Rating: 
Summary: I did not like the book
Review: I really enjoyed the first 100 pages - I thought the characters were well developed and the story line was OK. I enjoyed the book until our heroes found out about the mysterious civilization - the singers in Proxima Centaurs. From this point on the book was full of technical inconsistencies and story gaps and it was very annoying to continue. I somehow digested the fact that the alien life was found around the closest star to our Sun (very convenient, but well it happens), I also closed my eyes to some technical inconsistencies, but I said: "OK, the book does not focus on the technical side of the problem but on the emotional", so I was still willing to continue. The final drop in my frustration was the fact that after this great discovery the Jesuits are the one that sponsor the mission, not any Space agency, not the military, not the government - this is the first mission to another planet ever in Human history, this is the first alien civilization found ever in Human history. And instead of sending experienced people suitable for such pioneering mission they send a priest, a medical doctor and few scientists without any training? Not a surprise that the mission was a disaster... I can go on and on, but I will stop at this point. The bottom line is that I am very unsatisfied with the book.
Rating: 
Summary: Compelling, intricately constructed, and well-informed
Review: I bought this book on an absolute whim, caving in because the sample pages I read not only starred a handsome Jesuit named Emilio, they also featured some of the lushest scenic descriptions I had ever read in a science fiction vein. I think I finished it in two days... I was absolutely overcome by Russell's command of incredibly precise vocabulary, and, by extension, the vocabularies of her characters. It convinced me that this wasn't a simple fantasy or science fiction, but a true fiction, a grand novel. Her work encompasses an amazing array of technical knowledge in astronomy, information tech, physics, and even social psychology. It is Russells confidence in her own language that makes me read this again at least a couple of times per year. And the best part: the sequel is equally excellent. A top pick from my shelves.
Rating:
Summary: For science fiction haters--and lovers
Review: If science fiction isn't youir usual genre, don't be put off--this work is several cuts above usual science fiction fare. Radio signals are detected in outer space and the Jesuits--that's right--form an expedition and take off. The idea comes from the history of this Catholic order, who during the age of discovery several hundred years ago were often among the first Europeans to arrive in a foreign land--China, India, you name it. Russell tells a riveting story of a group of extremely talented men and women, who do everything in their power to learn the culture of the beings they meet, not interfere with the eco-system, trade peacefully, and merely report what they find. An innocent, helpful initiative, teaching the Runau how to grow food, leads unwittingly to disaster for all.
The story takes two tracks--one relating the actual experiences of the explorers, the other relating hearings held many years later where the Superior General of the Jesuits tries to get to the bottom of what happened. What makes the story special is the wonderful fully developed characters, the story of the spiritual journey of Emilio Sandoz, the main character, as well as that of the Jesuits on the trip, Sophia Mendes, Jimmy and married couple Anne and George. Also included is a very frank look at the struggles of those who take the vow of celibacy.
If I make this book sound too religious, it's not--if it sounds too science-fictiony, it's not--it's just a great read!
Rating:
Summary: Not what I expected
Review: If you like science fiction with religious overtones you will like this book. A friend lent it to me and I was suprised at how good it was. If you like the Dune series, you will like this book. I'm looking forward to reading the sequel "Children of God".
Rating:
Summary: A Book I Will Remember
Review: This is my first book review on Amazon. I wanted to write a review because Amazon recommended this excellent book to me. I agree totally with everything Nicq said in his great review. I am usually a reader of hard hi-tech sci-fi and I think I had forgotten how deeply you can be transported to a strange place by a book. The author has an amazing ability to make you feel at right home, first in a near-future Earth that is much like today's but with some very believable changes, and later in a distant alien place with the people who by now feel like your own friends and family. This makes it very disturbing when your illusions and security are shattered as you share their fates. The story is revealed alternately forward as it occurred and backwards from its aftermath, in a way that builds to a powerful ending. I think I will remember this book long after closing its back cover.
Rating:
Summary: Mature science fiction but lacking in theology
Review: _The Sparrow_ is a story of a Jesuit mission to a newly discovered alien race on Alpha Centauri. The lone survivor of the mission, years later, must answer questions about what happened. The story unfolds through his testimony and flashbacks, as he comes to grip with what he has witnessed.
From a Science Fiction perspective, the story and science are very good. (There's a bit of discreet hand waving about the technology, which can be forgiven given that's not the focus of the story.) The beings of Alpha Centauri are sufficiently alien and interesting, if only shown in a few sketches. The expedition's trials are well thought out and the interaction between the characters seems natural.
Sadly, the work tries to handle some deeper questions about the nature of God and of evil. In the humble opinion of this reviewer, there are few new ideas or dilemmas presented that would not be covered in a college introductory course on the subject. The idea that a Jesuit priest, albeit one trained as a linguist, would not have previously encountered the problems the main character agonizes over is unbelievable. To then have Jesuits be rendered speechless despite 500+ years of theology on the subject strains credulity. And to compound the oversight, discussions on the effect of non-human beings on theology are glossed over, along with any questions about the nature of "good" and "evil" from an alien mindset.
In the end, this book is an entertaining and engrossing read with a very weak ending. In the end, the horrific and soul-shattering revelation the plot has been promising turns out to be a very old theological problem with new clothes, but without a new approach.
Rating: 
Summary: Superbly written and thought-provoking
Review: This book is superbly written. The characters are real and compelling. The plot unfolds from two perspectives, creating great suspense as I'm anxious about what's going on "back at the ranch." The theological questions are haunting (though Hebrews 11 suggests that this is not the first place these questions have been raised). The only thing that keeps me from giving this book an unqualified 5 stars is that the description of the alien society became pretty tedious. I suspect this is more a reflection of my general boredom for science fiction rather than a failing of the author.
Rating:
Summary: Moving
Review: Russell made an enormous impact on me with her Sparrow. I could not pick up another book for days.....unusual for me. This book is so much more than a typical sci-fi. This book is all about a spiritual quest. Must read! It will have an impact on you too!!!! (guaranteed)
Rating: 
Summary: Profoundly disturbing
Review: I pretty much agree with a lot of the good stuff that has been said about this book, but I found the end so disturbing that I had to swiftly bring the book out of doors and leave it on a street corner for some other reader to find. Maybe they won't be as horrified by the ending as I was. I just had to get this book out of my physical space. Go ahead and buy it though, but let the buyer beware of the astoundingly disturbing outcome.
Rating:
Summary: Thought-provoking; entertaining; can't put down book!
Review: After years of reading sci-fi, this book defies description or categorization. Russell is to be commended for the charater development, but the pace of the story keeps the reader hooked. The interweaving of culture, religion, science fiction/fantasy/space travel is pure entrapment. But the best part is after you've finished with the book and you desperately want to find someone to talk it over with - so you recommend it to everyone - even strangers in the grocery! I had to wait for Children of God to be published, but the sequel is no less compelling than The Sparrow. Run, don't walk, to get these books!
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