Rating: 
Summary: Too preachy...
Review: "Flamingo Rising" had the makings of a wonderful novel. However, it was anything but. The main character, and narrator, Abraham Lee, spends too much time reflecting on things, and trying to make the reader understand where he's coming from. I found all this to be unnecessary. The author paints a clear picture of the Flamingo Drive In, owned by Abe's parents, and the funeral home next door which is owned by his father's nemesis, Turner West. He gives great descriptions of Abe, his sister Louise, their parents, and the other people in their lives without the voice of the narrator who's constantly speaking to the reader with phrases like "you must understand" or "try to picture." After a while, Abe comes across sounding preachy, and I felt as if I was reading a term paper rather than a novel.The only characters with any real substance to them are Polly and Alice, two young women who enter Abe's life after taking on jobs at the Flamingo. Sadly, even their presence wasn't enough to salvage this novel for me. "The Starlite Drive-In" by Marjorie Reynolds is a much better story centered around a similar time and place. Read that instead.
Rating: 
Summary: Too Many Issues, None Fully Explored
Review: Although I enjoyed the various characters and plot lines in this book, I found this story lacking in depth and emotional drive. With too many issues and none of them fully explored, the author seemed to forget his basic focus: the link his mother provided between the narrator's father and his future father-in-law. The Romeo/Juliet comparison some reviewers have made fall flat for me simply because I never believed in the supposed love between the two teens; the pairing struck me as more of a convenience than undying passion. Despite these flaws, the ending--both of a family and an era--moved me to tears.
Rating: 
Summary: This is the best novel I have read in years.
Review: Charmingly well written with all audiences in mind. Larry Baker is a wonderful story teller who makes fiction seem like fact. I felt this family was very much alive in the world. They were wonderful characters who grew in my heart. Abe Issac Lee was the perfect character to illustrate these wonderful memories of his life.
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Summary: An engaging coming-of-age story in Irving's voice
Review: For lovers of John Irving, The Flamingo Rising will delight. Larry Baker's first novel is wonderful in its characters, its writing, and its irony.
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Summary: Insane, funny, romantic, innocent
Review: I absolutely adored this book. I took my time reading it because I felt like I was a part of it. It has characters in it that anyone can relate to. You must know from the beginning that a tragedy does occur but it is not what the book is all about. Don't look for this to happen. Just enjoy the book as it unfolds and the tragedy will not ruin it for you. It's just wonderful. It all works. It is America with all it's cliques, colorfulness and newness.
Rating:
Summary: Insane, funny, romantic, innocent
Review: I absolutely adored this book. I took my time reading it because I felt like I was a part of it. It has characters in it that anyone can relate to. You must know from the beginning that a tragedy does occur but it is not what the book is all about. Don't look for this to happen. Just enjoy the book as it unfolds and the tragedy will not ruin it for you. It's just wonderful. It all works. It is America with all it's cliques, colorfulness and newness.
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Summary: lush, exciting characters w/ a larger than life backdrop
Review: i grew up w/ a drive theatre in my town-one of only three in the state. it closed three years ago-just after i finished high school. it was a tremendous loss. for anyone who ever felt the magic of the drive-in, a big outdoor party and a night at the movies all in one- this book will be a nostalgic look back. for anyone who loves reading books w/ characters make you laugh out loud and whose grief can make you cry- you will love this book. also-as someone who often judges books by their covers- i bought the hardcover edition-which had a very '50ish art deco look. do not judge by this cover. you will miss a wonderful chance to meet characters who will crawl into your heart and stay there.
Rating: 
Summary: Like riding a roller coaster without enough humps!
Review: I liked this book and its characters, though I had a hard time keeping up with their names. Usually when this happens to me, I blame it on the author not protraying them in such a way that they are memorable in my mind. I loved the premise of them living in the giant screen and the juxtaposition of classical music and a library beneath a raging dog kennal. It was a priceless visual! I just never got emotionally involved in the story to the point that I hated to put the book down. Bottom line.......it was an okay read on the airplane (I travel 200 days a year and read about five books a week!) Each time I found a gem of a chapter, it was followed by some disjointed and disappointing one...like a roller coaster.
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Summary: EXCELLENT FIRST FICTION!
Review: I thoroughly enjoyed this book, very well written and entertaining . I would highly recommend it!
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Summary: A wonderful look into the past.
Review: I thought this book was a wonderful look into past and what things were like four or five decades ago. There was such a diverse cast of characters and the author made them all beliveable. He made the characters seem realistic without being overly done and we followed Abe from boyhood into manhood, his loves and his losses, and the guilt he must live with over mistakes he made. I thought this was a totally endearing book, and it held my attention until the end.
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