Rating: 
Summary: This is a MUST read!!!!
Review: I loved this book!! The inside cover of this book really piqued my interest. I had no idea what I was in store for!! I do know of some Carib folklore and various non-traditional spiritual practices. This book also had a sci-fi kind of twist to it - but in some ways I could see some of these events taking place in the future. What did I like most about this book? Nalo Hopkinson kept me on my toes!! I couldn't wait to see what happened next!! Nalo touched on some very African values, such as honoring tradition, and accepting your divine destiny. I loved the main character Ti-Jeanne because she was very real!! I could picture Ti-Jeanne in my mind as I read! Her grandmother, Gros-Jeanne, represented tradition - she was a very proud woman who knew exactly who she was; this woman was a force to be reckoned with!! The manner in which Nalo weaved the mysticism with the reality of her characters struggles was AWESOME!! I strongly urge any Octavia Butler fans to get this book!!! I have to stop here or else I'll end up telling you the entire story!! CHECK THIS BOOK OUT FOR YOURSELF!! It has twists and turns...read this book with an open mind and spirit!! ENJOY IT AS MUCH AS I DID!! Peace and blessings to you and yours...one love...on the strength!!
Rating:
Summary: This is a MUST read!!!!
Review: I loved this book!! The inside cover of this book really piqued my interest. I had no idea what I was in store for!! I do know of some Carib folklore and various non-traditional spiritual practices. This book also had a sci-fi kind of twist to it - but in some ways I could see some of these events taking place in the future. What did I like most about this book? Nalo Hopkinson kept me on my toes!! I couldn't wait to see what happened next!! Nalo touched on some very African values, such as honoring tradition, and accepting your divine destiny. I loved the main character Ti-Jeanne because she was very real!! I could picture Ti-Jeanne in my mind as I read! Her grandmother, Gros-Jeanne, represented tradition - she was a very proud woman who knew exactly who she was; this woman was a force to be reckoned with!! The manner in which Nalo weaved the mysticism with the reality of her characters struggles was AWESOME!! I strongly urge any Octavia Butler fans to get this book!!! I have to stop here or else I'll end up telling you the entire story!! CHECK THIS BOOK OUT FOR YOURSELF!! It has twists and turns...read this book with an open mind and spirit!! ENJOY IT AS MUCH AS I DID!! Peace and blessings to you and yours...one love...on the strength!!
Rating: 
Summary: An excellent first novel, with vivid characters
Review: I tend to read a lot of first novels, and this was one of the best that I've read in a long time. Nalo Hopkinson's characterization is wonderfully vivid. The good guys weren't saints and the bad guys weren't demons. Hopkinson's use of Afro-Carribean magic bespeaks a real understanding, whether through personal practice, prevalence in the suroundings where she was growing up, or academic study. Hopkinson's choice of locales was very refreshing, and, though I have no knowledge of Toronto, felt intensely real. I would recommend this book to anyone that enjoys Marion Zimmer Bradley's contemporary novels, cyberpunk, or just a fresh read. I heartily recommend this book and plan to get her next one as soon as it's out.
Rating:
Summary: I brought 5!
Review: I thought that it was a fabulous read. I loved/hated the characters, which seemed like everyday people. I also liked not being able to guess what happened. Oh..., I also went out and brought four copies for family and friends!
Rating:
Summary: What a knockout
Review: I took a chance because of the good review from Tim Powers, and was glad I did. I just devoured this book. It's mixture of dying city and ancient supernatural beings brought back memories of reading "Green Eyes" by Lucius Shepard. This book put its author instantly up there with the likes of Elizabeth Hand and Tim Powers. I hope she writes her next one soon.
Rating:
Summary: Good plot, great characters
Review: I've been getting pretty sick of what I percieved as the same plots coming out in current science fiction. That's why I really liked this book. It was diffrent, with scenes you probably won't find in the book next to it on the shelf. The characters were well developed and felt real.
Rating:
Summary: "Edge-Hanger"
Review: If you're looking for something that can potentially keep you on he edge of your seat, this is it. Nalo Hopkinson does a pretty good job on her first outing as a writer.Though the beginning is a little hard to read because of the patois, once you settle into it you begin to visualize the characters' appearances and life. Essentially, other than the language, the book does not really do much to introduce to anything to you, as the reader. The drama and suspense is enough to make you want to read it long enough to find out some little details. Though it's a half way decent book , I don't expect to see it remade as a television show or show for the silver screen.
Rating:
Summary: Octavia Butler's True Literary Offspring
Review: In Charles Saunders' essay titled "Why Blacks Should Read (And Write) Science Fiction," Nalo Hopkinson was pointed out by Saunders as being "Octavia Butler's true literary child." While Hopkinson "doesn't imitate Butler," he reminded us, she did "imitate the older writer's strenghts in plotting and characterization (Dark Matter, ed. by Sheree R. Thomas, 2000)." Saunders was right. What a debut. This first novel was enthralling. It was so good that up-and-coming fantasy novelist Nalo Hopkinson had managed to win both heady praise from Butler herself and a Warner Aspect First Novel Award. Brown Girl in the Ring had everything. Smooth, yet urgent prose. Heart-stopping action. A thriving Caribbean-Vodoun culture in Canada. Soul-deadening urban decay. Vibrant Caribbean speech. Evil that makes your skin crawl. Using the power of the old ways of her ancestors, hero Ti-Jeanne must come of age in near-future Toronto by confronting the forces that threaten to overcome her neighborhood, her family, and her life. Even though I had read this book nearly 4 years ago, it is still in my head. It was and still is that good. More that 3 decades ago, Octavia E. Butler revolutionized the heart of science-fantasy writing, setting tough new standards of excellence. With Brown Girl in the Ring, Nalo Hopkinson has met that challenge admirably. I know Butler must be proud.
Rating:
Summary: Sci-Fi with a Carribean Flavor
Review: Nalo is a good storyteller. The story has a nice pace to it. It's an easy read and the characters will pull at your emotions from Ti-Jeanne's immaturity and disdain for her baby to the cowardly boyfriend whom she struggles to extract herself from. The story enchants you and presses at you to finish it. I am awaiting to see what Nalo comes up with next.
Rating:
Summary: Great Book!
Review: Our Book Club read this novel for our June Selection. Most of our members do not like Sci-Fi/Fantasy, so when I suggested this there were a lot of moans. At our monthly meeting, we discovered that everyone really enjoyed this book. It was amazing how much discussion we got from such a little book. I am excited to see people of color write in this genre, and I look forward to Ms. Hopkinson's next book. It is obvious to me why she has won so many awards.
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