Rating: 
Summary: A Beautifully Disturbing Tale
Review: It only took me two days to complete this book, half of the time I was risking my job just to finish one more page. I found the story of "hero" Harley to mesmerizing to put down. The author Tawni O'Dell created characters who I will never forget. I have seen many stories on child abuse, but none have moved me so much. I felt for Harley and his sisters trying to survive the fate of their jailed mother and the memory of the abuse of their father. It is how each individual chose to deal with their pain, that is so enticing. Harley with his work ethic, Amber with her promiscuity, Misty's shady side and little Jody's painstaking notes written daily just to keep herself sane. I hope that Ms. O'Dell will follow up on this family, with the same detail of this novel.. Class act work!
Rating:
Summary: Disturbing and powerful
Review: I kept thinking of Jane Smiley's "A Thousand Acres." Afraid to keep reading because of what the truth may reveal, but yet unable to stop.
Rating:
Summary: One of the best books I have read in a very long time
Review: What a great story; told with humor and depth. I couldn't put it down. It had everything; tragedy, humor, love, hate, violence, defiance and absurdities. Hopefully this is a first of many novels for this author.
Rating: 
Summary: Disturbing
Review: I cannot believe how many individules have given BACKROADS such a high rating. Two weeks after finishing this book I still cannot shake the bad taste it left. I'm disapointed in myself for even continuing to read it, even though I was disgusted not even half way through. It is full of child abuse (mental and physical), vulgar language (how many times can one person say the "F" word in one sentance?) and least of all where is the plot? I felt as though I was reading in cicles, not ever getting anywhere..just ending up right back where I started. I will not recommend this book to anyone and most certainly will not permit any child's or teenage hands to turn the pages. This was my third "Oprah" book and the first I was disapointed with. What was Oprah thinking recomending a book with such a disturbing scale?
Rating: 
Summary: Interesting debut novel
Review: Intriguing tale but the true indicator of this writer's considerable talent is the fact that a female author told the story through the words of a male protagonist. The male mind is usually a foreign animal as far as women are concerned but this writer has the insight to create a truly believeable character who garners the reader's interest.
Rating:
Summary: One of the worst books I have ever read.
Review: This is undoubtedly one of the worst books that I have ever read. I seldom read fiction and this is a good example of why I choose not to. If it wasn't for the F word there wouldn't have been a plot. In fact I never did understand what message the story was trying to get across. I am a 70 year old male and let me assure readers that the male personna was not captured....at least not for my generation. I am a former steel mill worker and a former combat Marine. I point this out to show that I am not a prude. I have heard it all, but in my opion this book is offensive to men. Real men.
Rating:
Summary: You will wish this new author many more!
Review: I cracked open the spine of my newly purchased book and inhaled deeply (a passion of mine - the smell of a new book ) This book entitled 'Backroads' by Tawni O'Neill. I had heard recently of this book and the author, on the Oprah show. I was at the very least skeptical, due to it being a new Oprah pick and the complicated tendencies and prejudices whom every avid reader is aware when reading Oprah picks. Although, I have to say, I do usually read Oprah's picks and, in fact, probably own every one of these novels and feel it is money well spent; "well worth it novels", a valuable addition to my ever increasing library. These books represent to me an intimate involvement of a day or less. This book held me captive for a full three days. Captive to the point where my family began to look at me sidelong and strangely, perhaps because I was spending long hours in the bathroom and the bedroom in order to have a valid reason to continue reading. It also could be the fact that after incessant reading, I get this disoriented look about me, a person who has been startled from a deep sleep; a person who has been a passenger in a vehicle for long hours. This is a sad book. But there is an incredible amount to learn along the way. The characters are original. They create a wonderful thought provoking, endearing, and heart wrenching reading experience. One merely wants to be able to protect these characters from harm and perhaps even be kin to them. It was a book that I found hard to put down. One of those 'special' reads where one reaches the end and is frustrated because the book doesn't continue; the characters are no longer a part of their life.
Rating:
Summary: masterpeice
Review: i thought that this book was teriffic. i could not put it down. it is a page-turner alright. tawni uses such vivid words and feeling that it is amazing. if you have not read this book, its time to pick up a copy!
Rating: 
Summary: Backroads--A Book of Interest
Review: Life is hard at best, but especially for a boy left to raise his sisters while his mother is in jail. A surprise ending, which I won't divulge at this time. But I would say it is a satisfactory ending. I actually give it 3-1/2 stars, and highly recommend it.
Rating:
Summary: Five Stars is Not Enough!
Review: What a wonderfully written book this is! The author, a woman, writes from the point of view of a young man so brilliantly, so honestly, you would never ever guess it was written by a woman, she did a truly exceptional job getting into Harley's mind. The story is devastating, this poor boy from an abusive dysfunctional home is trying to shoulder the burden of caring for his three sisters, to be the man his disgusting dead father never was. He works two jobs in a nowhere town, gets nothing but grief from his sisters, is riddled with grief and bitterness and hormones. Their house is falling apart, they are eating garbage-y junk food, and there is very little help for any of them. I could sense tragedy, if not a massive nervous breakdown, coming from the very start. This is not a pleasant book. We sit and laugh at the Jerry Springer people on TV but this is the sort of hopeless, ignorant, mind-numbing background they come from, and more people should be aware of it. Because violence, ignorance, and poverty do not produce nice polite happy people. Tawni Wells, major congratulations to you for capturing Harley's voice and world so pefectly. You made me cry, and I can only hope this pathetic family (what's left of it) will survive and someday be in a happier place.
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