Rating: 
Summary: BORED ME TO TEARS.....
Review: This was the most boring book i have ever read....after reading 3 chapters of boring chatter about homosexual lovers i put this book down. I had high hopes for the son of anne rice but the story never took off, like a bad B movie it just went on and on and on..
Rating: 
Summary: DA BOMB
Review: I felt this book was one of the best books that I have ever read. It changed my outlook on things completely. The chilling ending has stayed with me well after I finnished the book, and I had to read it a second time... It was that good. I recommend it to anyone, but especially if your gay, and a student, and know what it is like to have secrets.
Rating: 
Summary: Atmospheric...
Review: I loved the gothic tone of the book and most of the characters intrigued me. The description on the back of the book was misleading, however, since the 3 main characters were never actually snowbound, as was claimed! I'm planning to look for more of Rice's books, since this one had me mesmerized most of the time. My complaints:1. It was hard for me to understand why Randall felt this powerful bond with Kathryn, since she was widely considered to be judgmental and hard on others - In fact, that's precisely why Randall keeps so much about himself from her: He fears her judgment. All in all, I found it hard to sympathize with her. 2. I thought Jesse was the most fascinating character and was disappointed that we didn't get a little more insight into why he acted the way he did. He seemed to have an obsession with seducing people using traumatic experiences from their past - Was this a sadistic impulse, or was he trying to get them to 'use' their trauma in a positive way? I never quite understood, and wanted to. 3. The editing was horrendous! For example, a character says, "And I suppose this scared you for life?" when obviously it was supposed to be "scarred you for life." In dialogue, many times it was very unclear which character was speaking. I know the author didn't want to have to keep saying, 'Kathryn said' and 'Jesse said' but there are other ways to keep it clear who is doing the talking. The writing was sometimes very muddled and confusing, and the sloppiness was pretty consistent throughout the book - to the point of distraction. There must have been a very lazy editor at work. Despite my few complaints, I did like the book a lot. It almost seems like there could be a sequel...? I'm interested now in reading A Density of Souls.
Rating:
Summary: A Dark, Gothic Tale
Review: I have debated long and hard over whether to give this book 4 stars or 5. On one hand, Christopher Rice's sophomore effort at tough psychological suspense(with a healthy dose of sexuality) can seem over-the-top, melodramatic, and even contrived in places. On the other hand, the suspense is palpable, providing white-knuckle tension, there are some excellent characterizations, and the dark gothic college campus of Atherton is the perfect backdrop for this dark, *freaky* tale. All these positive enhancements have tipped the scales to a somewhat reluctant 5 stars.
Kathryn Parker, Randall Stone, and Jesse Lowry are three college freshmen at Atherton. They all seem to be hiding deep dark secrets from their various pasts; the 3 characters and their shady beginnings all converge in Atherton three months into the new academic year.
My first, of only a few, MINOR complaints was the wandering aspect of the first 150 pages or so. A major event occurs by page 20, yet the only responses we get from the characters are frequent dramatic outbursts. Which brings me to my next point:
DRAMA!
The overly maudlin altercations between many of the characters degenerates into fodder for a Cinemax late night movie, or even worse: A Lifetime Original Movie.
However, Christopher Rice, a fine novelist in his own right, deserves more credit than that. Rice is a master of diversionary tactics, stunning us all with the startling revelations that hit the reader like gunfire in the last 100 pages. Also, whether you know it or not, throughout the course of reading this novel, you learn much more about the characters than you might at first realize. This sort of backwards characterization is a credit to Rice's unconventional, yet wildly refreshing brand of writing.
This is only the author's second novel, and if we're lucky, we'll be seing much more from Christopher Rice in upcoming years.
Rating:
Summary: More Than What I Expected! ^_^
Review: I read a "A Density of Souls", and I thought that book was good, although not totally believable, but still very good. This book however, surpasses the prior book. This book flowed more naturaly, I connected with the characters, and understood the feelings of the characters. I've also noted that there is, like in A Density of Souls, a main female character, that seems frail and lost in the begining, but in the end, triumphs over all obstacles. So, if your thinking this is just another gay story, it's not, it has many faces to it.
Rating: 
Summary: Good Story; Bad Editing and Proofreading
Review: This novel is pretty good. However, it would have been a lot easier to become submerged in the story if not for obvious grammatical errors and editing problems, which kept popping up. I'm referring to the paperback version, though this may have also been true in the hardcover....
...amazingly obvious things like inadvertant changes in tense ("he" when the author is referring to a "she"), clanging repetitions, poor grammar, etc.. I know times are tough - but geez, I'd proofread the next book free if it would help... As for the plot and the writing, this author continues to make pretty bold choices. He has his own voice - and it's probably safe to say that you haven't met a cast of characters like this in other books. It's a pretty addictive read...
Rating: 
Summary: There is a good story in here somewhere....
