Stone Heart

Rating:
Summary: Forget the Other Reviews
Review: Forget all the other reviews you've heard about this book and go get it now. I borrowed this book from the library, but after reading horrible reviews, let it sit for a week before opening it out of curiosity. It was too hard for a die-hard Rice fan like me to believe that she could write anything less than wonderful. And to my delight, I was right. I really enjoyed this book. Unlike most of Rice's books, it didn't have the "ride off into the sunset" type of ending, and it really gave this book another type of dimension for it's readers. It wasn't a perfect life, or a perfect wrap-it-all-up type of ending, and that's what made it great. It follows the lives and lies of one family in a small (how'd you guess) beach town. Although looking in, they seem like the perfect family, it's rotten with lies, abuse, and mental turmoil that keeps you hooked. It also deals with issues many are afraid to touch. I can't even begin to do this book justice. All I can say is get it, read it, and sit amazed at it's twisted story that will keep you hooked and wanting more.

Rating:
Summary: An Early Title by Luanne Rice
Review: I first began reading Luanne Rice in 1988 when I came across her book Crazy in Love at the library. From that time to a few weeks ago I enjoyed all of this author's books. Then I read Summer Light, a Rice book published in 2001 and found myself thinking this might be the first Luanne Rice book I didn't enjoy that much. But that was nothing compared to how I felt about Stone Heart, one of Rice's earliest books. Somehow I couldn't believe the same author who wrote favorites of mine like Blue Moon, Home Fires and Safe Harbor wrote this book. And before anybody says it was the subject matter of marital and child abuse which I didn't enjoy, I would counter by saying that while enjoy might not be the right word, I did appreciate books like White Oleander by Janet Fitch, Black and Blue by Anna Quindlen and Bastard Out of Carolina by Dorothy Alison.

Over the years I have found similar themes in most of Rice's books which include the love of parents for children, the love of siblings for each a other, a past or present tragedy which affect's a family or main character's life and the uniting of a couple who had their own share of disappointments. And while these elements are also present in Stone Heart, unfortunately the characters and their situation as awful as it is just wasn't as moving as those found in Firefly Beach or Home Fires. Somehow the characters never grew on me and I couldn't wait to reach the final page and be done with this book. In addition I thought this was truly a most depressing book, which left me thinking that life probably continues to be very difficult and problematic for these people. I read to think, learn, feel and be entertained. This book just didn't do anything for me and now I'm sorry I read this title. Bottom line is skip this book and read anyone of Rice's other books and see why I have enjoyed her as much as I have in the past.

Rating:
Summary: I almost didn't read this book after seeing previous reviews
Review: This story is not a warm fuzzy one. It isn't easy to read about abuse of any kind however I think this is a very moving story about what happens when life goes down that street. I almost didn't read this book after reading the previous reviews but I am so glad I did. I wouldn't recommend this story to everyone but it is very real and paints a picture of what complicates the lives of this family. I felt the characters were honest and that it didn't really have a happy, tie up the package with a pink ribbon, ending.