Rating: 
Summary: Hope the next book is better!
Review: I'm yet another fan that has waited 12 long years for this book to come out. When I learned that the fifth book in the series was to be released, I was overjoyed. I raced to the bookstore to buy it the day it came out.
After reading what other people thought about this book, I have to agree with the majority of them. This book most certainly should have been 300 pages, not 700. The repetitive dialogue as well as the long winded introductions were a major problem. I have to admit that I too skipped many a page.
After I finished reading the book, I wonderered how Ms. Auel is going to finish this storyline in just one more book, for she covered so little ground in this one. Also, I noted that Ayla rarely concentrated on her healing abilities. In all the previous books, one of Ayla's main objectives, was to note the plants and vegetation in the area and to keep her supplies well stocked. This was something as natural as breathing to Ayla, so how do you explain the sudden change of character?
Here's to hoping the next book is better!
Rating: 
Summary: I have to say I agree with the other reviewers
Review: I waited rather impatiently for the next book about Ayla, and the 11 year wait was a bit much, and then to have over half the book rehashing what I've already read in the first four was very disappointing. If Auel had cut out the Dickens-like descriptions that went on for pages and pages the book would have been a fraction of what it was. I have to say I skimmed pages at a time looking for something new to happen. The dialogue was very awkward especially toward the end of the book. There was so much repetition. I think I counted four descriptions of what Echozar looked like as a half Clan-half Other man!! There was way too much description of what everything looked like and what it was made of, minute descriptions. One that stands out in my mind was the description of the bag Jondalar carried the fat in to light their first lamp in he and Ayla's own dwelling. I didn't really care what it was made of in such minute detail and the description had nothing whatsoever to do with the story just an example of the Dickens-like description. All in all I was very disappointed and I had so looked forward to this book coming out. I will probably read the next one, but I'll wait and check it out from the library and I won't spend [money] to buy it. Hopefully I won't have to wait 11 years for it to come out or I may just lose interest entirely.
Rating: 
Summary: Absolute Dreck
Review: Like so many people, I waited eleven years for this book, and I can honestly say it wasn't worth it. There are several key faults with The Shelters of Stone--1) I find it hard to believe Jean Auel wrote it. The book is completely lacking the energy and earnestness of the previous four books, and it reads as if Ms. Auel jobbed it out to a broke college student. 2) Too much repetition. There should be just enough info from previous books to tease new readers into buying them, not so much that returning readers (the majority of buyers) skip over pages and chapters at a time. 3) The Zelandonii are boring and close-minded people. The Mamutoi, Sharamudoi, Losadunai, Lanzadonii, and even the S'Armunai were far more interesting, and all of them were willing to accept Ayla's healing ability, while she was basically told she couldn't be a healer among the Zelandonii unless she devoted herself to become a priestess. Even the characters who should have been interesting, like the town drunk and the jilted fiance, were all one-dimensional and their stories didn't go anywhere. 4) There was no plot. While it was always a stretch that Ayla would be the superwoman who would domesticate animals, invent needles, discover an easy way to make fire, etc., at least something was always happening. The Shelters of Stone was largely a recap of old stories, with a couple of lackluster new vignettes added in. Basic story--Ayla meets Jondalar's people, they get married, she has a baby, and Whinney has a baby. The new elements of the story could have been told in about 100 pages. 5) There was no introduction of the Clan. With the setup from The Plains of Passage, I expected a story dealing with relations between the Cro Magnons and Neanderthals, yet there was just some vague talk about how the Clan might be angry at the Zelandonii for stealing their caves. Overall, I'm very sorry I wasted my money on this wretched book, and I'll either borrow number six from the library or wait until it's on the dollar table at the bookstore.