Review: Christopher Rice's writing has nothing to do with his mother, the notorious Anne Rice. There, it's said. They have two totally separate styles of writing and different ways of establishing mood - Anne's is a florid and descriptive style, Christopher appears to rely more on enigmatic character interaction to set the mood. That is all, no arguing. Now, on with the review. 'The Snow Garden' tells the story of Randall and Kathryn, two friends from college, each struggling to come to terms with dark secrets from their respective troubled pasts. Part coming-of-age tale, part murder-mystery, part gay in-jokes and stereotyping, a potentially strong narrative becomes mired and wasted in what is essentially 400+ pages of overly emotive dialogue. As a second novel, 'The Snow Garden' isn't too bad, being neither better nor worse than his first, 'A Destiny of Souls'. The principal characters, too, are of a type - tortured, moody, self-important adolescents with tangible egos - but are clearly identifiable. Shame, then, that Rice hasn't made them in the slightest bit endearing, opting instead for an almost comedic stereotyping. There are traces here and there of a strong narrative, stemming from a very well-concieved murder-mystery, but unfortunately a decent idea for a plot can't compensate for the cast of thousands of thoroughly soulless, one-dimensional characters. The problem with Rice's second novel is that after a hundred pages or so, we begin to feel a sense of what is unmistakably a personal vendetta - Rice wants us desperately to agree with his apparently personal views on pansexuality - and this is where the novel begins to grind to a halt. Rehashing the same experiences for all of his characters over and over again, reading Rice's words becomes a chore, and it really isn't until the final fifty pages or so that anything major happens in the story, by which time we're scanning paragraphs so quickly that we don't really care. The sub-plot explaining why Kathryn is so emotionally stunted is not properly explored, with the most cursory of nods to why she feels the way she does. Randall's past (and the whole climax of the book) comes to light in such a stagey, theatrical fashion that it rings totally false, and we cannot easily believe that a teen with such a dramatic life could now be so totally unengaging. He drinks and smokes, presumably to indicate a sense of living-on-the-edge cool, but Rice never seems to give us a decent, believable reason for it. In face, it's this proposed sense of gritty, urbane coolness that is the major flaw with 'The Snow Garden'. We can't believe that these characters could have come from anywhere other than a spoiled, upper-class background, and we like them all the less for it. Beverly Hills 9021-snore. Hopefully, future novels won't be crammed full of pedantic and unbelievable characters, and Rice's essentially sound plotlines will be allowed to shine through.
Rating:
Summary: Not at all what I had hoped for
Review: For the record, let me say that Christopher Rice's previous novel, A Density of Souls, is my favorite book. That said, The Snow Garden was not at all what I thought it would be. Where to begin? First, there are at least a dozen storylines going on at one time. It wasn't hard keeping track of them, but they weren't linked at all. I kept telling myself "Sooner or later he's going to have to show the connections between these." He never did. It's hard without giving anything in the book away, but let's just say that there is WAY more information than there needs to be. Also, the reasoning behind the characters actions, or their motives, is never really told you directly. I could tell you HOW all of the events happened, but I couldn't tell you WHY they happened. There is also the fact of the punctuatuion, grammar, and storyline errors. In the epilouge, "Tim" is written where "Ken" should be and don't even get me started on the comma usage. The biggest glich, in my eyes, is when Randall says that he was molested as a child. However, later in the book, it is suddenly jesse who was molested when he was young. If you are looking for another A Density of Souls, you won't find it here. Unlike Density, I didn't find this one fun to read. If you are really desperate to read it, get it from the library or borrow it from a friend. Don't pay the money.
Rating:
Summary: Powerful and Haunting
Review: I loved this novel. This book is one of my all time favorites and I find myself reccomending it to everyone that I know. Its great and a pure delight to read. Wonderfully written in a lyrical and haunting style, this novel will stay with you long after you have turned the last page.
Although this book starts off a little slower than most, the pace soon picks up and we find ourselves swept up in the lives of a group of friends and one shattered teacher. Murder, mayhem, jealousy and deceit all make this novel one of the great ones. I would love to see it made into a movie- it has such a wonderful sense of visual flair about it.
We are introduced to students at an upscale college that caters to the intellectually elite. The book explores the bonds of friendship and trust between the most unlikely group of people. What are our friends really like? What sort of secrets are they hiding? What will happen when those secrets become public? This book looks at all those issues and more in a way that promps us to look at those around us -and ourselves- in a different light.
This book is a poingant reminder that each person we meet is struggling in their own private battles. The bonds that we forge are of such great importance...those that we trust and who trust us in return hold the power to save or destroy at a moments notice. This book is an emotional one, written on an emotion level and full of quiet moments of pain and longing...as well as one of fiery anger and jealous rage. I loved this book and am pleased that it has found its way onto my bookself and into my heart.
Rating:
Summary: Anne Rice's son - and much more....
Review: I am pleased to report that the writing talent runs in this family!! Christopher Rice's style may be a bit different than his ultra-famous mom, but he shows talent and great promise for a long, successful career. I look forward to his future efforts after having enjoyed this one as much as I did.
This sexually charged murder novel has several interesting twists, amazingly detailed and flawed characters, and it keeps you turning the page straight through to the end. I really enjoyed his touches of dark humor and imagery throughout.
I suspect some readers will expect to pick this up and have it be filled with supernatural and horror elements a la Chris's mother. Don't be fooled - this novel is dark and dangerous in a different way than his maternal mentor's contributions - which doesn't mean that it isn't fabulous! Pick this one up - you won't be disappointed!
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