Rating: 
Summary: Just not up to snuff compared with her previous books
Review: Just not up to snuff compared with her previous books is what I found.I imagine it was hard for her to get back into the rhythm of writing after such a hiatus. While I enjoyed this 5th novel, I much preferred the first 4 as they seemed to flow one into the other.
Rating:
Summary: Worth the Wait
Review: Contrary to some Customer Reviews I have read, I found "Shelters" to be a most interesting addition to the Earth's Children Series. When Ayla, Jondalar, the horses and Wolf finally arrive after a year-long journey at the Cave of Jondalar's mother, Ayla is astonished to see that so many people live in such close proximity to each other. Unlike the Clans these folks seem to thrive living in large groups who are fairly close to their neighbors. And herein lies the account of how the early people found that there are many advantages to living in larger groups close by their families and friends. We see that their society is still controlled by Cave leaders, medicine people and healers, but they have much freedom in where and when they move about and what they do with their time. There is a fair amount of repetition in the narrative, especially in the formal introductions, but to me it in no way detracts from the overall experience. There are also a number of flashbacks and memory-recall scenes, which to some may seem excessive, but merely refresh recollections about major events which occurred in the previous books of the Series. This book focuses mainly on the differences and similarities of the Clan and the Cave dwellers. It shows how these ancient people dealt with the obstacles they were forced to overcome in their daily lives, and perhaps more importantly how they began to live in larger groups with an early form of government. The Shelters of Stone is as rich in detail as we expect from the author and she continues to provide a most fascinating glimpse into the distant past from whence we all came. I whole-heartedly recommend "Shelters" and all other books in this series. They provide an insight, although written as fiction, into how things may have been. But do yourself a big favor and read the five books in order, starting with "The Clan of the Cave Bear." The entire Series is well worth your time.
Rating: 
Summary: Desperately bad writing
Review: One cliche that's drilled into students of creative writing (besides "write what you know") is "show, don't tell". Auel needs to go back to creative writing class. I lost count of the number of paragraphs that started with various takes on "X thought about what had happened" and proceeded to dissect the ho-hum minutiae of a very transparent situation for those who might have been too intellectually challenged to observe the basics of human interaction for themselves. Furthermore, after five books, our precious Ayla has yet to develop any realistic character flaws. This particular installment dwells on her perfection in nauseating abundance, as everyone around her (even the occasional unconvincing "enemy") repeatedly remarks on what a wonderful specimen of humanity she is. Very little of dramatic interest occurs in the plotline, and the anthropological, archaeological, and naturalistic details whose gleaning made the other books in the series decently worthwhile reads are few and far between. Others here have already mentioned the repetitiveness, so I won't elaborate on that here. But when even the "juicy bits" make you yawn, you know there's something wrong. This was one book I was VERY glad to leave behind me when I was travelling: far too big for its own good.
Rating: 
Summary: Shelters Of Stone (SOS)
Review: It took me two goes to read this 5th installment to this series and I found it satisfactory. (Just)
Jean Auel has obviously gone to extraordinary lengths in her research for this on going saga and her writing is quite exceptional.
It starts off at the end of 'Plains' with the introduction of Ayla into the Zeladonii settlement that's followed by the usual Oohs and Ahhs resulting from her beauty and her unusual qualities of living and survival and her way with animals.
The Zelandonii settlements are well described and you meet new and occassionally interesting charaters.
My main beef with this book is the fact that nothing very much happens.
You get a retelling of many references of previous adventures, there's some hunting, a death, a couple of birth's (human and animal) A big deal of a funeral, lots of discussion about he relationships between 'Flatheads' and the 'People', and the odd verbal conflict between halfcasts and ex-girlfriends. A bit of talk about whether men's spiritaul essense of physical essense is responsible for the bringing forth of new life.etc etc oh, and a summer meeting of all the Zelandonii caves.
A lot of this has been done before and I found the story very repititous.
The ever on going love story between Ayle and Jondalar was a little flat this time around, and the explicit sex scenes were a rip complete off from other books in the series. It wasn't so much the sex among the caveman epic like in previouys volumes.
This book should have been more of an addendum to the "Plains of Passage" than a direct sequel, and it could easily have been a couple of hundred pages shorter.
Another thing, this book did not take 12 YEARS TO WRITE!!!! Regardless of whatever rumour you wish to believe, I personally believe that this book has been waiting in the wings for years for some unknown reason and I personally wont wait another 12 years for the next installment.
To put this in perspective, 'The Mammoth Hunters' and 'The Plains of Passage' are definitely the crowning achievement in this saga, while the first 2 books are a great intro. 'The Shelters of Stone', while worthy enough for the 'Earth's Children's' junkies, this series need a definitive ending in the next installment(s). A reunion with Durc or with Ayla'a lost family would be a fitting closure. Or Ayla could be just killed off. Either one would suffice for me.
Rating:
Summary: Good story but to wordy.
Review: I like the series but have found Ms. Auel like many popular authors needs help with trimming before publication. I enjoyed the story, liked the introduction of some protagonist who will obviously play important parts in the future and I look forward to the next book. I have to admit I found the interveiw on NPR helpful in understanding why so much detail. We listened to the book on tape so I can't skip ahead, I didn't find the repetition that unnerving but at times wished the story moved faster.