Rating:
Summary: Disappointed
Review: As a Jean Auel fan, I was very disappointed by this latest book in her Earth's Children series, and I am frankly at a loss at how the same person who wrote the absorbing _Clan of the Cave Bear_ and _Valley of the Horses_ could also write this, and require twelve years to do so! Despite the lengthy hiatus between stories in this series, the writing in _Shelters_ actually seemed to be rushed, affecting important elements of the story.The Good:
As in Auel's other novels, _The Shelters of Stone_ is clearly well-researched, and she makes a strong effort to describe the scenery as well as the animals and artifacts native to the time period. Despite the flaws, it was fun to return to Ayla's world after 12 years. I was generally entertained by the book despite its 700+ page length. The Bad:
Repetition: The worst among this book's flaws is the repetition, both of story elements from previous books (e.g. explanations of Whinney's origins) and from within the current book (e.g. each new character noting Ayla's accent). I understand that there has to be a certain amount of repetition in order to help new readers to the series, but I have read a number of novel series that did not use this degree of repetition. Narration: The 3rd person narrator switched frequently between characters, often in consecutive sentences, interrupting the flow and preventing character development. Although I am not against switching narrators throughout a novel, the constant change of point of view was poorly executed, and it often hindered the story-telling by giving away too much information about how other people were reacting (and often led to more repetition). Frankly, it came across as amateurish, which is surprising to me for somebody whose novels I have previously enjoyed. Pacing: The pacing was terrible, with the last third or quarter of the book zooming through about half of a year, barely touching on important events that occurred whereas the first two thirds of the book covered a very short period of time in excruciating detail. I would expect a greater focus on the couple's first couple of weeks after returning to the Zelandonii territories, but 400+ pages is ridiculous! Plot development: The plot meandered throughout the book, starting down many little (and often interesting) roads only to abandon them later in pursuit of the amorphous and somewhat under-whelming major plot concerning Ayla's desire to mate Jondalar. There were too many potential plot points but remarkably little plot development. In addition, some aspects of the plot seemed contradictory or flawed, as if the implications for twisting the story that way had not been considered. Finally, there didn't seem to be any real ending; the novel seemed to sputter out. Rather than leave me with suspense for the next novel, it left me annoyed. Character development: Auel's characters tend to be somewhat two-dimensional, with good characters showing few flaws and "bad" characters drawn as spiteful, difficult people. However, in her past novels she tempered this somewhat through character development in which some "bad", trouble-making bad people grow into better people (e.g. Freebec from _Mammoth Hunters_). In _Shelters_, almost every character was so two-dimensional as to appear like cardboard. The Bad stayed Bad, and the Good were sickeningly Good at times. The rare instances of transformation and growth (of minor characters only) were mentioned as an aside and left to languish as less interesting characters reclaimed center stage. Overall, although there were many problems with this book, some of the same Auel charm is still there. In my opinion, this book could have been much better with one good critical editor/reader to help identify and rectify the novel's many flaws at an earlier stage. Sure, this book will be an instant best seller, but the poor quality of the writing here may deter readers from purchasing the next, especially if it doesn't hit bookstores before 2014.
Rating: 
Summary: Can Shelters of Stone get me through another 9 years?
Review: Okay I am finally done reading Shelters of Stone and I am wondering if this book can get me through another 9 years waiting for the next book? I have to say I really needed my Ayla fix so I was not too disapointed, but the repetition in this book, including large parts from her previous books, was getting to be too much. And what happened with Marona, does she get her revenge against Ayla? I think lots of other routes were possible but simply not explored in this book. I read Plains of Passage when I was 15 and it has been a long wait. I have to wonder, do I have to wait 10 more years for more Zelandoni soap opera writing, where Ayla becomes Zelandonia and just lives in the Ninth Cave. What about the dream she had about Durc and her new son, then she has a girl!? Is she going to have another son and he will battle with Durc, or is this just symbloic of the times? This book was not packed with much like the first four were, will she make up for it in the sixth? It should be like 2,000 pages long. Please Jean, you're killing me!
Rating:
Summary: When it'n not repetitive, it's hysterically funny
Review: Most other reviewers have mentioned the repetitive nature of the novel, so I won't cover that. Suffice to say that I have given up looking for plot or characterization (or even references to the Cave Lion) in the "Earth's Children" series, and am now only skimming it for the unwitting humor. Jondalar's ex-girlfriend is jealous because she doesn't have a hunk or a baby like Ayla. :( So she dresses Ayla up in a boy's winter underwear. Hee hee! But Ayla decides to wear it anyway, to shame the jealous ex, and another woman thinks, "I wouldn't want Ayla mad at me!" Word, sister, neither would I. Ayla is (shiver) so scary when she's angry! And then there were the names. One male character is called Bologan. I wondered if his wife was Pastrama. The height of insult is to tell a woman she's fat; just like in a modern society, everyone gasps when they hear that. It's a hoot from beginning to end, which is when Jonayla (I suppose a baby boy would have been named Ayladar) makes an appearance. What will Marona do for an encore, Jean - tip a bucket of red dye over Ayla's beautiful new dress? And will Wolf have a cute baby just like Ayla and Whinney did? Oh well, I guess I can wait for the next "Harlequin Prehistorical". Especially if it's this amusing.
