Rating: 
Summary: Typical Patterson Entertainment!
Review: As you may or may not know, Cradle And All is a rework of Patterson's 2nd novel called Virgin. Most likely if you read Virgin within the past few years and remember the ending you probably won't want to read Cradle And All -- even though there are differences between the two versions. But if you haven't read Virgin or read it like I did(when it first came out in 1980)and don't remember the outcome, you're in for a real treat. After reading an advance reader copy of Cradle And All, I'm sure that most Patterson fans will find many of the qualities that have made them devour his previous books. In typical Patterson fashion the plot moves along at a break-neck pace, the chapters are very brief with each ending on a note that makes you want to quickly turn the page, and the characters--while not developed in great depth--are interesting. While I'm not a particularly fast reader, I read this book in two days. Be prepared to be glued to your favorite reading place until you finish Cradle And All! You'll definitely enjoy this book.
Rating: 
Summary: NOT QUITE THE PATTERSON I KNOW!!!
Review: As with all the Patterson novels that I have engulfed upon, I was preparing myself for a real treat. What I received wasn't even half. Cradle and All turned out to be a real disappointment for me. The novel grabbed my attention when I realized there was a Patterson novel that I had yet to read. I was getting so excited to learn what unthinkable crime Alex Cross had to solve this time. I was very disappointed to learn that Cross wasn't even in the plot but instead, an indecisive and too complex female character took his place. The characters, to say the least, were not very good. I found them to contain absolutely no emotion and they reacted with such calmness that I felt I was reading a child's storybook. I (literally) had to force myself to finish the end of the book which I found to be quite surprising, as well as a little undetermined. Who would have imagined that this once nun gone bad police detective would be the carrier of the Savior child and that it would be a girl? Where did that idea come from? I still do not understand. I just hope Patterson tries to stay clear of the religious field and continue with plots that resemble some of his earlier hits.
Rating: 
Summary: I should have seen this coming
Review: My dislike of this book was a result of my neglect to really pay attention to the preview on the back cover when I read it. Had I paid attention, I would have realized that Cradle and All would be too religious for my liking. Frankly, I did not like it; therefore, I feel compelled to warn others like me who, as I did, might not fully digest the preview on the back cover. However, if you like stories with religious subject matter, try this book; *you* might like it. Beware, though, that the story is quite predictable.
Rating: 
Summary: Cradle and All- Couldn't put it down!
Review: Let me start by saying that I am an extremely selective reader. Books that can hold my interest to the very end are few and far between. I am also a hobby writer which makes me extremely critical. This is the first time I am reading a James Patterson novel. After reading some of the other reviews, I raced to the library to get a copy. I read for four solid hours non-stop. I found this book a true page-turner in every sense. I haven't read anything this intense since The Stand. Patterson's ingenious style of writing keeps the chapters short and to the point while keeping the level of interest piqued. He skillfully masters maintaining control of his characters,while simultaneously continuing the intrigue and mystery until the very last sentence. His style ranks right up there with the best of this genre. Patterson may very well have them all running scared! He is a master at the art of the tease. I rate this book 5 stars and I would recommend it to anyone who has a thirst for the intense. I look forward to a sequel and would love to co-author (in my dreams!)
Rating:
Summary: Excellent
Review: I am not a James Patterson fan, but a friend was reading this book, and it sounded very interesting to me. I bought it, and loved it. It is the only book by him that I have ever cared to read, probably because it is so different from the rest of his work. I thought I had the book all figured out until the end. Those are the kind of books I love. This is one that you definetly do not want to read the end first, for it will ruin the whole book!
Rating:
Summary: A very disapointing read...
Review: For those who just love the Alex Cross Novels, and can't be without, I'm warning you now, this one doesn't feature Cross, and isn't worth your time.First of all, this is a pretty dumb plot. Shocking ending, but I still can't believe I read this entire book. It was only 325 pages (Hardcover) and so I figured since I started it, I'd better finish. But all and all, I was very displeased. This is based on an earlier book Virgin, but I bet Virgin was better. I was really disappointed with this one. The only thing it has is really good detail. The characters aren't well built. For example, Kathleen likes Anne Fitzgerald, and never gets a problem with her in the book. But Kathleen dislikes everybody else. What was worse was that "shocking" ending. Not exactly the best of Patterson. This isn't a book you'd want to read, unless you're really bored. At first it is a very confusing book. This may hold our darkest fears, but they're put into a very uninteresting story. If you are a fan of Alex Cross, then I wouldn't recomend this one. I also would say that this isn't a good first James Patterson read.
