Rating: 
Summary: Awesome
Review: This was the best book I have ever read! It is by far a must read and anyone who hasn't read it must do so very quickly! This is Hoffman's best piece of literature and since she is one of the best, you must feel the impulse to read her absolute best.
Rating: 
Summary: Good Light Read
Review: This book is a wonderful light read. It's a ghost story. It's a love story. It's a story about regrets and family. The story contains many surprises throughout the book that keep the reader from putting it down. I only gave it four stars because it didn't pull me in emotionally (it didn't make me cry or laugh). If you like books with a good mix of reality and mysticism, you'll like this one.
Rating:
Summary: Haunting Magical Realism
Review: A story told in the writing style of magical realism about love lost and love found. Highly imaginative and unusual. It is those qualities of the novel that kept me reading. Hoffman relies heavily on allusions to nature, weaving a web of mystery and suspense where every truth lies below a shimmering surface. Set in a riverside college town, the residents and students can't seem to come to grips with each other until a drowned boy makes them confront the truth behind each of their lives.If you enjoyed Marquez's One Hundred Years of Solitude, you will likely enjoy this book too.
Rating:
Summary: Another Date With Alice Hoffman
Review: I should probably reflect on this more as I just finshed this novel.. however, I have to say that I really enjoyed it. For those of you have never read Alice Hoffman, she writes tales of the heart in an enchanted setting. The actual setting tends to be Massachusetts, however, it could be anywhere the reader finds magical for whatever reason. 'The River King' revolves around the inhabitants of a Haddan, a small Massachusetts town north of Boston. Haddan is home to an exclusive prep school ala Andover or Philips Exeter and tension between the townies and the rich students is a historically overt truth. The novel begins introducing the characters and their relationships. When a student is found dead in the local river, the characters search their hearts to make sense of the death with respect to their own lives while a local detective stirs up old secrets while investigating the case. Hoffman writes with lyrical prose that is a sheer joy to read. She relates basic human truths about love and loss while never losing the pace of the story. I heartily recommend this novel.
Rating: 
Summary: Hoffman's written better
Review: Though there were aspects of this book I though admirable, I didn't think the characters were very well-drawn or likeable. The rift between the town and Haddan school was good, and also there was a little of the Hoffman magic here and there throughout the book. However, the images of roses and flowers got rather cloying they were so overused. This book was much slower than her others, even dull in places. I also found it depressing and though I read it clear through was tempted to quit before the end. Her captivating style made me read it all, even though the plot and characters weren't up to par.
Rating:
Summary: Are you Alice Hoffman fan?
Review: You have to be a true Hoffman's fan to fully enjoy it. If you are not, you may find yourself wondering through pages looking for something more. There are no tricks or surprises. Some parts in the book are disturbing but mostly is it predictible life story of several people from small New England town. Although the novel is written in beautiful poetic language, I wish the characters spoke more for themselves - there are hardly any dialogs or conversations. But if you are simply looking for enjoyable reading, this may be a book for you.
Rating:
Summary: A Red Rose
Review: Haddan, Massachussets could be the setting for any number of exclusive New England private high schools. The locals keep to themselves, and the students prefer to stay on campus. However, when a young man from the school turns up dead under less than clear-cut circumstances, the locals and the school community begin interacting in new ways. Through the investigation, we meet the main players in both the school and local communities: Carlin, a scholarship swimmer at the school; Miss Davis, the surly teacher with a heart of gold; and Abe, the policeman who will simply not let the status quo guide his sense of right and wrong. And, despite his death, we learn about Gus - he keeps coming back to help guide the investigation. Hoffman tells a beautiful and compelling story with this book. It is a mystery, a modern-day fable, and a commentary on social status all woven seamlessly into the story. Any reader would really enjoy this book.
Rating: 
Summary: Disappointing
Review: I've been a fan of Alice Hoffman's for several years, having read and enjoyed almost all of her books. However, I didn't like *The River King* because (1) the magical realism was too heavy-handed and (2) there were too many false details, such as a character wandering around in the country looking at Joe Pye weed blooming in the Spring, or some such silliness. Just as I would begin to get lost in the narrative, some errant detail would bring me back to the realization that I could not willingly suspend my disbelief. I gave up on this novel about one hundred pages into it.
Rating:
Summary: Master Storyteller Alice Hoffman does it again!
Review: In a small New England town, the locals and those who are connected with the prep school located there, rarely come into contact with one another. But on occasion the boundaries fall away and connections are made. Love, friendship, loss and mystery are all a part of this poetic work by one of my favorite authors, Alice Hoffman. As with many of her works, this poignant story is peppered with fantasy and written with tenderness.
Rating:
Summary: Predictable yet fun
Review: "The River King" is a somewhat predictable tale where fantasy and ghosts meet reality. Set in a small town private Massachusetts boarding school, the characters are weaved together with precision and grace as they develop within the confines of the town's sorrowful history. I particularly liked her style of jumping from one character to another mid-paragraph, as the story progresses to reveal the inner-workings of this mysterious town. Though not the best Hoffman book I have read, the reader will not be disappointed in her latest work.
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