Rating:
Summary: DON'T READ AND PRETEND YOUR STILL WAITING!
Review: I had to give it two stars because the years of waiting and hype gave me much more entertainment than the book did. I have yet to read a more dissapointing book. After years of waiting... years of Jean explaing she's taking her time to get it right... and this is the result? You meet Jondalar's people, one by one, and hear again and again (and again) the "formal introductions", the explanation of wolf, the horses and spear throwers. Most of the "new" dialogue makes me think it's set in the 1980's. One can overlook the grammatical errors (there are numerous), but they should be an embarrassment to everyone that OK'd the book. I hate to say it, but this is not a good novel. I found myself skipping whole pages just so I could read something that interested me. You can throw out half of this book, and still get bored.
I just cannot believe anyone actually read this and said, "Jean, this is a wonderful book."
WAIT FOR IT IN PAPER BACK... I wish I had.
Rating:
Summary: Nothing ever happens in this book
Review: While I really liked the earlier books in this series, this latest installment is a big disappointment. I kept waiting for SOMETHING to happen, and it really never did. I think there were huge opportunities in the plot line, but it's almost like Auel lost steam because she never pursued them. For instance, the whole book could have circulated around a dramatic meeting or conflict between the Others and the Clan, followed by understanding or resolution. Also, Ayla's character did not "ring true" at the end; she was uncharacteristically weak and fearful. Sorry to say, but we should skip this one, and keep the good memories from Clan of the Cave Bear.
Rating:
Summary: Very disappointed
Review: I waited twelve years for this!? Ah, well, I suppose it's my own fault for looking forward to this book so much; maybe I was bound to be let down. At any rate, I can't imagine this latest installment attracting any new fans for the series. There is a boring lack of tension, conflict, and excitement throughout the book, which is partly what made the first four books in the series such enjoyable reads. Personally, I'm tired of Ayla and Jondalar being so perfect ALL the time -- don't they ever miss when they go hunting? Doesn't she ever have a bad hair day? Don't either of them ever think sex was "just OK"? Does Ayla ever wish for something that she doesn't get? Also, there were some things that just rang untrue in The Shelters of Stone; for example, when Jondalar arrives home after being gone for five years, you'd think his mother's second comment, after "Welcome back," would be "Where's your brother?" But, no, apparently it doesn't occur to her to wonder about her other son for quite a long time after Jondalar & Ayla's arrival. Do you know ANY mother who would act that way? This book basically seems to be a [$] bridge between the previous ones and the next one, whenever that will be. Just read the endpapers and save yourself some money.
Rating:
Summary: Insulting to Long-Time Fans of the Series
Review: I assigned a rating of 2 stars for these reasons: One star for the quality of this work and one added purely out of affection for Ayla. I do not begrudge Mrs. Auel her admitted (in a recent interview I read) 12 year vacation which allowed her to enjoy the fruits of her labor with her husband and family; however, I think she insults the fans who provided such bounty with a poor offering like Shelters of Stone. I, and other fans I've spoken with, feel....well..., betrayed by the eagerly (and soooo patiently) anticipated Book Five...the tiresome repetitions, even repetition of events occuring in the current novel, that Mrs. Auel appears to use as filler to make the book look tantalizingly lengthy; however, I was tempted to refer back to passages, literally to check to see if she merely cut and pasted verbiage at (what she thought might be) opportune places. I understand the need to elegantly refer to past events in order to catch a new reader up to speed; however, "elegance" was not Auel's style....I felt more bludgeoned over the head, rather than nudged to a gentle remembrance. And the lengthy formal intros....puh-leese! Explain the tradition, give an example, then just say "formal introductions were made". All in all, the book felt like it took a supreme effort on Auel's part merely to cobble enough words together to create the impression that this is a tome worthy of a 12 year wait. As an original and loyal fan who did much to line Mrs. Auel's pockets by enthusiastically having recommended (and purchased as gifts) her Earth's Children series to friends and family, I feel betrayed (yes, I realize that I'm repeating myself, but turn about is fair play). And, hey, if *I* had written a series that turned me into a multi-millionaire, perhaps I'd have a similar laissez faire, disdainful, what-the-hell-they'll-buy-ANYTHING-I-throw-at-'em-now, attitude as well. And the pity of THAT is....she's right. I'll buy the 6th and final book in the series, in order to obtain closure, if for no other reason. I'll buy it, that is, IF it's published before I kick the bucket - I'm 52 now and with Auel's record.....
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