Little Altars Everywhere : CD

Rating:
Summary: Funny and Sad
Review: This book is quite an experience! It is honest, funny and real,but sad at the same time. I started the Divine Secrets first,but then went to read Little Altars. The author told the story the way she experienced life. I liked her style and her sense of humor.

Rating:
Summary: If I had bought this book, I would have burned it !
Review: I read Rebecca Wells' books backwards. Although I didn't care much for the characters in "Devine Secrets," I admit to being curious about the prehistory of that book. So I read "Little Altars." What little interest I had in Vivi, the main character, plummeted to disgust. I feel that any human being (particularly one who has hired help,etc.) who has the desire to have children should do everything in their power to simply do "right" by them. I would have had ten million times the respect for Vivi had she taken care of her "needs" down at the local bar, or worse, as opposed to invading her own children's bodies. It really concerns me when characters in popular literature, who commit crimes against children, are treated as sympathetic and redeemable personalities. In A Map of the World, the author attempts to create a forgiving character whose criminal neglect results in the death of a child. In Little Altars, the mother, Vivi, sexually molests her children. In the sequel, we "learn" why the mother has violated the most important trust a human being should honor, and we are asked to forgive it. No! This supposedly bright woman has no excuse! She should have done everything to avoid such exploitive behavior. She had three friends who, along with herself, call themselves the Ya Ya girls. It would have made more sense had she "called" out to these friends for help. (Of course, then the author would have had to work at creating an interesting story about a less disgusting character.) I once read a book about the middle ages ( a very bleak period) called A Distant Mirror. The author explains that the overwhelming reason it was such a terrible period of history was due to the fact that children were simply chattel to be used at the owners' discretion. The result : children who attained adulthood were brutes, because that was what they knew. Sometime ago, I met a young mother in the education section in my library. She asked me if I knew of a good book for raising children. She told me her own mother was very violent in correcting her. She did not finish high school, and yet, she felt there had to be a better way of raising children than what she experienced. When I read this book, my most basic and internal beliefs as a human being, woman, mother, and friend were offended. I simply don't understand how a woman could give birth to a child and then hurt it as dramatically as does Vivi. And I could never befriend someone whose approach to life is so bizarre. This book disgusted me ! I would much rather read a book about that poor mother I met in the library. What a truly enlightened individual she must be! A final amazing thought about this book and its sequel is the number of grown women who love them. Are any of them mothers?

Rating:
Summary: Gotta Chime-in too...
Review: Like many of you, I read Divine Secrets before Little Altars. First, let me say Rebecca Wells is one of the finest authors I've ever read...let that be a guide, whatever order you choose. It may be helpful to use Little Altars as a "readers guide" to Divine Secrets, as it allows you to have a deeper understanding of the dysfunctional Walker family. Personally, I'd recommend reading Little Altars first, get to know the characters...and then move on to Divine Secrets, the way Wells intended.

Rating:
Summary: Read Divine Secrets first.....
Review: a truly enjoyable read...though not quite as good as Divine Secrets of the Ya Ya Sisterhood...read this second, although it was written first. Like others, I was really emotionally involved in reading these books. For the few days it took to read, I was truly engrossed in the characters lives.

Rating:
Summary: good, thought provoking book
Review: i read divine secrets of the ya-ya sisterhood first. this book was a little more serious and didn't give me the same feeling of starting in the middle of the story, which was good. i would recommend reading little altars first since it was written first. i would say that rebecca wells is very good at writing about difficult but colorful childhoods, and she manages to do so in such a way that the reader keeps reading instead of getting depressed. she also brings her characters to vivid life. the characters are noisy and engaging. Ms. Wells also does a good job writing from the different children's distinct points of view and showing how the children change and mature over time. all in all, i was impressed by the fast pace of the story and the skillful characterization. i gave little altars four stars and i gave the divine secrets five stars. the only reason i gave little altars four stars instead of five was that little altars didn't have as much closure, but Ms. Wells probably planned it that way because she was writing a series.

Rating:
Summary: Superb
Review: I think this book has to be read after Divine Secrets. It seems to put all the hardships the girls faced, into perspective. I'm glad I read Little Altars second and I look forward to further books by Rebecca Wells.

Rating:
Summary: Quite disappointing
Review: After reading "Divine Secrets", I was excited to read another of Wells' books. Unfortunately, this book falls short in many ways. The storyline is confusing and the characters are not developed in any redeeming way. I'll still give Wells another read when she decides to write another novel, but wouldn't recommend this one.

Rating:
Summary: A great introduction to the Ya-Ya's in Little Alters
Review: I imagine, that since I jumped on the Ya-Ya bandwagon a little late, I am one of the minority of people that read this book before devine secrets. It was a different style of writing, small fragmented short stories from each characters point of view, little morsals of a rich expirience that makes you want to know more. Welles makes each character so different, so unique, funny, real, and touching, and it really is a fine collection of stories, if a little dark and akin to something one would discover in family therapy. I really liked this book, and I would reccomend it, and i would also say for a deeper look into all things Ya-Ya, read the devine secrets, you won't be able to put it down dahlin.

Rating:
Summary: Well written but ......
Review: Little Alters Everywhere is a well written and initially funny book. I was really excited when I started reading it and began recommending it to all my friends and coworkers. However, I have to tell you that it takes a somewhat unexpected dark tone on towards the end that sort of bummed me out after the humor incorporated into the first part of the story. I know a lot of people will disagree with me. For many I'm sure that the darker tones at the end of this novel made the story more appealing. However, for my tastes the book took the turn from day to night a bit too fast. I still recommend this book because it is really much better than a great deal of junk that's published. However, I don't think I'll go on to read the prequel, The Divine Secrets Of The Ya-Ya Sisterhood. (As if you care.)

Rating:
Summary: EEEEEE-Gads!
Review: Didn't I see this family on Jerry Springer?