Rating:
Summary: "Virgin" Redux
Review: Long before there was Alex Cross, before there were any spiders coming along, before any girls got kissed, before any nursery-rhyme murders took place, James Patterson wrote a book called "Virgin". It was about two teenage girls, both of whom were pregnant, both of whom were virgins. One carries the Savior in her womb, the other the spawn of Satan. Get the picture? It was one of Patterson's earlier efforts and it read like one. "Cradle and All" is the re-birth, if you will, of that earlier novel and the difference, to my mind, is light years. Patterson brings this early effort up to speed and modernizes it. This one contains mentions of the internet and even 'N Sync has a reference. But what he also brings is a more polished style of writing and that, I think, is all to the better for the reader. Sure, the story is more along the lines of a made for TV movie, but Patterson uses his usual bag of tricks - short, distinct chapters, lots of dialogue, and many changes of scene - to move the plot along. Anne Fitzgerald is a former nun now turned private eye. She is asked by the Cardinal of the Archdiocese of Boston to investigate, Kathleen, one of the virgins. She ends up going from being Kathleen's investigator to being Kathleen's protector. She does meet the other virgin, Colleen, who lives in Ireland (natch), but Colleen is investigated more by Father Rossetti, a priest from the Vatican, who is told the third and final secret of Fatima. And that's what get's everyone running. You know that you are in for a good time when the Cardinal asks Anne two questions right in a row" "Do you believe in God?" followed by "Do you still carry a gun?". Oh boy! Patterson adds an epilogue to this story that tends to tie the loose ends up a little better and the secret of "Who's who" or, perhaps, "Who isn't", is somewhat revealed with a clue early in the book. Still, Patterson goes great guns with the action. This is a good read for a rainy saturday afternoon. It has everything anyone would want: action, intrigue, supernatural elements, mystery, romance, cradle, and all. Enjoy.
Rating:
Summary: Wake me up when it's over.
Review: This is one of the most boring books I have ever read. Like another reader, I read the whole thing, just HOPING it would get better. No such luck. It seems like all the characters are just driving around and circling the globe going back and forth between the "virgins". And, some characters are so useless they could have been completely left out. This is the only James Patterson book I've read, and if any of his other ones are like this one, it will be my last.
Rating:
Summary: Not his best
Review: I've read practically every James Patterson novel, and this was certainly not his best. I love the Alex Cross series and most of his other works because they keep you guessing throughout the entire book. This novel, on the other hand, pretty much tells you the catch and simply repeats itself over and over from Part 2 until the ending. It was so messy that the act of reading it gradually became annoying. It is, however, a quick read (I finished it in less than a week) so even if it is a terrible novel, it doesn't waste too much of your time. By the way, the only reason that I give this book 2 stars and not 1 is because it did have a mildly ammusing epilogue.
Rating:
Summary: Everything in one book!
Review: This is the second book I read by James Patterson. The first book I read was Kiss the Girls, and I was interested in some more of his works, so I read this after discovering I had it for about 2 years and it had been missing. I can't recommend it enough! This book has a little comedy, drama, mystery, action, suspense, and it is based on events in the Bible. This book taught me about the Blessed Virgin Mary. The book couldn't have a more surprising ending, and when I finished it, I wanted to read it again. I last read this book during June, so I have to do this book from memory. That's the best thing; I can remember all of the events from beginning to end, that's how memorable this book is. Anyway, on to the overview of the book and the final judgement. The book is about a nun who joined the police force and gets a call from her friend Cardinal Rooney. There is apparently a plague that is going around the world. Meanwhile, there are two virgin births on opposite sides of the world. One in the U.S and one in Ireland. Kathleen Beaver is seventeen years old, Colleen Galagher is fourteen years old. I won't ruin any surprise twists here, because 1)it would ruin the book, and 2)there are too many surprises. I was so shocked, which adds to the lasting factor and the memorable factor. I would highly recommend this book to anyone 18 and over because of the strong sexual content and language. I am 12, and this book was a little strange to me, it even grossed me out a little, so I think you should be at least 18.
|
