Rating: 
Summary: Far too repetitive
Review: This book was disappointing. I have eagerly anticipated this fifth book in the Earth Children series for over 8 years and I was shocked to see how much Auel basically plagarized from her previous books. If someone else had written the first 500 pages of the book, Auel would have been able to successfully sue them for using her work. I understood that in the first 100 pages or so that it was necessary to recap the previous books and it might be necessary to re-tell a few stories to explain things, but Auel is insulting the intelligence of her reader with this level of repetition. The book could have been shortened by 300+ pages if Auel had chosen to eliminate repetition and plagarism of her own work. I absolutely loved this series prior to reading this book and I think that the series should stop at this book. I also was tired of Ayla's perfection and glad to see that she was willing to behave badly when others behaved badly with her. Her naming skills could also use some work. I'd like to see her become a little more shrill and possessive at the very least. Maybe she could let the wolf kill someone she doesn't like. Or have some indiscretion with one of Jondalar's family members and make Jondalar go insanely jealous again. Possibly even some bad sex--does everyone have multi-orgasmic sex in Cro-Magnon times?!!? Let's make her a little human, please! ... I know that Auel is writing a sixth book. I hope that it's better than this one.
Rating:
Summary: Just an OK Read
Review: Having waited patiently 12 long years for this book, I was expecting a great read. Instead I was treated to a long 700+ pages that plodded along. As mentioned in previous reviews, there was a lot of backstory-telling to the point it was annoying and interfered with the flow of the story. The plot was somewhat weak for the avid Auel fan. We already knew how the animals would be received and how the new discoveries would be revealed. The book only got interesting near the end, otherwise it was an endless littany of formal introductions, review of the previous 4 books and many many many detailed descriptions of the landscape and geography (yawn). This is an ok read for an Auel fan. Let's hope for something better in Book 6.
Rating: 
Summary: DISAPPOINTNG!
Review: After such a long wait I think I expected something a little more than a rehash of her 1st four books. There was no character depth in this novel compared to her last ones, and I think the main characters acted very differently in certain circumstances than they would have previously.
Rating:
Summary: Shelters of Stone
Review: Like so meny other Jean Auel fans, I was so eager to love this book like I have the four previous books in the series, but that didn't happen. Twelves years is a long time to wait for such a medicre story. It's really only half a book. One half is retelling the previous four stories and the other half is new story. New characters showed promise but were not developed well.
I felt the author cheated me.
Rating: 
Summary: Who is this book trying to impress??
Review: After waiting so long for the next book, this was rather disappointing. The slide into tedium actually started in Valley of the Horses but at least that had two story lines going for a while and an interesting romance. The Mammoth Hunters was more interesting with Ayla finding her first group of Others (although the many and extreme "misunderstandings" between Ayla and Jondalar were rather unrealistic). But reading Plains of Passage at times felt like reading a "how to live in the Ice Age" textbook, the only thing I could hope was that the next book would have less research and a better plot. Unfortunately, Ms. Auel is so enamored with her own research (which she obviously spent lots and lots of time on) she wants to put every bit of it on paper. I'm not quite through with the book yet since it has become more laborious than enjoyable, however, I must ask, is this book trying to impress its readers or the many archaeologists and PhDs that Ms. Auel has become so friendly with during her years and years of research? Even without the overbearing manifestation of all that research, the story is extremely slow. How many times do we need to see Ayla introduce Wolf?? Or hear about how extremely beautiful Ayla is. Get to the point already. Another thing, the storyline does not hang together in regard to the Others considering flatheads as animals. How could these obviously intelligent Others particularly the Zelandonii really think of the Clan as animals and yet have at least two of "mixed spirits" in their midst and not think much of it. How would you react to, say, a half human half chimpanzee in your neighborhood?? There are a number of examples of contradiction in regard to this outlook in the story. Most importantly, where are the Neanderthals??? That was the hook. That was what was so extremely interesting about Clan of the Cave Bears (which is still one of my all-time favorite stories). These Zelandonii are very advanced for 35,000 years ago, living not all that much different than the way the American Indians, Native Hawaiians or Australian Aborigines lived just 250 years ago. The Neanderthals, now that was different and very interesting.
Rating:
Summary: Ms. Auel! No!
