Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood : A Novel

Rating:
Summary: YAWN.....zzzzzz
Review: I was so bored with this book that I read only half of it. This would be a good book for relatives of the author, but as an outsider, I just ended up not caring about her mother's scrapbook, or any of the characters. I think I felt this was because it seemed TOO personal a read and I didn't feel a part of it in anyway, therefore, not caring about the subject.

Rating:
Summary: Disappointing after Little Altars Everywhere
Review: The characters introduced in Little Altars Everywhere, which I adored, are described in teasing vignettes that make them seem adorable. There is none of the depth, complexity, wonderfulness or dreadfulness of the same characters in the earlier book. I strongly recommend Little Altars and suggest that readers stop there. Save your money.

Rating:
Summary: Ya-Ya's are food for the soul!
Review: I kept the book on my nightstand for weeks before reading it -- afraid that the contents may be too "trendy" or "deep" for my tastes. How shocked I was to discover that the Ya-Ya's are the very embodiment of the crazy lifelong friendships that exist between Southern women. A little dash of insanity, and a big scoop of impetuousness -- all mixed into the lovely confection we call sisterhood. PERFECT soul food for those of us lucky enough to have the lifelong friendships of our own groups of special women! BRAVO, Ms. Wells, you've represented us well!!!!

Rating:
Summary: Great Stories But Lacks OrganizationSLC
Review: I enjoyed the stories in this book but they seemed thrown together. Half are told in third person and the other half in first person. I liked the flashbacks but it alternated to frequently. Other than that - a great book! I laughed out loud during the Shirley Temple scene...I will never forget Pooty Pootwell! And Vivi's experience at St. Augustine's just about broke my heart. If you enjoyed this book you would love Beach Music by Pat Conroy (one of my all time favorites).

Rating:
Summary: Some interesting characters lost in an implausible framework
Review: While the relationships of the first generation of Ya-Yas made for some good reading, the framing story of the oldest daughter of the most outrageous Ya-Ya was trite, boring, and, as a result, a little intrusive. Wells was a little lazy in her characterizations (for all their brass and sass, the Ya-Yas do not have distinctive voices), and she completely failed to engage me in the story of the adult daughter. The "Gone With the Wind" episode was memorable, as were a handful of others, but the overall effect was severely handicapped by Wells's sloppiness as a writer. These poor women never seemed real to me, and, in the end, the point of the story (the daughter's redemption) looked a little too self-serving for comfort.

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Summary: My YaYas and I have bonded even closer thanks to this book!
Review: My two 20-year best friends and I read this book within two weeks of each other, and we have become even closer because of it! It took Rebecca Wells, with her ability to charm us and sadden us, to make us realize how special our bonds were and how lucky we were to have each other. We have all passed the book to our mothers, who also loved it (although my mom had to call me and ask me if I thought she was ViVi!). We knew we were YaYas, but we just didn't know what to call ourselves until now. This book is a triumph!

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Summary: Welcome to Goudeau Girls
Review: Thrills! Chills! Welcome to the Goudeau Girl Chapter of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood! Your Nancy Drew Mardi Gras celebration shall ring forever in the halls of fabgirl fame! Keep walking!

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Summary: Welcome to new Ya-Ya Club
Review: Thank you to the Goudeau Girls Chapter of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood for your divine Nancy Drew sense of mystery & wild Fat Tuesday sense of fun! You do honor to the Sisterhood.

Rating:
Summary: Every Woman Needs A Ya Ya Sisterhood
Review: I absolutely loved this book. It made me feel that what ever hand your dealt in life, you can cope, survive and grow. With the help of strong close friendships like the Ya Ya's. I wanted to crawl inside of this book and sit down by the creek with this gang.

Rating:
Summary: Has some interesting stories, but is not well-written
Review: We just finished reading this book as part of our book group, and I found this book just okay. Although it has some funny and original stories (such as a hilarious Shirley Temple-look alike contest gone wrong), I did not like the style or construction of the book. The characters and dialogues are cliches, and the piecing together of events is rather contrived. The style is self-consciously cutesy, and the construction is awkward. This book definitely has some original and funny moments, but is marred by technical problems. I think more rigorous editing would have resulted in a better-written and more tightly constructed work.