. I enjoyed Janet Fitch's writng but I was disappointed in the content of the novel. I found Astrid's character to be too profound and insightful for a 12-17 year old girl. Her insights about her mother and her foster families were too unbelievable. This was on my mind throughout the whole book and I found it difficult to relate to her and her situation. The writing deserves 5 stars.
Rating:
Summary: An astounding book, compulsively readable.
Review: This s a GREAT book, highly reccomended. The language is somewhat startling, somewhat enthralling, and Astrid is probably one of the most memorable characters to come out of modern literature. Run out and buy this one now, you will not be sorry.
Rating:
Summary: Absolutely Beautiful!
Review: Janet Fitch is proving herself a true master. Much like Catherine Dunne's classic "Interior Designing For All Five Senses" the insights in this life are simply profound.
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