Rating: 
Summary: Haunting
Review: This book is the introduction and first chapters of the sequel, Children of God. Both most be read in order to have some closure to The Sparrow. I loved this book and yet I recoiled instinctively at the portrayal of God and mankind. This is truly not a science fiction, but a portrait of mankind. I thought this was on the scale of Ender's Game only more intense.
Rating: 
Summary: Shocking Surprises
Review: The book provides readers with a surpluss of suspense until the very last second. it keeps you on the edge of your seat waiting for the ending....and when it comes, it knocks you over. A very good, descriptive, shocking book.
Rating:
Summary: An excellent choice!!
Review: I found this to be a very thought provoking book and a page turner as well. The moral/ethical/spiritual issues brought up in the story are unsettling to say the least, and worthy of thought and discussion. Someday we may find other sentinent beings and I expect our first contacts with their cultures may be similar to this book, especially our preconceived notions! I highly recommend this book, and it's sequel Children of God, to any reader of serious science fiction.
Rating:
Summary: Destined to be a classic
Review: I highly recommend "The Sparrow" for Mary Doria Russell's engaging prose and her incredibly imaginative plot, which has to rival or surpass Arthur C Clarke, Issac Asimov or Frank Herbert. This is an amazingly sophistocated and fascinating tale that is related with a very accessible yet artistic narrative. I don't read much science fiction, although I've read several of the classics and enjoyed them. I've also read some poor science fiction, and I think those are the works that tend to give the genre abad name. While so many Sci-Fi books are rooted in engineering, physics and fantasy, set in some sort of mythic past or unlikely future, the science in Russell's fiction is more evolution and social science than cosmology and rocket science- more Steven Jay Gould and Franz Boas than Stephen Hawking and Robert Goddard. Russell draws upon her expertise in cultural anthropology, anthropological linguistics, evolutionary biology, and earth science as well as her own exploration of philosophy and theology to weave an intricate plot that considers the questions of who we are, where we come from, where we are going, and what it all means. While part of this story takes place on a companion world, really Russell is taking us into the "heart of darkness" of the human condition; she takes us outside of ourselves to encourage us to look inward as a species. If I make it all seem so academic, heady and philosophical, let me reiterate that this is a page turner and a ... lot of fun. If you wish to contemplate it, there's more in there to discover. If you don't, it's still a great book. At the vey least, she has totally redefined the concept of "little green men."
Rating: 
Summary: ugghhh
Review: I gave 2 stars because I could see the possibility of this being a good book . It didn't however deliver . I wanted to like the characters but couldn't .... they were too cute , too witty , too unbelievable , too anything/everything . The two introduced at the last minute while preparing for liftoff ( which was annoying in itself ) I liked better than the ones introduced at the beginning . I kept waiting for the book to get better but it never did . The story couldn't get beyond the next witty or sexy remark . Which is really too bad because some really great life issues I would loved to have read about in the story were introduced ... and then promptly dropped in favour of some lame excuse for wit or sex talk . The ending was such a disappointment . After slogging through the whole book (hoping to find a reason for doing so other than it being my reading group selection ) , I was almost let down . I say almost because I really wasn't expecting the book to redeem itself in the last 50 pages ... just hoping . I would say not to waste your time reading this book except those who liked it REALLY seemed to like it .... for me , I could have been clipping my toenails .
Rating:
Summary: Turtles on Fence Posts
Review: Mary Doria Russell has created The Sparrow, a novel that will likely become a controversial and heralded classic. Filled with great adventure, optimism regarding human ingenuity and can-do spirit, tragedy, and exciting concepts born of the author's research and imaginative foresight, this novel revolves around significant questions concerning "the will of God". Is some circumstance indicative of divine revelation or intervention? Or, is it merely coincidence that one has mis-interpreted to fit some desire or preconception? If you are a believer, is it even morally correct or prudent to seek to identify and follow "the will of God"? This novel does not seem to me to condone or condemn any particular answer - it presents a story that adeptly asks the questions and encourages you to consider the possible answers. It is likely that most readers will find their spiritual equivalent (at least, someone close) in one of the characters of this novel. There are characters who are "believers", seeing "Turtles on Fence Posts", the hand of God in some circumstance - someone had to put the turtle there. There are vacillating spiritual middle-grounders who hope to find such turtles and sometimes believe they do find them. There are agnostics. There are deists. There are atheists. You must decide for yourself, but there may even be some characters altogether bereft of a soul. Is that possible? This novel is beautifully written. It was, for me, a joy to read. It elegantly exhibits, among other attributes of a life seeking to identify and follow "the will of God", the grave dangers and potential sheer arrogance of that quest. Very few novels have picqued my emotions as this one did in some (unexpected) scenes - I am always delighted when a novel catches me off guard. Be aware that there are scenes in this novel that are raw and dark - even pornographic; however, I expect that most readers will find the few such scenes appropriate and necessary to the purpose of the author. That said, know that this novel is not for the faint-of-heart. I would caution parents to read the novel before allowing it into the minds of their children. The Sparrow is a wonderful, thought-provoking work, and it creates in me hope for many more great works from Mary Doria Russell. I look forward with great pleasure to reading the sequel to The Sparrow and other great works that I expect from this gifted new author.
Rating:
Summary: Great Sci - Fi Read
Review: This is one of the best Science Fiction books I have ever read. It's extremely thought provoking. Even people who are not into science fiction would enjoy this book in my opionion because the things that happen in this book are not that far fetched and the characters are very well developed and believable.
Rating:
Summary: A Good Read
Review: The author had a unique way of writing this story so that the reader's curiosity would force him to continue reading. First we meet the characters and learn of a musical signal received from
outer space. A Jesuit team is put together and sent to the planet. The next chapter shows us the lone survivor, Emilio Sandoz, back from the expedition a broken man whose hands have been mutilated. This Emilio is so different from the humorous man we met in the previous chapter and we wonder what happened to him while away. And most of all, what happened to the other characters who went with him. I believe Russell's characterization was another reason I kept with the book. I fell in love with most of them and cared about what happened to them. I don't usually read Sci Fi but this one doesn't feel like Sci Fi to me. It has just enough science in it to be believable and the rest is both character and plot driven. I read the book with more than a little impatience because I wanted to hurry up and find out what was done to the characters. I think you will, too.
Rating:
Summary: Jesuits uninterested in spirituality?
Review: The question which I was left with at the end of this book was this: why did the Jesuit priests fail to inquire into the spiritual life of the aliens? Yet the main character continued to believe that spirituality existed on the strength of the beauty of the songs of the Singer. Of course, if they had so inquired they would have found the aliens to be devoid of spirituality which might have raised some red flags and ruined the author's tale. In the end, I was disappointed in this contrived plot.
Rating:
Summary: My #1 book
Review: I cannot recommend this book highly enough. It fails to fall into any generic category of literature (SF,popular,religious) and yet I feel it excels in them all.
Russell possesses an immense talent for exposing the human soul, that she yeilds mercilessly.
I was moved throughout the range of emotions from anger, fear, laughter and tears numerous times as the plot unfolded. The characters and dilemmas invaded my life outside the hours of reading, and I found myself wrestling with issues that affect us all in our common quest for meaning and love in life.
This is not a novel to be merely enjoyed and shelved to gather dust... prepare to be deeply affected by themes and characters that will haunt you forever.
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