Rating:
Summary: Are books supposed to have a plot?
Review: I was only able to get to page 200, and I think that only covered two days. I have no idea as to what the point of this book is! It is slow, overly attentive to detail, and oversimplifies the obvious. The explanations and "origins" of things we are accustomed to are laughable. Do not waste your time on this book. Life is way to short!
Rating: 
Summary: Ayla's story reaches its turning point
Review: Ayla, heroine of Auel's four previous "Earth's Children" books, arrives at last with her beloved Jondalar in the land of the Zelandonii. At the Ninth Cave, Jondalar's home, his family greets him after his five-year absence on a Journey all the way across Europe and back - at the farthest point of which he met Ayla. It's been a long Journey, and all the two travelers want now is to settle into the Ninth Cave's intriguing stone shelters and prepare for the arrival of their first child. Not to mention for their official mating, at the Summer Meeting of all the caves of the Zelandonii. Telling the stories of their travels, bringing home the spirit of Jondalar's brother who set off with him and died along the way, and introducing his fascinated yet frightened people to Ayla's animal friends (the horses Whinney and Racer, and the four-legged hunter Wolf), would be enough to deal with; but of course the young couple soon learn that there's more. Zelandoni, the Ninth Cave's spiritual guardian and healer, recognizes Ayla immediately as one of her own calling. That isn't what Ayla wants, however. Yet as she works through the adjustments - large ones and small ones, sometimes with Jonalar's help and sometimes standing on her own - and makes a place for herself among her lover's people, the gradual revelation of her gifts and skills convinces the older woman more and more firmly that among the Zelandoni is where Ayla truly belongs. I've noticed that many readers are unhappy about this book's recapping of events from the four preceding volumes, and I can understand their viewpoint. However, I think I know why the author chose to write "The Shelters of Stone" the way she did. This fifth book in the series tells the story of Ayla's spiritual journey, which really began in "The Clan of the Cave Bear." Every event that "The Shelters of Stone" recaps, it fits into a pattern that only now - at this greatest turning point yet in Ayla's young life - becomes visible. To her, and to us. I didn't find the paperback edition's nearly 900 pages too long at all. I can honestly say that I savored every single chapter. - Reviewed by Nina M. Osier, author of "Love, Jimmy: A Maine Veteran's Longest Battle"
Rating:
Summary: This took ten years!!!!!
Review: I waited anxiously 10 years for this book to come out. What a waste of emotion & time. The story moves at a pace similar to wood petrifying. Does Auel think her readers are all stupid? She must, she repeats & repeats Ayla's & everyone elses series of names, repeats not once, but over & over how each discovery was made (like using flint for fire or the sewing needle) or why Wolf is tame & how terrified Jondolar's people are when they see him. I also thought this was the last book. I guess it's hard to give up a cash machine like this series. I for one will not be making anymore deposits.This is my last Auel purchase. Hey Jean, reread one of your first books and go back to that imaginative, fast moving, action filled format.
Rating: 
Summary: Disappointing
Review: Over the course of 20 years Auel has taken us from the peninsula in the inland sea, up north and now to the Great Waters of the West. Ayla, Jondalar, Wolf, Whinny and Racer have finally made it across the continent to the homeland of the Zelandoni. I only suggest reading this book if you are a diehard Ayla fan like I am or if you have never read any of the other Earth's Children books. Being a long time fan of the series, it was only my love for the wonderful heroine that made me actually finish this book through. The little development in the two main characters was very disappointing. Probably the best character was the First Among Those Who Serve the Mother. However, it becomes obvious the further you read that Auel is only setting the stage for what will be her next book in the series. In my opinion that wasn't very fair to this book, but it definitely leaves your mouth watering for more. If you think you can handle repeat explanations of things that have happened in other books, you should be fine. But I seriously couldn't handle hearing about how Wolf was raised with the children of the Lion Camp over and over and over. And enough with the Mother's Song! Three times is more than sufficient... and it's even written in the back of the book too. There WILL definately be times where you'll groan, roll your eyes and skip a few paragraphs. However, it is the repeating of past events that makes this book easy to read for those new Earth's Children. You don't have to read all the other books to understand what's going on. If anything, it will make you want to go back and read them to know more about what had happened to the mysterious and beautiful woman, Ayla. You will learn to love her as so many already do. I suggest you buy the first three of the series instead. Books four and five are just missing something... And it almost seems like Auel knows that because she kept rehashing material from her previous books. It feels like Auel was struggling with this one.
Rating:
Summary: Set-up for Book 6
Review: I just finished the book. I had read the other four, years ago, and I was disappointed it took so long to get Shelters of Stone out. I agree with the criticism of the tedious details and repetitions, but I believe that the author or editor (publisher) felt it was necessary in light of the huge gap in time between Plains of Passage and this one. I enjoyed the book, simply skimming over the plant physiology lectures and the anthropological discourses. I am impressed with Ms. Auel's knowledge, but after a while I just page through it to get back to the story. Despite the shortcomings, the book is entertaining, a good summer holiday read, and I look forward to the 6th. But I hope its out sooner than later.
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