Rating: 
Summary: disappointing
Review: This is the first Alice Hoffman book I've read and I couldn't finish it. Rather than engaging my attention in the plot, I found her writing style brought to mind images of Hoffman at her computer laborioulsy trying to craft this story. Her characters were not compelling, and seemed to act in ways that were inconsistent with the traits Hoffman describes them as having. And the "quirkiness" (so common these days) was a turn-off.
Rating: 
Summary: A deeply moving novel that has a sorrowful tone
Review: I bought this book on instinct after reading the plot summary and I was not dissapointed. I have read other books by Alice Hoffman and I thought this was probably one of her best.Actually, this books is quite sad and the mood throughout is very melancholy. In most cases a sad book is not always enjoyable, however, I was deeply moved and at times I was on the verge of tears. I must say that I found similarities between The River King and the novel "The Secret History" by Donna Tarrt. Both are based around a small elite college campus that have beautiful houses and mysterious going-ons. I highly reccomend reading Donna Tarrt's novel as well if you enjoy The River King. Overall I found the book to be enjoyable and magical even with its sad plot and melancholy characters. I finished reading this book in one evening because I simply could not put it down.
Rating: 
Summary: good characters, missed opportunities
Review: This is what I liked and disliked about the book without giving away any plot points that you couldn't get from reading the back of the book.
What I enjoyed about this book was several excellently developed characters and relationships between characters. I also enjoyed the author's ability to create and populate the town of Hadden complete with a rich believable human history. (For example: local tradgedies, affairs, feuds, friendships) All of this laid into a luxuriously described New England backdrop. I also enjoyed the plot, the body of an important character found in the river. Before she kills him off, Hoffman had me loving and sympathizing with this tragic figure. Very effective.
What I didn't like was the fat fingered way that Hoffman revealed the way that character met his end. She basicly just told us. There wasn't much of a process of discovery. There wasn't much suspense, and the result wasn't very exciting. I also think she extracted characters from several interesting situations a bit to handily instead of playing them out to their full potential. Overall it was a nice relaxing read, but it certainly did not blow me away.
Rating:
Summary: Beautiful and haunting book
Review: OK, first I will tell you that if you aren't able to let yourself inside of a book and allow yourself to believe things you normally would not, you will not like this book. However, if you are a reader who loves to escape into a book, to truly feel and experience things that are not every day - then this is a book you will find to be disturbing, beautiful and full of sensory images you can almost touch. Find a quiet room and immerse yourself.
Rating: 
Summary: Classic Alice Hoffman but a bit awkward
Review: I read every Alice Hoffman because of her ability to stimulate my imagination, and because she can make you cry and she can make you believe in love again. This story eventually did all that but it was a bit awkward in places along the way. Some things sounded rambling and seemed like overcompensation. Perhaps there are better ways to say some things she was trying to say. But the characters were involving enough and the story was compelling enough to keep me going.
Rating: 
Summary: She wrote this one for Hollywood
Review: This book is Practical Magic part two.....complete with roses, thorns, frogs and a dead guy. No originality! That is my first complaint! But if you loved Practical Magic, and want to read it again, then this is the book for you! Second, the main character is 15....yet acts as if she is a college freshman. Smoking, sex....all of it....the fact that this is a high school, and we are talking about a bunch of 14 and 15 year olds just doesn't fit the story. I know that high school students do these things, but the WHOLE SCHOOL? Third, there is not as much conflict between the townies and the prep school kids as you would think from the book jacket. Finally, this book is so predictable. I think Hoffman wrote this book so that Hollywood could cut her a big fat check for the screenplay. "The River King" starring Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Elijah Wood. Coming to theaters this summer. No thanks.
Rating:
Summary: Disappointing
Review: When I started this book, I was expecting it to be another one of Alice Hoffman's masterpieces. Instead, I found a dull book with dull characters and...was there a plot? I usually get emotionally attached to Hoffman's characters, but not this time. I really couldn't care less what happened to any of them; I found them all to be flat and annoying. Regarding the plot, I felt like Hoffman wasn't really sure where she wanted to go with it. There were just a lot of events: the whole Annie Howe thing, love stories everywhere, murders, blah blah....normally, I would have expected Hoffman to tie everything and leave me with a feeling of wonder, but once again, not this time. And some aspects of the book were overused: the smell of fear and the smell of guilt and the smell of the roses every second and all that stuff....usually Hoffman uses these little mystical phrases perfectly, but this time they just bothered me because they were used so often that it wasn't magical anymore, it was just unbelievable. Also, I felt like most of the book was an introduction. I kept waiting for the plot to start unfolding, and then I realized I was 3/4 through the book already. Anyway, I was very disappointed with this book because Alice Hoffman has written some of my favorite books. For example, "At Risk" is a MUST. That book is brilliant. "Practical Magic" and "Second Nature" are also really good. But this book...I wish I hadn't wasted my time with it. I came away feeling nothing.
Rating:
Summary: Always A Beautiful Writer
Review: As always Hoffman writes with extreme beauty, the writing mesmerizing, and the descriptions you can actually hear, smell, taste, and feel. This definatly goes under Hoffman's best books. Although, strangely this novel really reminded me of Twin Peaks.
Rating:
Summary: This book was just plain stupid
Review: this was the first book i read by this author and i hated it. it was meandering and pointless. Ironically, i am in the midst of Blue Diary and I find this book one of the best i have ever read
Rating:
Summary: THE MINNOWS
Review: I found this book at the literature section at wal-mart for a modern novel class I am taking as a Senior. I loved it! A twisting murder case cannot summarize this book. Only because its just too amazing to be placed in the same bin as the average cheezy and predictable murder novel. This set of pages not only appeals to my age group but to any avid reader who is looking for a bright light in the boring mystry/murder section of Borders. My last thought on this novel can only be understood by ones who have experienced it: THE MINNOWs!!! ...
| 
