Rating: 
Summary: Intelligent thriller
Review: I really liked Christopher's first book, A Density of Souls, and I like this one as well. It's a more sophisticated novel with a lot of twists and turns. Being a university student, I could relate to some parts of the book and was intrigued by the relationships between students and the relationship between Randall and his professor. The plot moves quickly and is exciting. I wonder if this will be made into a movie. I definately suggest that you read it.
Rating:
Summary: Leaves me wanting more..
Review: Having read both of Christopher's novels,I am definitely a fan, follower and am inspired by his honesty and truths.I love his ability to bring you right into the emotion and passion.At night we close our doors to the world and Christopher allows us to open them with emotion and understanding.I want more!
Rating:
Summary: Another excellent book by Christopher Rice!
Review: This book is full of mystery and suspense. Randall is a college freshman living in the dorms. His best friend is Kathryn, who lives across the hall. Randall and Kathryn are able to discuss anything, even Randall's homosexuality, but neither one has the courage to discuss their pasts. Kathryn's secret past deals with her boyfriend during her senior year in highschool. Randall's past, well, you'll have to read to book to figure that one out for yourself. Then there is Jesse. He is Randall's roommate. He is absolutely gorgeous and has more sex than any college freshman I ever knew. He seems to always get the person he is persuing, into bed. He also has some deep dark secrets in his past. Finally, there is Dr. Eric Eberman. He is a college professor. He also happens to be married and closeted. When Randall arrived at Atherton college, he already had his eyes set on Dr. Eberman. He had read a book that Dr. Eberman had written, and knew the material by heart. This aided Randall in getting what he wanted, Dr. Eberman. As with just about any good mystery, there has been a murder. At first the cops suspect the husband, but then determine that the death was an accident. However, some of the details are rather disturbing to Randall, so he begins to do some detective work. As he searches for information and clues, he puts himself in danger. I highly recommend this book. It is a very easy read. I did not want to put it down. I read it in just two evenings. I can't wait for Christopher's next book. Kevin
Rating: 
Summary: Thriller not very thrilling
Review: After reading Christopher Rice's first book, I was expecting another good one. Yet, I was very disappointed with this book. It was too much of guessing who did what and why they did it. I was left feeling confused as to the motivations behind some of the characters actions. Not enough of the characters' past was revealed, which did not help explain their psychological problems. At the end, the reader is left feeling as if so much has happened yet nothing was resolved.
Rating: 
Summary: Stunning, Dark, Intense, Disturbing, Chilling, Amazing Read
Review: I finished The Snow Garden in two days and honestly my first thought after reading the last page was "I need mental therapy." Christopher Rice has created the most darkly disturbing, graphic, twisted vision of the hellish side of human nature. Because of this I found it sometimes a difficult read, after some parts I had to put down the book for a few seconds to comprehend what I had just read. My main dislike of the book was the extreme lack of hope. In his first novel, A Density of Souls, Rice crafted an equally spell-binding view of the darknesss of humanity but held a sense of love and ended on a note of hope, however The Snow Garden lacks this view of hope, the one exception being the character of Kathryn (who also in my view was the only truly sympathetic character). Yet, despite this, I loved the book. It gripped me immediately, immersing me in a nightmarish world that although disturbing, was also compelling. Sort of like the same reaction you get from viewing the movie, Silence of the Lambs, it's a unsettling experience but also pure artistry that is amazing. The world and characters of The Snow Garden are engraved in your mind, unforgettable. I admire Christopher Rice, not many writers this young would take such huge risks, but his risks largely pay off. The Snow Garden is an unique, great read, if you're up to the chaotic world it portrays. Looking forward to his next project!
Rating:
Summary: Excellent 2nd novel - much better than his first!
Review: Mystery, suspense, horror, romance, surprise! All of these words describe Christopher Rice's latest novel The Snow Garden. Many critics said that his first was autobiographical in nature. I don't think that this novel is. It is difficult to not compare him to his more famous mother but I would put this novel up there with any of hers. Randall Stone - an egotistical, mean, young college student is the antihero of this novel. Kathryn - his best friend - is always there when he needs her. You see a relationship between a professor and his student, relationship between roommates, and a possible relationship between friends. To tell you more would give away the ending and I will not do that. Purchase this novel, you will not regret it. Please e-mail me if you'd like to talk about the novel after you read it. A great book!
Rating:
Summary: Not much of a thriller
Review: Kathryn, Randall, and Jesse come from different worlds but at the snowbound university of Atherton they will all come face to face with a nightmare that is all too real, and all too close. A professor's wife is found dead, drowned in an icy river, and rumors of murder quickly begin to spread. Within weeks the professors private life goes on display, including his 'secret' affair with Randall. As Randall and the professor prepare for their relationship to go public, another body is found, this time the corpse is that of a co-ed from twenty years ago. Trying to put together the pieces of the two murders, Randall will drag his two friends into a web of lies, deceit, and cover ups. And from within the walls of Atherton University the three friends will be drawn to 'The Snow Garden' a place of mystery, a place from which there is no return. 'The Snow Garden' is the second novel from Christopher Rice, and while it's not awful it's also not very good. It's somewhat boring, and it's definitely not as much a thriller as it is the tale of three twenty somethings coming to terms with life. As the story unfolds it becomes a little suspenseful, but by that time the reader is bored, especially if they were expecting a thriller as I was. Christopher Rice has the potential to be a good story teller, let's face it his mom IS Anne Rice, but he is not sure of what he wants his novels to be, it seems he wants to tell tales of relationships, promiscuous heterosexual relationships and kept-in-the-closet homosexual relationships, but throws in some murder to make the books sell. The mixture of themes in the novel will disappoint readers eager for a thriller. Nick Gonnella
Rating:
Summary: Very scary college students and professors!
Review: With his second novel, Rice revels in his own voice, yet deliciously chilling echoes of Mother Anne resound throughout. Rice fils writes not of vampires and witches, but of a far scarier dark humanity. This novel is bound to bring favorable comparisons to Donna Tartt's Secret History as well. The characters are entirely memorable, if uncomfortably so and the plot twists and turns with excruciating pleasure. Rice's style reminds to of early pre-Glamorama Brett Easton Ellis in its sparse and bitterly gritty liquidity --- something from Father Stan, I suspect. This is quite simply a quick and page-turning read and a great addition to American academic fiction.
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: Everything "The Talented Mr. Ripley" should have been.
Review: Christopher Rice has done it again. Fans of his first book, "A Density of Souls", will be impressed that this story is not only better but stronger and more passionate. There is so much going on here that a simple explaination will never do the story justice, and just might give valueable hints away, so I will simply say that it is a fantastic achievement. The characters all have secrets that tie this story together in ways that are imaginative and impressive. Each of the characters are strong individually but grouped together they take this story to incredible heights. The author has tightened his writing style to include descriptions that make your minds eye smile. Your imagination not only can picture the settings but smell them as well. The mystery and intrigue far surpass what you will find in similar stories. When you realize this is the authors second novel you can only wonder what greater offering there will be in the future. There is so much more I could say but it all comes down to stating, "READ THIS BOOK", you will not be disappointed, in fact you will be begging for more.
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