Rating: 
Summary: I hated this book.
Review: I didn't like it, honestly. People consider the Alex Cross trilogy thrillers, (If you call them thrillers at all...I just call them straight out slow paced and boring) fast paced. They're not fast paced! There's hardly any good action scenes and gun battles, no Shoot 'em up lethal weapon stuff, which was what I expected yet didn't get it. The only reason that people consider this book fast paced is because of the short chapters. Yeah, I admit it, there are some very short chapters. Lots. But that doesn't mean that it's fast paced. It's fast paced compared to Stephen King, but I think it's a slow paced book. I want action. I want adventure. The killer kills a lot of people. I didn't need disgusting and awful as well as dull details that James Patterson gives out. And also, Patterson had a good chance to make this a good cop thriller. He failed miserably. I don't think I've ever read a good detective novel...all I want is a book with a bunch of action scenes. If you think this is fast paced, good for you. But if you desire more action, more events, more UNPREDICTABLENESS, then go to a different book. I don't know which one, since I've never read one like that...anyways, don't get this book.
Rating: 
Summary: read this before you see the movie
Review: I love mysteries. I liked how James used the 1st person 3rd person combination. This book never slowed down to me and used the combination of a thriller and mystery genre. I think the characters were well developed. Gary Soneji has got to be one of the most vile villans I have ever read about in a book. I would recommend this book for anyone who reads Jeffrey Deaver or Stephen King because this can feel like a horror book sometimes. This is definetly one rollercoaster you should ride because once you start the fun don't stop. I have not seen the movie but to me just reading what the movie was about seemed to have changed some of the plot and left a character out.
Rating: 
Summary: A good Beginning
Review: Along came a spider, a great beginning for Alex Cross. The picture blew it big time! If you only saw the movie you need to check out the book because it's way better.
Rating: 
Summary: A fascinating hero
Review: After seeing the movie I wanted to learn more about the characters and looked specifically for the first Alex Cross mystery by James Patterson-this IS the first book in the series. The main character, Detective (and Phd. in Psychology) Alex Cross is a fascinating character. Two of the other major characters weren't as well developed as I would have liked and after finishing the book I felt I was left with a lack of enough information to fully understand (and in the case of one of them-barely understood) the "why" of crime committed. I don't want to give out too much information about the book and risk spoiling it for anyone but I definitely wouldn't have seen the end coming if I hadn't already seen the movie.
Make sure to read Kiss the Girls next! Cross' character is much further developed and it's a more fascinating read.
Somewhat intriguing but in comparison I felt Kiss the Girls was a better written book.
Rating:
Summary: An Open Book
Review: In James Patterson's book, Along Came a Spider, he accomplishes in entertaining the reader until the absolute end. One of the main characteristics I have come to associate with Patterson's writings, are his continued use of the element of surprise. He constantly uses suspense to get across his point of importance. While the details of these surprises cannot be shared due to the fact that it would ruin the book, it is an amazing component to his novel.
The book was an amazing piece of work. As someone who has seen the movie production of this novel, I can say that they shouldn't be compared. The book did a fantastic job of weaving the story and all of its twists and turns. In the movie, the people are not characterized as well as in the book, so it lacks true substance. This notion of books being better than the movies made about them has become less prevelant with today's society. Audiences tend to see the movie versions, then write off the book. If you want to be truly entertained, pick up the book and read it.
I would recommend this book to any readers who enjoy James Patterson or a good mystery/suspense novel. I suspected that there would be surprise at the conclusion of the story, but it was not what I expected it to be. Patterson does a wonderful job of leading the reader in one direction by his writing and then proving your instincts wrong. I have enjoyed Along Came a Spider, though not as much as some of his others. The dialogue seemed awkward to me at times, and it was harder for me, as a female reader, to deal with a first person male point of view. It was a well-woven story that only a masterful author could succeed in writing so brilliantly.
Rating:
Summary: An Exciting Thrill Ride
Review: Along Came A Spider is a thriller by James Patterson. I enjoyed this novel because it was unpredictable and held my interest the entire book. Along Came A Spider was well written, with developed, realistic characters. Though lengthy, this novel is a fast and exciting read.
Along Came A Spider is one of many books written by Patterson that centers on a Washington D.C detective, Alex Cross. Cross is a cop living in a dangerous part of town, trying to improve the lives of those around him by catching criminals. He is a widower and a father of two, and under his seemingly tough exterior he has a good heart. Cross's varied qualities make him an interesting and likeable character.
The novel is set mainly in D.C, where Maggie Rose Duane and Michael Goldberg are kidnapped from their prominent private school. They are kidnapped by a teacher, "Mr. Chips," which makes their wealthy, important families even more upset. Alex Cross is put on the case, and though he does not want it because of it's high publicity, he reluctantly takes it. Soon, though, he is in pursuit of a ruthless and psychotic criminal, who may be connected to many unsolved murders in Alex's neighborhood. Throughout the novel, Cross is trying to outsmart the kidnapper and get the children back before they are killed. Along the way, there are many unexpected twists, turns, and surprises. Cross finds that people are not always what they seem, and he can never be sure who to trust. The kidnapper's need to "be somebody" drives his actions, and is a prominent theme found in the novel.
Along Came A Spider was an exciting read, and I would recommend it. If you are looking for a suspense novel that will keep you guessing, this is the book for you.
Rating:
Summary: Fast moving page turner
Review: In Along Came a Spider, James Patterson keeps you hooked from the first page. There are a few things a book needs to do for me if I'm to call it great. (1) Hook me on the story. (2) Interest me in the characters. (3) Avoid too much predictibility. I believe Along Came a Spider is successful on all accounts. Most of the book is first person from the point of view of his main character, Alex Cross. Interspersed throughout the book are chapters from a third person perspective. This style also makes the book go at a fast pace and makes it much more enjoyable.
Rating:
Summary: BEST CROSS BOOK! A GREAT SUPRISE ENDING!
Review: A great book. You really have to like mysteries and you have to be brave. It has it's scary parts but when you finish it, it's worth it. It will keep you hooked until the very end. It has a great suprise ending, if you've seen the movie, you should read the book. The movie wasn't as good as the book, but still, a must read!
Rating:
Summary: Very interesting...
Review: Well written...a true page-turner...
I like this book very much...strongly recommended...
Rating:
Summary: What the hell is this thing?
Review: Seriously, i wonder how Patterson ever became a Bestseller writer. Though this was my first experience with him, i've decided it will be also my last. I love serial killers books. I've reed some good classics. Psycho is still one of my favourite, and i cherish Red Dragon. But this book is just awful. Everything is wrong. Everything. The serial killer is not beliveable. He doesn't act as a real serial killer shoudl act. There's nothing more horrible than a serial killer who makes jokes about cutting up someone's penis and shoving it up one's mouth. it's just too funny to come from a man who should be lonely, methodical, devoted to his work. Instead, he has a perfect family and a house with a garden. What happened to the real killers, those who hide human body parts in the basement or in the attic, who have sexual innibitions... who are just real? Then there's his intelligence. He's anything but, because the writer doesn't try to show us that by actions, but merely by telling us. As for the detective, Alex Cross, he's so transparent, without characterization. he spends his time complaining and beeing sorry for the victims. What about thrying to get the killer? Patterson's narrative are even worst. The prose is very simple, as if the readers were too dumb to understand. And then there's his subplots: all that stuff about racism, all seen by the eyes of Cross, who is black. I understand the message, but Patterson doesn't make it sound true. It's not like he ever suffered this problems in his own skin, is it? Thus, avoid this book. There are better thrillers in the market awiting.
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