What Looks Like Crazy On An Ordinary Day

Rating:
Summary: Too much drama and not enough detail!
Review: This book was a good freshman fiction effort for Cleage who traditionally writes essays and commentaries but she could have done much more in the way of character development. Every character in the book had a major issue or two or three and really could have been a book all by themselves. This book provides a great weekend read and begins to address a lot of social issues but if you want something with meat on the bones this is not for you.

Rating:
Summary: This book lacked substance.
Review: This was light reading in every respects. The story line was good but the book went no where. The reader needs more! Oprah's book selections have got to get better.

Rating:
Summary: Good with potential
Review: I really got into this story. I loved all the twists and turns. However, I think that the main character, Eva, was not developed enough. Although through her eyes we were able to get to know the other characters, she was not solid to me. Because of that I found it hard to really understand her love relationship. I would recommend this book, but I would caution.

Rating:
Summary: A modern-day inspiration
Review: A main character returning home, in effect, to spend the remainder of her life is not expected to be a positive tale. But I found Cleage took me on a journey so true that it was with regret that I finished that last page. Ava is an inspiration as a woman in today's world. She dealt with her issues, all the while keeping it in perspective, and with an open heart and mind. Ava is, in my opinion, the epitome of a modern-day heroine.

Rating:
Summary: Only in America...
Review: A lengthy review is unnecessary for this book mainly because there isn't anything noteworthy about it! Rather, I would like to talk about the possibility that the publisher(s) of this book might have slipped some cash under the table to get the Oprah "seal of approval." Is Oprah suddenly a reliable book critic? Is she the Siskel and Ebert of books? Well, don't take my word for it. Go ahead and read this one for yourself to discover the nothingness of it.

Rating:
Summary: Great Read! Thank You Amazon.com for allowing me to get it!
Review: This was a SUPER book! Definately a keeper for the bookshelf. I encourage all to read it...it'll take ya on an incredible journey through the life from an honest woman's point of view! :o)

Rating:
Summary: Great!! I couldn't put it down!!!
Review: This book was really excellent! From the moment I opened it, it was non-stop reading. Pearl Cleage makes the characters in this book so real. It was so easy for me to identify with each them. The only thing that really disappointed me was that it wasn't longer. When I got to end of the book I wanted to read more. I have recommeded this book to all of my friends and colleagues. Hopefully, Ms. Cleage will come out with another extraordinary novel.

Rating:
Summary: Ho-hum!
Review: I really wanted to like this book more than I ended up liking it but the truth is it just plain irritated me. I am so sick and tired of reading books to find once I've started that really all they are are drafts for movie scripts. It's like these authors Oprah are choosing are just trying to write something that will get them a whole lot of money when it is made into a movie. In this case What Looks Like Crazy... started off so slowly and then worked its way up to an incredibly interesting climax I thought wow this one is going to be different but ultimately I ended up disappointed. Cleage just ends the story straight after the climax - just like a movie - and here the reader is left just startled. It is like Cleage just got bored with the story and thought okay as long as it is out there someone will find it - in this case Oprah - and it will be made into a movie, hence the incredibly long and ultimately stupid title. What a shame because I really liked Joyce. Ada, well, Cleage can keep her. Joyce however deserved better.

Rating:
Summary: Very injoyable despite the intensity of it's topics.
Review: This was one of the best books I've read in a long time. Maybe I'm biased because I grew up in Flint and love Northern Michigan but I think Cleage does a great job of keeping believeable action going with allot of heart.

Rating:
Summary: a great journey into learning to live!
Review: Although this was heavy at times because of the realism around the HIV and drug abuse issues, it still was uplifting and had a precious message in it. I enjoyed it much, and would have liked to have had more to read... It ended too quickly!