Review: How do I rate Ms. Auel's newest masterpiece? Average, and I am being courteous. After four masterpieces of modern American art and a twelve-year wait, fans of the Earths' Children series were given a novel which could be more purposeful holding up a broken table than as a cherished classic.
The main problem with the book is that Auel is EXTREMELY repetitive in her descriptions of things that the reader should already know. It took the author over 300 pages to describe one week, during which she elaborated on the horses--Whinney and Racer-- numerous times; the fact that Ayla has an accent and sounds different than everyone else, which is obvious considering the lengths she traveled to get there; the firestones... I could go on and on. She spent amazing amounts of time describing ideas that the reader already knew, and then ignored new topics, the most important examples being Ayla and Jondalar's mating and their child. Now, am I a complete pessimist and have absolutely nothing positive to say in the novel's favor? Similar to Auel's previous literary works, she does do an execllent job describing the landscape and other details. She also came up with some interesting ideas and points throughout the novel relating to the social norms of the Zelandonii people. As a Auel fan, I would suggest buying this book in the effect that you will need to know some of the things that happened in The Shelters of Stone for the next book that will hopefully come out soon and relieve us!
Rating:
Summary: Depressed and Disappointed
Review: Like every other fan of Jean Auel's Earth's Children series, I have been waiting years to find out what happened to Ayla and Jondalar. I'm sorry to report that Shelters of Stone was anticlimactic and a disappointment. The main characters that I have come to know and love have been reduced to mere cardboard cutouts. The endless descriptions of the Zelondoni locale are mind-numbing and the constant repetition of introductions and past history are boring in the extreme. I began skipping most of this unnecessary narrative before I was even half through reading the book. I had the book on backorder with Amazon for months and couldn't wait to find about about Ayla's and Jondalar's matrimonial and the birth of their child. These two significant events were treated by the author in a casual and offhand manner as compared to the endless descriptions of the Zelandoni landscape. It was very depressing. If you are a real fan, you will want to read this book. Don't invest in the hardcover...wait until it comes out in paperback. That way you won't feel as disappointed by your investment.
Rating: 
Summary: good next step for the series
Review: I just started the series, at "The Clan of the Cave Bear" lvl on May 1. 13 days later I completed the last book "Shelters of Stone". The book flows well with the others and is a good next step for the series that leaves you grasping for more. I feel sorry for those who have had to wait 12 yrs for this book, and don't think I could make it that long till the next. It's easy to become intimately involved with the characters, and althought the extreme detail of scenery can get alittle tough, the main focus is still deliciously interesting. This book has alittle less of the "intense events" than the others, and is more involved in the day to day life stuff, it still holds it value in the series. Over all, I really liked it and breezed through in 2 days.
Rating:
Summary: Finally, More Ayla and Jon!
Review: It has taken entirely too long for this latest installment to arrive. Some fans of the series I know are dead! And they were young when the series started! This addition to the Earth's Children series is worthy of the history made by its predecessors. It stands as a wonderful addition.
I get the feeling that the editor was asleep for this one. Ms. Auel is brilliant with her descriptions of life in prehistoric France, but the editor blew it. One gets the impression that the vignettes in the book may have been written in a different sequence and at significantly different times and then put together for the book. Were they written to stand alone or before the final chronology was determined? The editor should have cut some of the redundant detail. Perhaps, they paid her by the pound!?! The detail of life during the last ice age remains great. It is easy to see why awards have been heaped of Ms. Auel. The book is excellent!
My major critisms...where is the major clan encounter? We follow Ayla and Jon for 8 months to the final birthing of their offspring and then jump to Whinney's new colt, but no clan contact...is this to be book 6? I hope I live that long! I hope Ms. Auel lives that long! Also, the protagonists invent all kinds of things in the earlier books, but stop inventing in this one...I expected that they would invent the bow and arrow this time and wait until the next book to get to metalurgy...
Rating:
Summary: I wish it was longer.
Review: I just finished it and I've got a great big smile on my face. It starts out slow but by the end you want more. Thats half the fun imagining what will be next. If your the earthy type this series is a must read. My all time favorite set of books. Get the series and set off on the adventure of a lifetime. If the next one is truely the last please please make it twice as long.
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