The Snow Garden

Rating:
Summary: Follow Up Even Better Than First
Review: I had a great time reading this novel. Will it change the world and be a literary classic? Probably not, but it's twisted and perverse and sinister fun. Imagine if you will, "The Real World", or "Felicity" on a bad acid trip. If either of these shows are a foreign concept, this book may not be for you. The dark and disturbing things going on at the author's Atherton college reminded me of Donna Tartt's, "the Secret History", but with an MTV bent. Two bright college students, a gay man, Randall, and gal pal Kathryn each have their own dark secrets they keep from the other. As the story progresses it's what they don't tell that could ultimately harm them and the people they come in contact with. Chock full of twists and surprises, it's a book that will keep you guessing up until the gruesome and gothic finale that could only come from the mind of a Rice. Editing snafus aside I found this book to be even more assured and well written than his first, and if you liked "Density of Souls", you'll probably like this as well.

Rating:
Summary: Not as good as 'Density Of Souls'
Review: I read 'A Density Of Souls' when it first came out and then reread it a few months later and loved it both times. I was excited when I heard 'The Snow Garden' was coming out, so I got it as soon as it was available. I read and enjoyed the novel but I don't plan on rereading this one. The plot was, in my opinion, very gripping and the suspense just kept building and building until the explosive climax but I didn't care for the ending. Sure a majority of all the books questions are answered but I feel that there is alot of stuff that Christopher Rice could have added to make the ending a little more fulfilling. I felt I was left with too many 'what about's' at the end of the book. I am still a Christopher Rice fan and eagerly looking forward to his next novel.

Rating:
Summary: I couldn't put it down...
Review: Considering this is from a young author, I was very impressed by this pychological thriller. Plot twists and character development just kept me turning the pages. I will say I was a little put off by how EVERY character had "twisted" sexual experiences in their past. And yes, I know that this was necessary for the storyline, but come on ... everyone doesn't have some terrible sexual past.

Rating:
Summary: 1 star only because I have to....
Review:

If this is a true depiction of the world our children are living, then maybe it's time for that huge meteorite to just break through the atmosphere and blow us all into oblivion.

I've never read anything so twisted, sick, and absolutely without hope, happiness or even the possibility of any of the characters ever leading a happy life.

I'm not a Pollyanna-wannabe, either. I lived through the sixties and some pretty rough patches myself and I work at a social welfare office, so I've seen plenty of bad situations, but this story is the bleakest of the bleak.

Never mind the poor editing which other reviewers have pointed out....what should catch your attention is that this writer, because of his mother's popularity, has a built-in audience. And if that audience feels like he does (as obviously they do, considering the number of positive reviews), our society is in deep trouble.

No wonder Columbine happened...no wonder people are killing themselves, their spouses, their children.....no wonder we're immune to the news that a woman has drowned her children in a bathtub.

I will continue to have hope and happiness in my life, but I'm old and if what's coming up behind me are people like this author and his characters, what will the future hold? Like the characters/plot/title of THE SNOW GARDEN...it will be colorless and completely devoid of life.

Rating:
Summary: Christopher could learn from dear ole Mom
Review: I reviewed Rice's first book , whcih I thought had some problems, but compared to The Snow Garden, his first novel is a Pulitzer in disguise.

I think Rice's talent as a writer is evident, but the plot and pacing is just all wrong. I was put off by the twist ending. Instead of being surprised, I felt manipulated.

I also hope Rice fires his editor. At one point Randall grabs Tim's belt (while Tim is only wearing boxers, mind you) and toward the end the novel Ken approaches the closet, turns into Tim and then turns back in Ken. Supernatural forces? Naw, just baaaaad editing.

I will give Rice one more shot. I read his books in nearly one sitting (no doubt because there is so little there), and I sincerely wish him luck in the future. I just hope he lets his Mom read his stuff first, like any good kid.

My two cents.

Rating:
Summary: Captivating, tantalizing, and a delight to ever read!
Review: If I could sum up how I feel about Christopher Rice's work, it would be more than two words of fierce accomplishment on his part. He's very young and I already consider him a very modern-contemporary author. He takes chances with his novels, that very few writers will try and he delievers it with a graceful noise that can be heard for miles. With Christopher's first book, A Destiny of Souls, Rise took your mind to a place not many writers have had commercial success with. Gay relationship fiction sure won't be seen in rural Book of the Month Clubs, but Rice's first novel could have met certain death in the back of the dozens of gay novelty stores across America. Instead he's a national best seller now, with only 2 books under his belt. His popularity preceeds his last name and instead re-invents the genre he chose to write about. The Snow Garden is perfect example of this. He brings to life situations that many people call "drama". Drama can range from basically the serious to the not so serious, but every once in a while and he does bring the serious "drama" to every character. He has a good idea of how people react and think, which I think is a fantastic skill to have.

