Rating: 
Summary: A Great Book that you Can't put down !
Review: I thought to myself when I bought the Novel The Snow Garden was, 'Christopher Rice is only published because of his Mother's influence!' BOY was I wrong ! I am a Person who does not read that often and when I do the book must grab me in the first few pages or forget it. The moment I started reading the first line of the book, I was some how hooked on the way Christopher Rice had such a good grasp on how to propell his readers through trials of the characters and some how make so you could not put the book down in fear of the story continuing on with out you. I normally finish a novel in about three days. Lets just say this one took half a day to finish. I just could not put it down. The well developed plot gave me the ride of a lifetime, following all the twists and turns that the characters faced, it was though i was there with them. I love the book so much I went out the next day and bought Destiny of Souls, that too was read in less than a day.
Rating:
Summary: Christopher Rice has done it again!
Review: Another great book from Christopher Rice. After reading 'A Density of Souls' last year, I could not wait until his next book 'The Snow Garden' was released. I was not disappointed. The has written a very intriguing gothic mystery. This story centers around fictitious Atherton University, and key characters Randall Stone, a Freshman student, and Dr. Eric Eberman, a married, closeted professor. Enter a cast of characters from different walks of life, all with their own secrets in their background, 2 deaths nearly 20 years apart, both ladies with relationships with Dr. Eberman, and a bizarre sex cult, and you have the basis for a very good novel. Like A DENSITY OF SOULS, I could not put this book down. Christopher Rice has definately distinguished himself as an author with his own talent. Now with two very good novels under his belt, people should no longer be saying he only got his book published because of who his mother is. I cannot wait until his next book, whatever it may be, is published. Way to go Christopher! Keep up the Good Work!
Rating: 
Summary: This novel gets a Raspberry from me
Review: Disappointing, disappointing, and what do you know, disappointing! That just about sums up my feelings towards this book after doggedly ploughing through the entire thing. Obviously, literary talent isn't hereditary in the Rice family. I havn't read crime thrillers since many moons ago, so when I decided to pick one up again and decided on Snow Garden, I thought I was in for a night of exciting action. I was proven wrong. By the time I had gotten through a quarter of the book, I knew it was a lost cause. Granted, one shouldn't be expecting beautiful lyrical prose in thrillers and in-depth character delineation, but surely one shouldn't be served with truckloads of surfacial details (e.g. about art), attempts at creating multitudious oh-so-quirky homosexual relationships and a plot that sinks to abysmal depths!! Seriously, if Chris Rice has any writing ability at all, I hope he shows it soon. This novel is a very disappointing showcase of his talent (if any).
Rating: 
Summary: It's not bad, but...
Review: After reading "A Destiny of Souls", I was looking forward to reading Christopher Rice's second book, to see where he had come to as a writer. I can't say that I was dissappointed, but I wasn't expecting all that much either. These books are good pulpy reads- but there is a definite lack of substance to them. The descriptions of people and places aim to be complex, but just come across as generic. One character is actually described as "short and stocky"- banal at best. I think the main thing to like about this book is that it does take some unexpected twists at the end that will keep you guessing, but never really overly excited, as several of those twists fall into unbelievable territory. All told, "The Snow Garden" is a quick read, as it's not a very hard book to process. It's entertaining- and would make for a good campy movie or mini series someday. I hope that Mr. Rice will settle down with his third novel, and dispense with the oodles of plot turns and minor characters and concentrate more on getting to the heart of the few main characters that the story focuses on. He tried this time, but fell short.
Rating: 
Summary: A complex thriller
Review: Although the summary on the book's jacket is a little misleading, I found it impossible to put down. The characters and the plot are richly drawn. The plot has many twists and turns. Just when you think you've got it figured out, something new is added. I'd recommend this book for people who enjoy mental gymnastics and all the thrills that come along with it.
Rating:
Summary: Geared to the correct audience
Review: "The Snow Garden" along with Rice's first book (...) are all good books as long as you fit the demographic. I would not reccomend this book to any adult or heterosexual. However they are both perfect for gay youth. Myself being a part of that community enjoyed the book. However it is sort of a fluffy book that has mediocre substance, but none the less it was a facinating read.
Rating:
Summary: Predictable with rotten characters
Review: Mr. Rice does not live up to his name with this book. Even the most predictable of his mother's stories could still be gripping and intense. As for this book, I found myself completely disinterested in the highly dislikable characters from about a quarter of the way through. The beginning is fairly interesting, though is ultimately a set-up for what is possibly the lamest motive motive for homicide I've read in several years. Then our lovely duckies fuddle around a college campus for a while, visit several other key, dull areas, sexual overtones intensify, and the story comes to its predictable, threadbare close after far too many pages that seemed merely filler. I am impressed by the fact that so many previous reviewers enjoyed it. A good thriller, to me, is edgy and provocative enough to leave its reader feeling slightly uncomfortable and pushed to a personal limit, in just the way we as an audience enjoy. This book took many cheap shots to achieve that end, usually with its homosexual themes. Homoeroticism admittedly has a time-honored place in arts and literature (a topic this book superficially explores with its college professor character), but there are several scenes that read more like third-rate porn than literature. I would call these cheap shots, thrilling some readers while making others squirm. But as I wrote before, lots of people seemed to enjoy the book. I wouldn't call it the most boring book I've read, but I would say it makes for a predictable and generally unpleasant read.
Rating:
Summary: Not for Literature Lovers
Review: This novel seems contrived, cliche, and intentionally geared towards a young audience. The eroticism is cheap and bland. The characters are often too predictable. Mr. Rice seems to tell too much without giving the reader credit, while at other times, important information is not presented. The writing seems stiff and stills needs development and finesse. The author seems to have the interest and desire to push further, as aspects of the story are based upon valid theories regarding Bosch. But, even this leaves me feeling as if the author might be imprisoned within the angst-ridden, curious, knowledge seeking student category he so well illustrates in his writing. Instead of intriquing me with an well-written piece of work, the author had me shaking my head in embarrassement at the memories of the assinine behaviour in college. To top it off with an outrageous and almost unbelievable finale does not provide one with confidence in his writing abilities. The story is all over the board, needs further development for quality writing. Definitely not of literary quality.
Rating:
Summary: Slow and Boring
Review: I have no doubt that Christopher Rice has talent but you wouldn't know it much from this novel. It's so boring. Nothing happens. I actually managed to get half way through the book and was so bored with it, I just stopped. NOTHING HAPPENS...Certainly if it did, it was someplace after the middle of the book!
Rating:
Summary: a chilling surprise
Review: After reading this book, I noticed that I was kept mentioning it to everyone I talked to during the next following weeks. It left that type of impression on me. You love and hate the main characters - Randall, Kathryn, Jesse, Tim and Eric, it's a wonderful mix. The story follows along smoothly and never bores you, but it does keep you staying up late at night just to finish those last 10 pages before drifting off to sleep. But at the end - after all the twists and turns you take, you end up at "The Snow Garden", with some horrors that I couldn't stop thinking about, and insight on how evil some people can be. A part of me almost wishes I never read the last 30 pages. The fate that awaited some character's at the end were very, very disturbing Mr. Rice has a very different style than that of his mothers. He goes into just enough detail without boring you, and keeps the story moving along nicely.
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