Cradle and All

Rating:
Summary: Typical Patterson Entertainment!
Review: As you may or may not know, Cradle And All is a rework of Patterson's 2nd novel called Virgin. Most likely if you read Virgin within the past few years and remember the ending you probably won't want to read Cradle And All -- even though there are differences between the two versions. But if you haven't read Virgin or read it like I did(when it first came out in 1980)and don't remember the outcome, you're in for a real treat. After reading an advance reader copy of Cradle And All, I'm sure that most Patterson fans will find many of the qualities that have made them devour his previous books. In typical Patterson fashion the plot moves along at a break-neck pace, the chapters are very brief with each ending on a note that makes you want to quickly turn the page, and the characters--while not developed in great depth--are interesting. While I'm not a particularly fast reader, I read this book in two days. Be prepared to be glued to your favorite reading place until you finish Cradle And All! You'll definitely enjoy this book.

Rating:
Summary: Supernatural fable heavenly with suspense
Review: CRADLE AND ALL is foremost a supernatural thriller - a genre in which James Patterson is a firsthand, but the twisting suspense and elements of hysteria still manifest in the book. The plot thickens with two girls Kathleen and Colleen, one in America and the other in Ireland both experiencing virgin birth and soon the hype is brewing stronger with questions of faith and religion - even to the point of the recairnation of Mary of Nazareth.Father Rosetti is sent from the Vatican City to pursue the incident and soon finds out one may be giving birth to the son of Satan.

CRADLE AND ALL's concept is incredulous; but accept it - readers will be treated to a read with stupendous climax towards the end where the twist is unpredictible and the revelation - an ultimate surprise. The middle of the novel tends to hit a snag with Patterson rhethorically describing the fear in Kathleen over - but rescues it after the story takes flight again when the birth arrives.

James Patterson's supernatural fable will please fans and enthrall with its fusion of religion, emotions and strong characters that stand by themselves.

Rating:
Summary: Excellent
Review: I am not a James Patterson fan, but a friend was reading this book, and it sounded very interesting to me. I bought it, and loved it. It is the only book by him that I have ever cared to read, probably because it is so different from the rest of his work. I thought I had the book all figured out until the end. Those are the kind of books I love. This is one that you definetly do not want to read the end first, for it will ruin the whole book!

Rating:
Summary: Cradle and All- Couldn't put it down!
Review: Let me start by saying that I am an extremely selective reader. Books that can hold my interest to the very end are few and far between. I am also a hobby writer which makes me extremely critical. This is the first time I am reading a James Patterson novel. After reading some of the other reviews, I raced to the library to get a copy. I read for four solid hours non-stop. I found this book a true page-turner in every sense. I haven't read anything this intense since The Stand. Patterson's ingenious style of writing keeps the chapters short and to the point while keeping the level of interest piqued. He skillfully masters maintaining control of his characters,while simultaneously continuing the intrigue and mystery until the very last sentence. His style ranks right up there with the best of this genre. Patterson may very well have them all running scared! He is a master at the art of the tease. I rate this book 5 stars and I would recommend it to anyone who has a thirst for the intense. I look forward to a sequel and would love to co-author (in my dreams!)

Rating:
Summary: EXCITING, AND THRILLING...
Review: Two young girls discover they are pregnant, one in Boston, and one in Ireland-even though they are both still virgins.

Authorities are stunned by the overwhelming number of strange occurences reported from cities all over the world...epidemics, floods and worse. These are the signs of what is coming.

Anne Fitzgerald is the ex-nun turned private investigator, hired to investigate the strange immaculate conceptions.

Anne races to get answers, and the closer the girls get to delivering their babies, the closer they get to danger...One child will be the spawn of satan, and the other child our savior.

The story unfolds at a fast pace, bringing new possibilities with each plot twist.

James Patterson keeps us guessing all the way through the novel, and the climax is a shocker.

Fans of the "Alex Cross" novels may be disappointed, but give the book a chance, it is well written, with all the suspense Patterson's fans have come to expect.

"Cradle And All" is a re-working of an early novel entitled "Virgin". This is a different genre for Patterson, and he handles it well.

Nick Gonnella

Rating:
Summary: How Will The Cradle Fall?
Review: When you think of a James Patterson # 1 New York Times Best Selling novel, you, as a fan, would think of a mystery, and a little humor. Cradle and All, Patterson's revised version of his earlier title, Virgin, exposes him in his most physcotic state yet. With all the twists, shady characters, and dark secrets behind every corner, Patterson is bound to keep you squirming to turn the page. As I read this book, I couldn't believe my eyes as Cradle and All filled my mind with wild fantasies, strange daydreams, and the occasional nightmare, a sign of a good thriller.
It all starts as Polio breaks out among kids across America. Soon, virgin teenage girls are becoming impregnated with the son of christ and the son of satan. See, I told you that Patterson keeps on the edge. Vatican City priests try to help these girls out. Only one way to solve this mystery. Read this book. Cradle and All by James Patterson. New York Times # 1 best seller. You can't go wrong there. Five out of five stars. I give this novel my Full recommondation. Truely a mystery that cannot be missed.

Rating:
Summary: Bizzare! (2 1/2 stars)
Review: When you think of James Patterson, this is not the type of book that would come to mind. Basically it is an end of the world, apocalyptic type thriller. Two virgins are pregnant, one with the son of Christ and one with the son of Satan. Floods, famine, disease, etc. is spreading across the world and can only be stopped if the son of Satan is destroyed. Sound weird? Well it is. More of a Stephen King or Dean Koontz type of book, and they would likely do it better. In all honesty if it hadn't been written by Patterson, I may have not even read it.

It is relatively entertaining if you can stretch your imagination, and it is definitely fast paced: I finished it in one evening. However it really isn't that great of a book. First, there are way too many characters. The only character you can really feel anything for is Anne, because her story is told in the first person. As for the rest of the characters you feel so detached from them you really don't care what their fate will be. They aren't very well drawn out either past a surface level. The writing also isn't up to the quality that you expect from Patterson. Also, the ending is very cheesy. As well, the entire time I was reading I couldn't help but think of the Schwarzenegger movie 'End of Days' I was half expecting Arnie to appear in the book at any time saying "I vil stop ze Devil" There were also some glaring editing errors. One major one that comes to mind was the fact that early in the book Anne was "nearing thirty", and at the end she was 34 years old. Very rapid aging indeed. Perhaps it was due to the apocalyptic circumstances? Hmmm... I could go on with more errors but I digress. You just shouldn't see sloppy editing like that in a novel by a top author.

Overall, I would say that as a library book it was OK, but if I had paid money for it I would be disappointed. Patterson should stick with what he does best, and should also take a little more care in his writing.