Rating: 
Summary: Amazing...
Review: That's the only word to describe this book. Amazingly stupid. Every word of every sentence of every chapter is garbage. Apparently since I am a male I have to live with the stereo type of not being compassionate or sensitive enough to understand 200 pages of babble. Some friends of mine had suggested this book and I can't believe I took them seriously. This must be a cruel joke they are playing on me. The complete absence of story is alarming. It's 300 pages of assorted whining: everyone likes my sister better, I don't have a cause, I don't have anyone to sleep with, I don't fit in anywhere I go, I had a crummy child hood, the poor central Americans. BOO HOO. This book is worse than any of the mass-produced love stories you find at airports. Please spend your money on something more worthy.
Rating: 
Summary: Beautiful writing, great story. Kingsolver has another fan.
Review: A review from the author of DREAMING YOUR REAL SELF: A PERSONAL APPROACH TO DREAM INTERPRETATION; and DREAM BACK YOUR LIFE: TRANSFORMING DREAM MESSAGES INTO LIFE ACTION: A PRACTICAL GUIDE TO DREAMS, DAYDREAMS, AND FANTASIES. Kingsolver is a master storyteller. Throw in her politics, passions, and ability to describe environmental concerns without getting preachy, and you can learn something from her books. Add her lyrical prose and you have a winner. I love her work and was glad to see that in ANIMAL DREAMS, she departed only very briefly from the point of view of her protagonist. I love how this story unfolded, the development and changes of the viewpoint character, and the very positive view she gives us of relationships between men and women who love each other. A delightful book on all counts!
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Summary: A Very Authentic Book
Review: "Animals dream about the things they do in the daytime, just like people do. If you want sweet dreams, you've got to live a sweet life." So says Loyd Peregrina, a handsome Apache in "Animal Dreams". But when Codi Noline returns to her hometown, Loyd's advice is painfully out of her reach. Dreamless and at the end of her rope, Codi comes back to Grace, Arizona to confront her past and face her ailing, distant father. What she finds is a town threatened by a silent environmental catastrophe, some startling clues to her own identity, and a man whose view of the world could change the course of her life. "Animal Dreams," by Barbara Kingsolver, is a dense and vivid novel, which grasps the enduring question of 'what it means to be alive'. "Animal Dreams" captures the beauty of life. Kingsolver use of flashback allows readers to relate their life experiences to those of the characters and in return learn some more about themselves. When Codi finally learns that the flashback she had about her mother's death was real it helped her to better understand her fathers devotion to her and their relationship. Readers realize that things are not always as they seem the first time around, and that when people are cold and distant they may only be showing they care. Because Kingsolver's characters are very realistic the story comes to life and makes it easier for the readers to relate. The descriptions and details in the book make "Animal Dreams" very authentic. Animal Dreams is an inspirational, sweet, and enduring book. If you enjoy books with a deep meaning, grasping you by the soul, this is for you!
Rating: 
Summary: A good read, if you don't mind the politics
Review: There are times when it seems that Kingsolver's tales are simply the bait that she uses to trap readers into listening to her stump speeches on minorities, the environment, family values or the plight of the third world. Still, since she is a very picturesque writer, I am willing to forgive her. Animal Dreams follows a year in the life of Codi Noline, a disenchanted young woman trying to find her place in life, and finding it in the last place she expects. Certainly, it is not the most original theme, but Kingsolver executes it well, with a vivid blend of dreams and emotional storytelling. My favorite character in the book was Homer, Codi's withdrawn, emotionally repressed father whose mind deteriorates from Altzheimer's Disease through the course of the novel. I would venture to guess that women would be more likely to enjoy this book, but I, for one, thought it was pretty good.
Rating:
Summary: good book
Review: I liked this book, although Poisonwood Bible is even better. I'm disturbed by some of the negative reviews here. If you read her novels carefully, it is obvious that Kingsolver is writing about people trying to understand each other, not about converting people. I liked the motif of animal dreams and the relationships delineated within the book.
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Summary: My Review for Animal Dreams
Review: Animal Dreams is a vivid book that takes you through the life of Cosima while it makes you think of your own. It is touching and inspiring, reflecting on the different sociological (like the Indian reservations and lands) and ecological issues (like the river and the dam) it addresses. Although I found this book a little bit tough to read because of its rich and complex language, I found Kingsolver's words uniquely descriptive and full of emotion. You will be kept at the edge of your seat wondering what will happen next, in her love life, in her professional life, with her family... I definitely recommend this book. If you find it confusing and boring at the beginning, you are not alone, the book bounces from love to science to land. Have it a little patience and it will take your mind to places it has never been before and your heart to emotions it has never felt before.
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Summary: Another success from Kingsolver
Review: Once again Barbara Kingsolver has managed to write a complex and winning story with wonderfully flawed characters that capture the hardships of real life. Animal Dreams is a page turning account of a young woman's struggle to find where she belongs in the world. The tale of how she finds her niche is emotionally gripping.
Rating:
Summary: Great Visuals!
Review: This is the first Barbara Kingsolver book I have read and I was definetly impressed! I thought the book started out slow, but definetly sparked my interest after about 30 pages of the book.... It's about a girl who comes back to her childhood town to teach and here she is about to unleash alot of the memories that she has blocked out. I really loved the characters in this novel, I definetly give it an A.
Rating: 
Summary: The Great White Savior
Review: I decided to give Kingslover another chance after reading The Bean Trees. Unfortunately, Animal Dreams didn't improve my opinion of the author's storytelling. Like the Bean Trees, Animal Dreams seems to be obsessed with the Great White Mother rescuing the poor little red and brown folks out there. It's great that she has a liberal heart and think about political issues that deal with non-whites out there. However, it doesn't translate so nobly anymore. It's starting to sound like Upper Middle Class white Peace Corps volunteer club. Let's have more stories about people helping themselves, rather than a bunch of Halle's rescuing the "natives" from powers-that-be. Also, the theme of finding the perfect "minority" mate in both books are getting old. Please think of a new story.
Rating: 
Summary: Do any of you remember me?
Review: I used to post on all books by Kingsolver. Now I am trying to stick to the Bean Trees. The Poison Wood Bible got me kicked off for a couple of months. I hope that this gets posted, because I really need some lovin right now. It has been days since my friends or I have had anything posted.
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