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Summary: Little Altars Everywhere
Review: I found this book really great, but not as good as Divine Secrets, which I read first. I loved the "feel good" feeling I got from Divine Secrets and expected the same from Little Altars. I think I read these books out of order but still enjoyed both immensely.I hope Rebecca Wells writes another Ya-Ya saga! I have recommended both books to my Ya-Ya's and they loved them as well!
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Summary: i liked it
Review: this book was really good, it was sweet. like, you saw all sides of each character, their wonderful sides as well as their evil sides, and no matter what happens you care about them and no matter what they do you can't dislike them. i really recommend it, i know a lot of others didn't but i liked it better than the Divine Secrets of the Ya-ya sisterhood which is good too. Most of the stories were really great but i found some a little boring, i wanted just to skip some and go to more exciting parts.
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Summary: Disjointed
Review: The plot of this novel is disjointed, like Lamb's This Much I Know Is True. The move from idyllic to horrific is too abrupt and aggravating. The authors should read Roddy Doyle's The Woman Who Walked Through Doors and Paddy Clarke. Altars is still a decent book, but not worth all of the hoopla.
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Summary: Not Praying at These Altars
Review: Rebecca Wells certainly played with my emotions in this book: I began by enjoying the first several chapters and was engaged in Siddalee's character. The switch in perspectives was abrupt and unsettling, and I kept wanting to get back to Siddalee's point of view. (Certainly I have read and liked books with multiple perspectives; I just don't think it was well done here.) Midway through the book I found myself getting bored, but was committed to finishing it since our book group was discussing it. Then, as it grew darker, I think my strong feelings against Vivi interfered with my ability to appreciate the book. I haven't read Divine Secrets and don't feel in any rush to do so now, although I am aware the tone of the second book is quite different. As far as I am concerned, I can't imagine finding anything amusing about Vivi after knowing her story.
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Summary: Loved it!
Review: Love her characters and their ways of dealing with difficult subjects like alcohol abuse and family discord--not too seriously! Hope Wells is hard at work on another book about these people.
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Summary: So this is what happened to Vivi!
Review: I read Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood before I read Little Altars, and I think I should have read them in order. While I Loved the Ya-Ya's and found so much to take away with me from that novel, I had questions about Sidda and her family, especially her mom, Vivi. I found Little Altars to be a darker, sadder novel than the Ya-Ya's, but it gave me the history of the families and the background to fill in the blanks. If you only read one of Wells novels, read the Ya'Ya's, but if you have the inclination, start with this one. It is good and will leave you anticipating the next one. Debbi
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Summary: A Novel Review
Review: Are you looking for a book that contains humor and keeps you on the edge of your seat? If the answer is yes, then Little Altars Everywhere, by Rebecca Wells, is the book for you. This novel is full of exciting anectdotes which are written from different characters points of view. Being one in a family of six is hard enough, but when your mom is Catholic and your father is Baptsit, it can get a little rough at times; however, this is what makes the story so brilliant! The kids feel as though there is no way out from their werid family and crazy mother; the parents feel the only two ways out are to drink or to leave. By reading this book, you get a feeling of what it is like to be in everybody's shoes at different times in their lives. I found this book to be very thrilling. It was a fast read because I kept wanting to know what was going to happen next. The way that Wells wrote this novel in all different perspectives amazed me! I like the way that each chapter was a little story in which a different character told. It really makes the reader feel all of the different positions. I would recommend this book to anybody who likes different, exciting novels. I can't wait to read The Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood, which is the sequel to Little Altars Everywhere.
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Summary: Sad and Haunting Story
Review: I read Divine Secrets first as it appears a lot of other people did. I am glad that I did because I'm not sure if I would have read it if I had read Little Altars first. Little Altars is an incredibly sad story. This story gave me some insight on the characters that I was familiar with, but it made me think less of them then I had before. I liked this book, but mostly because I loved Divine Secrets so much. I would still recommend this book to others, but only after they read Divine Secrets! This book is written beautifully and I look forward to more of Rebecca Wells' work.
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Summary: Not what I expected
Review: I read Little Altars after reading Divine Secrets. Some suggest reading the two books in order but I felt I understood Vivi better from reading Divine Secrets first and I'm not so sure I would have gone on to read it, had I read Little Altars first. I expected Altars to make me laugh as much as I did with Secrets but I found that to be the case only in the first few chapters. Then it became darker and sadder with each chapter as Wells put the reader in every situation, from being eleven year old Sidalee blowing her piano recital to being Wiletta and Chaney who were powerless over the alcoholism and dysfunctionalism in the Walker household. Even though this was not what I expected, I found I just love Wells way with words and her ability to make a reader feel like they have been somewhere they have never been. (In my case, the south). I hope to hear more from this fabulous author.
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Summary: An incredible first novel from Rebecca Wells
Review: I bought "Little Altars Everywhere" expecting a novel full of cute anecdotes about eccentric and memorable Southern people. Certainly, the blurb on the back cover led me to expect nothing else. And for the first few chapters, the book lived up to my expectations.
But after the first few chapters, Rebecca Wells takes the reader into much darker, sinister places, into the realm of skeletons in the closet and things that we don't talk about. And while it is disgusting and tragic, it is powerful stuff.
"Little Altars Everywhere" succeeds on many levels. Wells takes her time developing the characters so that all of them seem likeable and fun in the first half, but then as the book continues, we see that things aren't as rosy as they seem, and in fact, things are quite black. Wells also writes about things just as they are, and the stark narration of the most harrowing parts makes it all the more disturbing.
I find no faults with "Little Altars Everywhere." It never caves to sentimentality or rushes to an end as does its companion novel, "The Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood." From start to finish, "Little Altars Everywhere" is outstanding. It was Rebecca Wells' first novel. May she write many more!
NOTE: "Little Altars Everywhere" is the prequel to "The Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood." Be sure to read it first!!!
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