Rating: 
Summary: interesting read
Review: this book was a page-turner and very well written. it is kind of a bizarre story and shocking at times, but very very good, I thought. the story is told from the point of view of the oldest son who must take care of his younger siblings. it is definitely not a feel good novel, but I was very glad I read it. very compelling.
Rating:
Summary: A Great Book
Review: I enjoyed reading the book all the way through. A young boy is left to take care of his 3 younger sisters.They came from an unhappy home where the mother finally kills the father and she is sent to prison.Books that touch the emotions are my favorite and this one does that very well. It is a great story and you will love it.
Rating: 
Summary: Good for the fire place
Review: In true Oprah's Book Club fashion, there is nothing uplifting in this depressing tale of woe. The book is a true "page turner", skipping pages fast. I don't know what it is with female authors, they can't fascinate, even when they describe sex, which seems to be one of the hotpoints in this "novel". It's so boring!, also where the ketchup bottle is and how much mustard goes on the hotdog, which the dog doesn't notice, the barking dog called Elvis. The milieu in this novel (a nice word for a poorly written piece of work) is low-life in America, here of all places in Pennsylvania. Like the story the language is low-life. Tawni O'Dell attempts to be a 19 year old boy, because she writes in the first-person-form. I miss the humor. The mother is in prison for killing the father, whether she has done it or not. The boy copes with raising his three sisters in his immature ways, because he has legal custody of them..... Believable?? And of course, the story deals with incest, one of Oprah's main occurence in too many of her chosen books. If you can stand it and the murderous teenagers in this psychotic household, read it! I like the reviewer who threw the book into the fire place. Maybe you will too. gerborguta
Rating: 
Summary: Outstanding!
Review: I read this book before it made Oprah's List. I am a writer and I thought the characters in 'Back Roads' were so good it reminded me of 'Songs in Ordinary Time' by Mary McGarry Morris. I highly recommend this book for anyone interested in fiction with believable characters in real-life situations.
Rating:
Summary: An excellent book!
Review: I'm sure most readers would have thought that Harvey was some sick, ...male. But I thought he was just your typical 20 yr. old with sex on the brain 24/7. He was thrown into a situation of raising his three younger sisters working two jobs doing the best he could given the circumstances. The author's writing style was so vivid and descriptive that you could picture perfectly each chapter of the book. She led us deep into the Back Roads of Harvey's world.... Reviewed by: Shiela
Rating:
Summary: I can't believe I read the WHOLE book
Review: When I started reading this book, I was intrigued by Harley's courage, his ability to survive tragedy and adapt to hardship, and the intriguing mix of responsibility, fantasy, and devotion -to his particularly UNinteresting, dysfunctional family. This young man was damaged, twisted, and then defeated into the kind of fellow who had all the makings of a typical serial killer in a sequel -but a REAL "big brother" he is NOT. I felt that he was perverted, and abusive of EVERY female in his life, in some way, as he held no respect or genuine concern for any of them; they were merely "objects" he used, ignored, or detested. The entire drama was so tragic and disgusting, that I truly cannot recall experiencing any "reading pleasure" from this literary drivel. I finished the book hoping for SOMETHING better in the end -but when it was over, it only left a sour taste in my mouth. This was the first book I didn't pass on to a friend to read -and the first one I ever threw away.
Rating: 
Summary: Great start, weak ending.
Review: O'Dell's characters are finely crafted and kept me reading way past my bedtime. I found myself thinking about the characters: Harley, his sisters, and Callie even when I was away from the book. The first half of the book is very strong and well-written, delving into Harley's psychology and emotions and pulling the reader along quickly. My problem with the book was toward the end, when the story suddenly becomes disappointingly melodramatic. All along I felt the book's strength was in its wonderful characters and Harley having to come to terms with family tragedy, with the mundaneness of life and responsibility, of observing his fierce love and loyalty to his sisters, even in the face of deep family dysfunctions. Then, the end of the book suddenly turns into a bad and almost soap-opera-like twist of plot, robbing it of the very thing that makes the rest of the novel so powerful - the honest and down to earth grittiness of individuals dealing with tragedy.
Rating:
Summary: Add this one to your "must read" list
Review: I usually put a book back on the shelf if it doesn't suck me in by the first few pages. Backroads sucked me in from the first page. I couldn't put it down. Tawni O'Dell does an amazing job of developing the main character, Harley. I felt like I knew him personally. I wanted to hug him and shake some sense into him all at the same time. Harley made me laugh a lot when he was so honest with people. There are some great quotes to take from this book.
Rating:
Summary: Weak...
Review: This story was boring and useless. It was very unbelievable and repetitive. I kept hoping the story would develop, but it never got off the ground. I found myself tired of hearing about the main character, chapter after chapter. Rent - don't buy.
Rating:
Summary: O'Dell takes the high road with Back Roads
Review: Tawni O'Dell certainly took the high road in her ingenious first novel about a nineteen year-old young man who becomes the legal guardian of his younger sisters after his mother is sent to prison for life for the murder of his father. He didn't have to take that responsibility, but he chose it. As he struggles with physical and emotional exhaustion and instability to make ends meet, he starts to think his life is worthless until he begins a touching relationship with a beautiful older woman. When he loses his virginity to her, he thinks there might actually be a God after all. But it doesn't last. He never seems to catch a break and his tranquility is short-lived. At times our hero doesn't seem like such a hero. Harley is witty, sarcastic and highly sensitive, and he takes care of his sisters. But he's also frightening. He's constantly walking the thin line between good and evil, as if he isn't sure what route to take, and he's so emotionally tortured by his abusive upbringing that O'Dell makes us think that any moment he will crack, as he uncovers some shocking truths about his family and some enlightening realizations about himself. O'Dell constantly keeps us guessing at who the real villain is, until we realize there are no villains but victims. While reading this book on the edge of my seat, I was constantly reminded of a phrase I heard often throughout my school days: "Pay attention because there will be a test later." O'Dell pens each sentence with such flair that you'll want to pay attention. No matter how insignificant all the little things may seem, we are constantly hinted that they might become significant later. O'Dell grabs readers with the first sentence and doesn't let go until the last. But even then, she doesn't let go. Readers will remember Harley long after his tale is told, after the tragic climax and tear-jerking finale, and will be left with hope for his future. At least I was.
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