Rating: 
Summary: This book is better than "Midwives".
Review: I am a little disconcerted about the similarities between "Midwives" and "The Law of Similars". Both deal with women in Vermont who practice non-traditional medicine and make mistakes that get them in hot water. The reasons that "Similars" is better is that 1) It has more humor. 2) It has a touching love story. 3) It depicts the love between a father and his young child poignantly. However, the case of the misguided homeopath is somewhat contrived and unrealistic. Nor do I believe that Fowler would have played fast and loose with the law the way he did. Bohjalian seems to be hung up on moral ambiguities in life. I have no problem with that per se, but he should stick a little closer to reality. However, in its favor, "The Law of Similars" is an engrossing and a fast read, with snappy dialogue and sharply delineated characters. It is a step up from "Midwives," which was far too dark and depressing.
Rating: 
Summary: something different...
Review: I read this book in one day on vacation. I couldn't put it down, I didn't want to put it down. I liked Midwives. I loved Law of Similars. I didn't feel it was anything like Midwives. I liked the characters, epecially the tenderness between Leland and his daughter. As far as the other reviewer's opinion on the sex scene, while it was different, it was refreshing to read a sex scene that wasn't so predictable and boring. My grandmother liked it so much she told me to read it and I'm passing it along to my friends.
Rating: 
Summary: Enjoyed the book.
Review: Enjoyed the book and loved the main caracter
Rating:
Summary: Well-written, but...come on...
Review: The plot was so similar to that of Midwives that it actually diminished the impression I had of the author after reading the former book! Are all of his novels going to deal with alternative medicine and society's reaction to its practitioners?Also, I have a problem with the sex scene in this book. It's quite disgusting, and so...anatomical. It's like it was written by a surgeon or something. Come on...
Rating: 
Summary: A rehashing of Midwives
Review: "A person dies in the care of an alternative health care provider, and the state considers prosecuting her for the death. A loved one risks it all to doctor her personal notebooks surrounding the incident and save her from prison, while both the provider and the loved one weigh the moral and ethical aspects of what has occurred." Sound familiar? Midwives or Law of Similars? Having found Midwives so refreshingly honest, I was exceedingly disappointed in the Law of Similars. Bohjalian has written the same book twice, only it was much less interesting the second time around. The relationships in the Law of Similars were neither as believable or as sympathetic as those in Midwives. The main characters in Law of Similars were never in the grips of jeopardy as the characters in Midwives. The legal and moral responsibilities of the main characters in Law of Similars were less clear than in Midwives. While his prose is every bit as enticing this time around, the Law of Similars pales in comparison to Midwives in every other way. Perhaps I would have thought about that less while reading this new book if I hadn't already read the same story by Bohjalian last year.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent! Couldn't put it down.
Review: I thought this book was even better than Midwives - I didn't know anything about homeopathic medicine before reading this book and wasn't particularly interested in it, however Bohjalian made me want to learn more about it with each page of his book. Was sorry that the book ended!
Rating:
Summary: hard to put down
Review: I was caught up in this book quickly and found it hard to put down. Thankfully we had a snow day from school so I could finish it guilt free!
Rating:
Summary: A compelling read
Review: I very much enjoyed The Law of Similars however I couldn't believe that the main character would suddenly decide to risk everything for this woman he barely knows especially without hearing both sides of the story. I also was amazed that he was so "dim" that he didn't realize that he was poisening himself with the arsenic he'd stolen. During the first half of the book he is depicted as an intelligent lawyer while during the second half he suddenly begins making very poor choices. It didn't make sense.
Rating:
Summary: An intense novel that informs and pleases its readers.
Review: I loved Midwives. Awesome book. And while reading this book, I felt I was enjoying it more than Midwives, I have to admit that the ending seemed a little weak. Homeopathy is a subject I knew nothing about, and this book informed me and made me curious to learn more.
Rating:
Summary: Falls short of "Midwives"
Review: A real fast starter, but the pace slows to a halt and the end is unsatisfying. Far more interesting than the plot is the look at homeopathic medicine of which I was totally ignorant and which I found absolutely fascinating. Not nearly as much action, excitement or drama as "Midwives." The character development of state attorney Leland is well done, though. I was disappointed as well in the lack of the courtroom scenes I had come to love from "Midwives." Could there be a sequel brewing with the way it ends?
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