Rating:  Summary: Confusing Characters Review: After reading Diving Secrets all I can say is who is Vivi Walker? The character in this novel was a smoothed over version of herself in Little Alters, where she was represented as physically abusice, manipulative, and alcoholic. Here she is simply an overwhelmed mother left alone too often with four young children. Sure she breaks down, but this novel should also be about Vivi's reconciliation with her past, not only Sidda's. I was so disappointed with this novel
Rating:  Summary: AWESOME AWESOME AWESOME Review: Just reading Rebecca Wells books, I feel like I'm there with the characters. And I love that!Little Altars Everywhere is a great book and I plan on reading again and again. It was an accurate and entertaining portrayal of the south, and I wouldn't have it any other way. You can SEE Vivi and Sidda dancing like crazy to music out on the bayou, and it warms your heart. Read this book, its really something.
Rating:  Summary: This is one of my all-time favorite books! Review: I love this book! I love the way that each character narrates a chapter in the first half during the 1960s and then in the second half during the 1990s. This approach perfectly captures what it is like to view the world as a child, and then look back on things as an adult and realize that they were not always as they seemed. I think that the writing is marvelous and that the antics of the characters are humorous, sad, inspiring, and abhorrent all at once. I did not like the sequel (Divine Secrets...) as well. If you are a woman or have childhood issues with your parents that you are dealing with, I think you will relate to this wonderful narrative. It is like a movie where all the lines are written and delivered perfectly and you just want to watch it over and over.
Rating:  Summary: Original voices Review: While the many first person points of view can be a bit confusing, this first novel was remarkable for introducing characters with strong, original, sharp, funny, and moving voices. Painful but honest. A sharp contrast to the highly overrated Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood.
Rating:  Summary: Not worth the time, energy, or the paper Review: Having Read the Ya-Ya's, I was excited about reading the prequel -- learning more about the earlier years. But this book lacked the elegance of the Ya-Ya's. The strength of that book was what was not said. The failing of this book was in trying to explain every detail. I came away from this book hating Vivi-Darling for her abusive, alcoholic self. This book made my stomach turn. Do yourself a favor and read the Ya-Ya Sisterhood and skip this one -- or use it to line your trashcan!
Rating:  Summary: Have not read "Divine Secrets..." Review: I just read a few reviews and was intrigued and somewhat dissapointed by what many of those who have read "Divine Secrets..." have to say about "Little Altars..." Yes, LA is hilarity interspersed with painful sadness, but so is life. That's what makes it such a wonderful book. So many of you seem upset that LA is "darker" than DS. For those of you who feel that way, I think you're missing something. LA did not leave me feeling depressed. It's all about what people go through, to get to the other side, and come out okay. There's nothing morbid about that.
Rating:  Summary: Excellent, but not quite up to "the Divine Secrets". Review: Thoroughly enjoyable. I enjoyed "The Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood" much more. Definitely worth reading, though.
Rating:  Summary: A Huge Disappointment!!! Review: I read and loved Divine Secrets of the Ya-Yas. It even brought back the memories of growing up with my two best friends. I was so excited to read more about the characters I grew to love in Little Altars, however when the darkest facet of Vivi's personality was revealed I wanted to through the book away. All of a sudden I didn't identify with these women any more. I felt disgusted with the rest of the book!!!
Rating:  Summary: A valiant beginning effort by author Rebecca Wells. Review: This book is a wonderful character study to accompany Rebecca Wells' second novel "Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood". However, it reads a little like an study for the second novel and not really as a fully realized novel on its own. I recommend this book but only after you've read "Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood". It seems to work better that way.
Rating:  Summary: The tone of the book changes too drastically... Review: What begins as a light-hearted, predicatable story takes an unexpected twist mid-story without any transition. It was drudgery to finish.
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