Rating: 
Summary: Reliving Ayla's story.........
Review: I've read so many negative reviews.......gee it seems that everyone just wants action and suspense. I for one was so relieved to continue the imaginative story of Ayla's life and it not just be tragedy after tragedy. I loved all the books (sure, some more than others) but; no one's life can be filled with only tragedy. Ayla deserved peace and serenity. Yet, I know there is more to come... (I would love to see a book about the clan and Durc after Ayla left and what becomes of him -- these books could go on forever!) I just enjoyed reading of her finally enjoying life, happiness and love. My advice, just enjoy the serenity and imagine having your own Jondalar!
Rating: 
Summary: I'm being very generous with three stars
Review: Okay, we all know that this book could have been a lot better. I mean, come on!! First of all, the book almost has no plot at all. And it took ten or twelve years for it to come out? I really should give this book two stars. Anywayz, when Ayla and Jondalar arrive at the ninth cave, everyone that is mentioned just sort of accecpts everything that Ayla and Jondalar have been up to. People are obviously scared at first of the animals, but there should have been more of a shock, or something that could keep out attention longer. The characters could have been more developed, and I would have liked to see more of a fight between Ayla and Brukeval or Laramar. Also, Zelandoni keeps saying that she would like to talk to Ayla about various things, but doesn't. I suppose that I could give the third star for not as much sex as the previous book. One other thing that really irritated me was there were two accidents right after each other (the little boy and Wolf), and Ayla never made her clothes, and after the incident with Marona, we never really heard from her again. Does anybody agree with me that instead of everybody accepting everything, shouldn't there have been more of an argument between characters? This book could not keep me hooked. I thought I was going to read it overnight because it would be so exciting, however it took me a week or two because of lack of motivation to read it. Overall, I was personally very disappointed in this book.
Rating: 
Summary: Hated It!
Review: I've read all of Ms. Auel's novels, and have loved every one...until now. I kept waiting for this to get better, and I kept paging through, and it never got better. The story was boring, and insulting in it's simplicity (I felt as if I was reading an archeological textbook for 4th graders), there was no excitement as was the case in other books, and the ending was ridiculous. I actually paged through past the last paragraph, thinking that I was missing part of the book. Talk about dropping off in the middle of nowhere. The only saving grace about the ending was just that - it was the ending! DON'T BUY THIS BOOK. It's a waste of [money].
Rating: 
Summary: Long wait... Too long
Review: I waited, like everyone else, for the next installment in this series and didn't hold off until a sale or for a discount. I should have. Either Ms. Auel fired her editor or, like too many of her experts, he died during her extended hiatus. How many times must we be told about Ayla using the night-basket because she had to urinate more often due to her pregnancy? How many times did we need reminded that Ayla was frightened to become a Zeladoni? Other examples of this repetitive writing are numerous. The book could have been cut by 15% and not suffered - probably improved. I hope the sixth book is better edited and Ms. Auel tightens her craft. Yes, I will buy the next one and hope for the best.
Rating:
Summary: Shelters of Stone
Review: Book is well written and kept my interest, but there was too much condensed into one book. There where areas that I wish she had written more on and other areas less. I liked books 1-4 better then this one.
Rating:
Summary: I waited 12 years for THIS!?
Review: I really enjoyed the first 4 books, especially The Clan of The Cave Bear, and The Mammoth Hunters. The interpersonal relationships set in the backdrop of primordal Europe has been the backbone of the series. I grew weary of the landscape descriptions, of every river and creek and inlet having to be named and explaining why they were named that. There was so little of the people of the Ninth Cave, I expected to be let into their hearths to see their impression of Ayla and her animals, new inovations, etc. Instead the only thing we find out is that every man is envious of Jondalar and every woman is envious of Ayla. (BIG SURPRISE) The most enjoyable part is finding out that there was Trailer Trash long before there were trailers. Wait for the paperback on this one.
Rating:
Summary: ...pass the prehistoric hootch, please!
Review: Dreary book that advances the story very little. The settlement Ayla ends up in reminds me very much of some sort of prehistoric country club where mate-swapping looms on the horizon and everybody drinks alcoholic barma during dawn-of-man cocktail hour. The story of the taming of Wolf and Whinney is told repeatedly and the recitation of the "Mothers Song" seems to appear every few pages and makes one yearn for a male deity to show up. Save your money and get it from the library.
Rating:
Summary: Read only if you have read the others.
Review: I have waited, along with many people, for Jean Auels' book for over a decade. Was it worth waiting for ?
YES... Only if you have read the others. NO... If you are going to read as a one off. The story is very slow, very repetitive, it promises a lot and delivers very little. You spend most of the book awaiting the "Summer Meeting" where Ayla and Jondalar are to be mated. This in itself is a let down. More should have been made of the tension Ayla causes between herself and the likes of Brukenval and Marona. There were far too may repetitions throughout this mammoth book. Do we really need to have eveyone's extended name virtually each time they are introduced. After a few times, we know who "The First" is so Zolena would have been sufficient. The book would have been at least 100 pages shorter without all the repetitions.
I only hope that when the final book comes out that we have more that keeps our interest, more of the conflict between the Clan and the Others.
Buy if you are a fan, avoid if you are not. Sorry Jean, but PLEASE don't make us wait another 12 years for the next book, or if you do, make it better than this.
Rating:
Summary: Like the BNL song, "It's all been done...before"
Review: I am thankful for a novel which can both educate and entertain.
At first I figured the novel's constant repetition was merely to introduce the new reader to the background material. But enough is enough. True fans do not need an extensive recap of the first four novels. Reviewers commented that the birth of Jonayla was glossed over.
But many births are just that--uneventful. The second birth
wasn't as physically or emotionally traumatic as when Ayla
brought Durc into the world, and almost died from it--at age 11. On a positive note, the introduction of Zolena (Zelandoni) was
enjoyable. The idea of an obese woman who is portrayed as
powerful (like Roseanne or early Oprah) rather than pathetic,
is refreshing. The plot moves along unevenly. In many places it moves at a
snail's pace, making it very tedious. Then it would skim over
other sections, making it hard to follow. Hopefully the final novel will recapture the excitement of the
first four books and not be as disappointing as Shelters of Stone.
Rating: 
Summary: No better way to spend your time than reading this book!
Review: Though each book in the Earth's Children series is special in its own way, this one is my favorite. Ayla has finally made it to her fiance's homeland and the resulting inter-personal intricacies are enthralling. From start-to-finish, Auel keeps readers on a spectacular journey. Her plot twists are not merely for momentary enjoyment; they are necessary for the continuous development of the characters and their relationships. Amidst this interplay, Auel intertwines rich period detail; it does seem, however, that, starting with Valley of the Horses, she acquired a tendency to let her plot get embedded in an overwhelming amount of technical information and, worse, pages and pages of tiresome sex scenes (how many times do we have to read about Ayla and Jondalar's "Pleasures"?!). But with a story this unique, imaginative and compelling, I'll take whatever I can.
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