Rating: 
Summary: A book full of dreams
Review: Kingsolver has really outdone herself this time! She has indeed created for her readers a book bursting with flashbacks, dreams, and half-remembered images that lay before you the course of the story. It is even enhanced along the way by letter-format correspondances from the main character's sister, Hallie. The main character in Animal Dreams is a young woman named Codi on a quest for her true home. Among literary fanatics, this is what is known as a "coming of age" story. She IS on a quest, although she doesn't realize it; although she actually stays put in one little town after all her years of tromping all over the country (or rather, all over the world). And throughout her quest, Codi (who narrates her own tale) pulls us along on her pyschological travels, along the rough road she follows, with all its dips and turns and steep inclines.
You know you've got the work of a superior writer in your hands when you're reading and you are suddenly depressed in the midst of a depressing scene, or elated at the onset of a joyous occasion. Yes, Barbara Kingsolver is certainly a literary mastermind. Her descriptions sometimes boarder on being "Steinbeck-ish", but when you're talking about fiery Southwestern sunsets and gorgeous desert mountains, then elaboration like that gets a thumbs up from enthralled readers (readers like me, anyway).
I would recommend Animal Dreams to no one under say, 13. Only because someone younger than that might not understand it (it does have a rather complicated plot), and there are a few, let's say, VERY romantic scenes. Another really great thing about Animal Dreams is that it highlights several really important morals of society: Big corporation's pollution of small-town rivers, refugee rights (i.e. Nicaraguan rebels vs. U.S. contras), Teen Pregnancy, and even high school apathy. So if you ask if there's anything more to learn from Animal Dreams than new vocabulary, yes! Kingsolver throws a bunch of social justice and relationship based struggles at you. Justice fought for in one's own mind, justice fought politically: group against group, and justice fought for the environment. Barbara Kingsolver is the kind of author that does not hesitate to promote justice of all kinds!
Animal Dreams is an engaging novel. Not quite the type that'll have you on the edge of your seat, but I'll attest to the fact that it certainly does keep you reading on: eyes consuming page by page, while your mind looks to coming chapters and wonders: what could happen next?
Rating:
Summary: Better than Chocolate
Review: This is a book to savor. Animal Dreams was the second Kingsolver book I read -- the first being the Bean Trees -- and it was so good that I forced myself to only read one chapter per day so I could enjoy it for a greater length of time. Kingsolver is so adept at getting inside the heads of her characters that you feel you know them like family. I miss Codi and Loyd very much.
Rating:
Summary: Fantastic
Review: Haunting, engaging, and magical, Animal Dreams explores many of the issues of life: love, familial relations, life ambition, memory, and life, human and animal. I had a difficult time finding part of Codi's character believable, but was very impressed with Hallie's character. This was my first introduction to Kingsolver and it made me eager to read more!
Rating:
Summary: Avid Reader
Review: I just finished reading this book for the second time, I read it about 4 years ago and for some unkown reason i picked it up agian. It is a beautiful book, in so many different ways. It has a voice a feel that I can't articulate, but that has touched me both times I have read it. Yes, it has flaws, but they add to its beauty - the overall story has an honesty and quirkiness which really transports the reader.
Rating: 
Summary: Finr writing, but a bit tedious at times
Review: This is the first Kinsolver book I've read. Initially I was blown away by her narration- how she described things and the way she set the plot fot the events to come. She is a geat writer. That being said, just past the middle of the book, the story began to drag, and the descriptions and some of the scenes seemed superfluous to the story. I found myself saying, "Just get on with it, already." Another issue I had with the story was the way things came together and fit sort of well; it seemed a bit hunky-dory for my taste, which led to me doubting the reality of the story.Overall, a decent read. And if you enjoy vivid descriptions that are many, and if you enjoy stories with fairy tale like endings, then you'll probably like this book.
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