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Summary: Wake Me Up When It's Over
Review: After reading the previous 67 reviews of Baldacci's Wish You Well, I am amazed and intrigued that people can have such varied opinions. I purchased this book after a store clerk compared it to Nicholas Spark's Notebook. I think not! This is a simple, predictable beyond words story, that I had difficulty completing. Imagine watching a made for TV movie, sleeping through 3/4's of it, and waking up only to discover you didn't miss anything at all....that's what reading Wish You Well was for me. Are you sure Baldacci wrote this?
Rating: 
Summary: Don't Bother - He leaves you hanging
Review: I am so mad right now that I took the time to read that book. I was waiting to find out about the outcome of the children of one of the "villians" so to speak. He never mentioned what happened to them at the end. I felt so bad for those children who were beat and Never fed, I cried at least 5 times in the book. What happened with the court money? How and where did the mom and Cotton live??? Who did Lou marry? I wish I could write to David and tell him, please don't ever end a story WITHOUT a happy ending to the characters that one comes to feel for. He left too many open issues. I won't read him again!
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Summary: Beautiful, well written...
Review: PLEASE; WHEN YOU REVIEW A BOOK, PLEASE DON'T GIVE AWAY THE ENDING! I'm so glad I didn't read the reviews before reading this book or I'd have been very, very disappointed! This is a wonderful story about a little girl who'd lived in NY(10 yrs old) , only to be uprooted and moved to the Appalachians to live with her G.Grandmother. Moving, humorous, intriguing; chock full of interesting characters. A bit fanciful with regard to wishing, but who hasn't made a little wish or two? YES, DB has written a completely different novel from his usual, but AS USUAL, I HAD to read it in one sitting. His style is there; and there's even suspense and a courtroom scene. I felt real good after finishing this story... I'm glad he wrote it and look forward to the next.
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Summary: Generation Rap
Review: I am generally not one who cherishes tales told by elders. I also get much more thrill from neon and big city fare than I do from a barn-raising or a "green meadow... bracketed by vast forests of every wood the state boasted" and "enormous hogs (rolling) in a wallow of mud." I, therefore, did not begin this book expecting to be transfixed by a tale set on a farm in 1940. However, I remained neutral only until Page 6. At that point, I was irretrievably hooked by the foreshadowing at the end of the first chapter; the characters quickly took it from there.Lou Cardinal and her little brother (Oz), twelve and seven years old, respectively, lose their father in the same automobile accident in which their mother is severely traumatized. They must leave their New York home and go to live with their great-grandmother, whom they have never met. Each of the main characters is someone with whom I adored spending time. Clearly drawn, they are movie figures waiting to be filmed. Lou and Oz's new-found friend, Diamond Skinner, is a delightful Appalachian version of Huckleberry Finn who leads the siblings through numerous adventures. However, of all the characters, I most loved Louisa Mae Cardinal, Lou and Oz's octogenarian great-grandmother. She is a woman who is hard enough to survive with little help on a farm but gentle enough to help her neighbors should they find themselves in situations that might be worse than hers. David Baldacci draws his mountain characters with a delicate touch. He portrays them not as barefooted, uneducated hicks but as good neighbors with a unique cultural background. In my circle of friends and family, this story has spoken across age groups and has been loved by women in their 40s, 60s, 70s and 90s. If the tales she told had been this good, I would have made sure I had been listening whenever Granny was talking.
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Summary: I wish I could write as well as David Baldacci
Review: This is the best book I've read in the last several years. David has a way with words and stories to keep the reader on the edge throughout the read. I could not put the book down until I finished. It is worthwhile devoting a day to read. I wish David well in all his future endeavors. This book is about the power of faith and a wishing well. Set in the mountains in Appalachia. Shows the painful hardships of "the greatest generation."
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Summary: A tempting and delightful book!!!!
Review: At first I didn't know what to make of "Wish You Well." I felt bad for OZ and Lou, but didn't know what the life w/ their great-grandma would bring. I was surprised and delighted by the whole story. I especially missed the antics of Diamond Skinner. He seemed to be the meat in the sandwich. I was happy for the two kids at the end.....Everything wasn't coming up roses.... but it wasn't all bad.
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Summary: Triumph of Human Spirit
Review: Baldacci manages to take a fairly simple story line and turn it into a deeper message about triumph of the human spirit. Within a serene mountain setting interrupted by the occasional mine blast, our independent-minded heroine, Lou, overcomes multiple tragic losses yet remains realistic and steadfast throughout. In being sent to the childhood home of her dead father, she discovers who she is through her family's past and in the end realizes that... oh, I won't spoil it for you. I enjoyed this book tremendously and in fact, read it over just two evenings. It is a real page turner and beautifully written. If you enjoy colorful, yet familiar, characters and uplifting "discovering life" stories then this one is for you.
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Summary: I was shocked!
Review: I did not read any reviews of this book prior to reading it. I assumed it was going to be in Baldacci's regular thiller genre. It was a pleasant surprise and it kept me turning each page. I was amazed and enthralled by his descriptions of the characters and places. I felt as if I were on the mountain smelling the earth. I felt as if I had met Oz, Diamond, Cotton, Louisa and, of course, Lou. I usually don't enjoy books when the author tries "something new." this one was absolutely wonderful and I cannot wait to see where Baldacci takes us next.
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Summary: A pleasant change
Review: I am a big Baldacci reader and fan. I wasn't sure I was going to read this book since the review said it was a change from the super thrillers that he normally writes. Well.....I am glad that I took the plunge and read the book. It is a nostalgic trip back to the Virginia mountains from New York City. He spins a great tale about the struggles of living in the mountains and true to form gets some Baldacci suspense in the end. A must read. Could even make a good movie!
Rating:
Summary: a "can't put down" book
Review: David Baldacci has written a book that touches the emotions of its readers. The characters are so real and you become so wrapped up in their lives. Little OZ made me chuckle out loud several times, he is so precious. And Lou, what a charmer! Of course, there were some tears, laughter and joy. If you want a book that will absolutely give you pleasure reading it, then don't pass this one up. Thank you Mr. Baldacci!
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