Home :: Books :: Mystery & Thrillers  

Arts & Photography
Audio CDs
Audiocassettes
Biographies & Memoirs
Business & Investing
Children's Books
Christianity
Comics & Graphic Novels
Computers & Internet
Cooking, Food & Wine
Entertainment
Gay & Lesbian
Health, Mind & Body
History
Home & Garden
Horror
Literature & Fiction
Mystery & Thrillers

Nonfiction
Outdoors & Nature
Parenting & Families
Professional & Technical
Reference
Religion & Spirituality
Romance
Science
Science Fiction & Fantasy
Sports
Teens
Travel
Women's Fiction
Grass Roots

Grass Roots

List Price: $7.99
Your Price: $7.19
Product Info Reviews

<< 1 2 >>

Rating: 1 stars
Summary: You gotta be kidding!
Review: Having an avowed addiction to the "bestseller wall" at the local audio book store, I haven't missed much of Stuart Woods' work. But I could have missed this one. I hate it when fiction writers begin to take themselves so seriously that they use their work to spout their own political and social beliefs, as if we the reader could care. It's o.k. to have some characters believing one way, and some another, that's just good characterization. But in this "Clintonesque Manifesto", all the bad guys are Republicans, or religious, or both, as if those traits alone are villainous. Don't get me wrong. I have no problem if all the bad guys are characterized as Republicans from the "right wing fringe", that's one thing. But if ABSOLUTELY ALL REPULICANS OR CONSERVATIVES, are characterized as right wing extremists who coddle hate groups, kill pro choicers, hate all ethnicities other than white Anglo-Saxon, and are card carrying members of Hillary Clinton's fantasy "Right Wing Conspiracy", then the book becomes less enjoyable, (unless of course you ARE Hillary Clinton), not to mention, more manipulative than a campaign speech.
Continuing his exaggerated characterisations,Woods portrays all of the good guys, the smart guys, the likable guys, including the novel's hero, our old friend, Stone Barrington, as Democrats who hate the death penalty, love abortion, find all people of faith to exhibit hypocrisy and religiosity, (like the bad hair TV evangelists who really are that way) and then purport themselves to be "Moderates". Astonishingly, Woods portrays Stone Barrington as saying that he doesn't know what "family values" are, and pens one of that character's own family to believe that private Christian schools were created by racist Christians who didn't want their children to have to go to school with black children. Preposterous, manipulative garbage.
The plot is weak and thin, having be done scores of times in bad TV movies and weekly dramas. The characters are nothing but engineered stereotypes conjured from a mist of bad research, self delusion and misrepresentation. Woods should go back and read his own prior works featuring Stone Barrington. He might realize he took a good character and superimposed him over a ridiculous one, in a haplessly contrived and much overdone storyline. Now that we know your politics Mr. Woods, go back to writing.....don't give up your day job by running for office through drivel like this.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Exciting and interesting sequel to Chiefs
Review: I agree with what one reveiwer said - Stuart Woods is a slam-bang storyteller! I've read all his books and have enjoyed everyone of them. This book seems so realistic, you can just picture the characters in your mind. For a fast-paced page turner, that you don't want to end, read Stuart Woods.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Compelling reading...just great.
Review: I do not think that Stuart Woods has ever disappointed me. "Grassroots" is intricately plotted with absorbing parallel stories that work their way to the same bad guys. Mr. Woods writes in a way that makes the pages fly by. It's easy to pull for the good guys and it is impossible to work up any sympathy for the villains. The protagonist (Senatorial candidate Will Lee) is scheduled to reappear in Mr. Woods' next novel ("The Run"). After reading "Grassroots" I shall be first in line when "The Run" hits the stores sometime in May. Mr. Woods has a most entertaining series currently going with bon vivant lawyer Stone Barrington that I find to be great fun.

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: Shipping Time
Review: I ordered 4 used books from private sellers at the same time and the book from A1Books, Grass Roots by Stuart Woods, took 2 weeks longer to receive than the other 3 books.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Exciting and interesting sequel to Chiefs
Review: I really did not expect to like this book by Woods, but as I began to read it, it was wonderful!!! I was so intrigued by the plot and the introduction of the new characters, it was impossible to put the book down. Will Lee happens to be under extreme pressure during this campaign, while at the same time, Michael Keane, retired cop, is under pressure trying to find a ruthless killer. Unknowingly, these two men are very closely tied to each other......I would very much recommend this book for a very good weekend read

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Wonderful Book!
Review: I really did not expect to like this book by Woods, but as I began to read it, it was wonderful!!! I was so intrigued by the plot and the introduction of the new characters, it was impossible to put the book down. Will Lee happens to be under extreme pressure during this campaign, while at the same time, Michael Keane, retired cop, is under pressure trying to find a ruthless killer. Unknowingly, these two men are very closely tied to each other......I would very much recommend this book for a very good weekend read

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: fantastic
Review: I think i have read all of his books except chiefs and i love them all and this one is the best in my mind and i read a lot of books

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: Grisham-like Drama with Left-leaning Political Overtones
Review: In Grass Root, Woods produces a novel that John Grisham must have taken cues from. While it is nowhere near as good as any Grisham novel, it is a fairly enjoyable read.

We are unfortunately forced to learn too much about Woods' left-leaning politics however. His characterization about republicans and conservatives as described by the senatorial candidate Calhoun is grossly unfair. Depicting Calhoun (the republican candidate) as a KKK-sympathizing fundamentalist religious hypocrite borders on Michael Moore type propaganda. In the novel, Will Lee's campain speach before his rival's church congregation sounds like a replay of a Ted Kennedy tyrade. This story in this novel tends to follow that of the 1986 senate election of Wyche Fowler in Georgia - a career politician who served one term in the senate. The political climate is the same - democrats ruled the roost.

Despite that this novel preceded the Grisham successes, Woods could learn from Grisham's lack of bias and overt political declarations. Grisham's political candidates are rarely identified with parties and his true political leanings are seldom revealed. With Woods, nothing is left to the imagination.

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: Grisham-like Drama with Left-leaning Political Overtones
Review: In Grass Root, Woods produces a novel that John Grisham must have taken cues from. While it is nowhere near as good as any Grisham novel, it is a fairly enjoyable read.

We are unfortunately forced to learn too much about Woods' left-leaning politics however. His characterization about republicans and conservatives as described by the senatorial candidate Calhoun is grossly unfair. Depicting Calhoun (the republican candidate) as a KKK-sympathizing fundamentalist religious hypocrite borders on Michael Moore type propaganda. In the novel, Will Lee's campain speach before his rival's church congregation sounds like a replay of a Ted Kennedy tyrade. This story in this novel tends to follow that of the 1986 senate election of Wyche Fowler in Georgia - a career politician who served one term in the senate. The political climate is the same - democrats ruled the roost.

Despite that this novel preceded the Grisham successes, Woods could learn from Grisham's lack of bias and overt political declarations. Grisham's political candidates are rarely identified with parties and his true political leanings are seldom revealed. With Woods, nothing is left to the imagination.

Rating: 1 stars
Summary: Grass Roots
Review: Other reviewers have reported this book as Grisham-like. I agree. The characters are neither developed nor particularly likeable. Reference to the main character's (Will Lee) love interest throughout the book is by first and last name. This is indicative of the real emotional attachment. Stone Barrington isn't the greatest character in crime fiction, but he certainly beats Will Lee.


<< 1 2 >>

© 2004, ReviewFocus or its affiliates