Rating: 
Summary: not worth it
Review: This book, for all the publicity and hype, had nothing to remarkable to reccomend it. I was not struck by the writing, was bored and doubtful of the plot, and felt the strongest thing I got from it was the writer's self-congratulation.
Rating: 
Summary: Not nearly as good as The Secret History
Review: The Little Friend could have been vastly improved with some judicious editing to remove 100 or so pages. And can someone tell me who or what "the little friend" of the title is? If it's revealed in the novel anywhere, I plain missed it.
Rating:
Summary: One Shot Wonder: Donna Tartt, Not this Time
Review: After immense praise of The Secret History, (which took ten years to write) to say that The Little Friend has fallen from such literary grace would imply that it was at least a foot off the ground to begin with. Not true. The Little Friend never leaves the ground. In all candor, the story begins with the ambiguously named 'prologue' only because it happens outside of the story. It would have been a first chapter had it had a transition to the next. Instead, it is a forewarning of the stumbling verbosity to follow: The author is more interested in word count than telling a good story. Action'or at least plot points'occur 300 pages into the book, if one makes it that far. Patience is a must for this endeavor, and I felt like a battle worn soldier by the time I stumbled across the finish line, unrewarded for my time. In short, The Little Friend lacks story, sympathetic characters, transitions, common sense, empathy, and an ending. Without these elements, it comes as no surprise that since it (like her first novel) took ten years to write, it will take at least ten years to read.
Rating: 
Summary: Long? Yes! But who wants a good book to end soon?
Review: Unlike this book, I will keep my comments short. If you're looking for an action packed thriller, this is not the book for you. However, I enjoyed it for its marvellous, descriptive use of the English language. Reading Donna Tart is like admiring a richly woven tapestry. Her writing pulled me right in. I felt myself physically transported into the place and time. To be able to accomplish such a feat is a true gift on the part of the author!
Rating:
Summary: Layered and thought provoking
Review: Point #1: Do not expect a mystery like The Secret History. This is a different book. The first half is all background about the characters before the evident plot takes over. Point #2: This is not a book about a sleuth looking for her brother's murderer. Yes, that is ostensibly Harriet's motive, but Donna Tartt's motive is to give us a look into a very lonely, independent girl on the brink of puberty. This book is very layered, dealing with subjects such as loss, race and class issues, divorce (although technically Harriet's parents aren't divorced). The story is steeped in the hot South. It provides plenty to think about. The book dragged for me toward the middle, but then picked up again. It definitely is dark, but I really warmed to Harriet and her life. I felt the predicament of an "independent" 12 year old who really could not make the decisions that would affect her life. She is supposed to be under the edict of the adults in her life about big things, but not little things. It felt aggravating to me because I wanted her to lash out at these people. Harriet seems older than 12. The book is character driven, not plot driven. It's not a fluff read, so if you're thinking to polish off a mystery novel over the weekend, this is not the book for you. However, if you want to live with some interesting characters for that weekend, and be immersed in a hot Mississippi summer with a searching, interesting 12-year old girl, then grab this book.
Rating: 
Summary: The vile south. An arrogant writer.
Review: The vile culture of the south is the backdrop to this story, and it detracts from some very good writing. In addition, the author's work reflects a bothersome literary arrogance. Her knowledge and abilities are considerable, but she throws that superiority in the reader's face numerous times, starting on page one. In her previous book, The Secret History, one doesn't associate this attitude with the author because it is so wholly consistent with that of her characters, but in this story, with characters almost bereft of intellect, it is impossible to connect it with anyone but the author herself, and that hardly endears her to the reader.
Rating:
Summary: Absorbing tale of two families
Review: I really enjoyed this book! The main character and supporting cast were fascinating. I feel that the reviewers who criticized it as boring, or because it didn't come to a conventional conclusion are off base. Its full of wry humor that at times made me laugh out loud, and insights about childhood that are a bit like Stephen King (IT) on a good day, with a bit of Faulkner thrown in. The way the two families were woven together was worth the price of admission even if the book had no other virtues. I also liked that Little Friend doesn't fit easily into any genre or category. It is very different from " A Secret History" but can stand on its own.
Rating:
Summary: Did you really expect her to write The Secret History again?
Review: I think the negative reviews here are based on the fact that those who read Tartt's brilliant The Secret History had to wait ten years for Donna Tartt's second novel and I suppose many were expecting another rehash of the same. Instead, Donna Tartt offers up a sultry story of Southern mores reminiscent of Harper Lee or Carson McCullers. Donna Tartt herself (whom I happened to meet at a reading for this novel) said that she is highly influenced by Flannery O'Connor and if you're familiar with O'Connor's work you will know that O'Connor writes very dark material and has a tendency of leaving things up the air, left for your own personal interpretation. The only drawback I could find to the novel is trying to pinpoint exactly what decade this occurs. One scene describes a character as having the afro of a Black man, white bell-bottoms and a corduroy suit jacket giving the feeling that this takes place in the early to mid 70s. Another scene has a character making a brief reference to the yellow fever outbreak back in '79 making it possible for this novel to take place in the early 80s. I'm hard pressed to tell when The Little Friend occurs. Plot isn't the driving force here, instead the characters are. If you prefer plot development over character development then this isn't the novel for you. Essentially, this is a novel about loss: the loss of childhood innocence, the loss of loved ones, the loss of friendships. Tartt's prose is so intense, I could feel Harriet's sense of hopelessness and despair as the world she knows changes and falls apart around her. Who doesn't remember as a child when you begin to understand the harsh realities of life? When you're faced with Death for the first time? When you begin to realize that you're no longer a child anymore and that the world is an ugly place? Although the murder of Harriet's brother is the catalyst for the story, shortly thereafter I began to realize that chances are she isn't going to solve the mystery for two reasons: 1) how absurd would it be for a 12 year old girl to solve a 12 year old mystery that police and private detectives couldn't solve and 2) it was impossible for Danny Ratliff to be the murderer of her brother because he was only seven years old when her brother was killed. Donna Tartt once again writes a thought provoking and compelling novel that I thoroughly enjoyed. There may be some discrepancies or even errors in fact with this novel, but what novel is perfect? Her characters are very real and, contrary to most reviewers protests, I feel she tells a gripping, page turning, roller coaster ride of a tale with a nailbiting climax. Donna Tartt truly is an inspiration to me (which I had the pleasure of telling her). I highly anticipate her next novel.
Rating:
Summary: Long Winded..
Review: Yes,I was hoping that this book would be as good as "Secret History". Sadly it is not. It does have some good writing in it and the story is has great potential. It's just that the "O" word(overwritten) makes the book collapse on itself like a house with a shaky foundation. Harriet,the young protagnist,was annoying as well and the family she acccuses of murdering her brother years ago,are a sad,rather boring lot for the most part and way too much time was spent on them. Strangely enough,the grandmother was the most sympathetic charactor in the book. I really liked her no-nonsense attitude. If you are going to read this book,have lowered expectations and plenty of patience..
Rating:
Summary: Disappointingly Boring & Verbose
Review: I cannot imagine how she made any money for this book. It's boring, long-winded, and downright dull. IMO, only the Russian classic authors could get away with paragraph long sentences...I read a little over half of it, then went to the back and read the last few chapters. There was not one single character that I cared for...most of them were mere stick figures with no flesh on their bones. I've never given a 2-star review before, but I hope to save others from wasting their precious time reading this way over-hyped tome.
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