Loosely, The Snow Garden is about Randall Stone, his best friend Kathryn, her lesbian roommate April, and Randall's All-American, All Sexy roommate, Jesse. Randall has a little secret he's been keeping - he's been sleeping with a male professor and no one knows. Until one night, the professors wife turns up dead things began heating up. Randall's life has always been a scandal and with him sleeping with his ex Tim, the Reporter to find out more information about the professor turns this novel into a murder mystery of a different kind. Randall's best friend Kathryn starts to suspect all type of things, especially Randall's relationship with the ever hunky Jesse. But to her surprise, there's more to Randall than anyone knew and the ending will have you wanting more. Is there any wonder that this book, might become a movie soon?

However, on the flipside, Christopher doesn't take a lot of time to flesh out the characters more. Some of them seem very shallow and there's not enough substance on several of the characters you would like to know more about. Certain motivations of the characters are not explained in depth and there are times where you would like to feel emotions for certain characters, but can't because there's not enough of them explored. That's my only greivance with the book, but all in all,I thoroughly enjoyed reading it. Christopher can only get better with more and more books that he writes. I commend him on his efforts and I wish that he continues to drive home his modern storytelling to the utmost degree. I can't wait to see what he comes out with next.

Rating:
Summary: Snow Garden is an Eden for This Talented Writer
Review: I have read both of Christopher Rice's novels and he has matured greatly as a writer since the publicaiton of his last novel. Anyone who is now foolish enough to attribute his success as writer to his mother's fame is either blindly jeleous of his success or ignorant of the talent Christopher posseses. The book is filled with plot twists and secrets which keep the reader on the edge. His use of flashbacks to fill in character's past and tie them in with the present action shows a great deal of time and thought was put into The Snow Garden. The imagery in the novel makes you feel as if you are seeing the action through the character's eyes rather than a third party discribing the scene. Using imagery and ideas taken from Hieronymus Bosh and weaving them into his thriller is a brilliant move for Rice and helps give more insight into Bosh for the reader and understand the plot better. If Christopher has mautred this much form his first novel, I can only wait to see the power of his third novel. Anyone who is looking for not only an entertaining but stimulating read should buy The Snow Garden.

Rating:
Summary: Drama about drama and just plain silly
Review: I was looking forward to Christopher Rice's second book. Unfortunately, I was disappointed. While the writing style is often captivating I found the subject matter to be simplistic and trite. Often times the plot was a stretch and throughout I felt that there was too much sub-plot to add value to the story.

The book felt whinny, small and lacked substance. The ending was absurd.

We started off with a mature mystery to a post adolescent drama and ended in a house of wax. It was more laughable than engaging.

Rating:
Summary: Ahhhh.....Refreshing
Review: I have been waiting for this book since I read A Density of Souls. I'm not going to give anything away, no clues here. I just wanted to say it was a refreshing read, one of those books that I could not put down. I got lost in it to the point that my family had to flash lights at me to get my attention.
I love Christopher Rice's style of writing, you really fall in love with the characters, and I feel he is a brilliant writer. I would recommend this book to anyone that is looking for a great psychologially thrilling read. I hated to see it end.

Rating:
Summary: A noble second effort by Mr. Rice
Review: I have just completed reading Mr. Rice's latest novel and I am happy to report that I found it just as entertaining as his first venture! I also believe that his writing style and ability to draw a picture have improved with this second effort.

Suspense and mystery stories are among my favorite genre, and this book does not disappoint. As a gay man, the homo-erotic undertones are also appealing to me as a reader. I believe that Mr. Rice does an excellent job of weaving his mystery. Quite frankly, although I did identify some of the less noble characters in the story relatively early, I continued to ponder just who the heroes and the villains were right up to the end. I am often times disappointed by the fact that I can figure out a "who-dunnit" long before the last chapter. In the case of this work, I was pleasantly surprised. In fact, If I had any one criticism, it might be that this book employed one too many sub-plots in reaching its finale. However, I would be hard pressed to come up with a suggestion as to which sub-plot might have been eliminated. They were all delicious!

I applaud Mr. Rice for the skill in which he "paints his pictures" and for his apparent fearlessness in writing a book that some might consider aimed at a particular audience, because in my final analysis, I believe that both his novels have a very wide appeal. I look forward to his future efforts and strongly recommend this book for mystery lovers everywhere!