Rating: 
Summary: A Riveting Read
Review: Colourful characters who are easily able to be identified with, no matter where one is in the world. Rebecca Wells is able to make the reader laugh and cry. I was sad to finish the book - I just wanted to keep on reading!
Rating:
Summary: gets under your skin in a weird way
Review: when i finished reading this book, i actually thought it had been kind of tedious, except for the ending. this is one of those books where almost all of the female characters are prima donnas and sometimes the drama of it all can be too much. this is not really a surprise, because the author, rebecca wells, is an actress herself and seems drawn to pageantry and emotion. the ending is beautiful. at the time i read the book, i think i was a little taken aback by the strong personalities of the characters and the sometimes harrowing events of their lives. however, beneath all the drama there are relevant life lessons about forgiveness, anger and the roles of religion in American and particularly southern culture, and the characters are peculiarly absorbing despite their flaws. i think i will read "little altars everywhere," the prequel, even though i had decided not to b/c i had been turned off by the disturbing aspects of the ya-ya story. there is enough human interest here to make up for the sometimes repugnant behavior of the characters, who are also quirky, dynamic and engaging.
Rating:
Summary: awesome I want to read more!
Review: I think this book has all kinds of mystic and interesting turns and is delightful at the same time. I'm almost jealous that I didn't grow up in Louisiana and that I don't have lifelong friends living close to me. I read this book first and I'm wondering if I'm reading them in the wrong order. Are they good like that?
Rating:
Summary: Divine Secrets is simply divine!
Review: What a great book! I am a young reader, and reading is not one of my hobbies. A friend bought and highly recommended this book and I thought I'd give it a try. Wow! I couldn't put it down. Wells' ability to give the characters life and thought and emotion astounded me. I actually found myself laughing out loud, literately. I also felt like crying at certain points- something I don't do often. I highly recommend this book, it's guaranteed to be one you won't forget.
Rating:
Summary: A great book!
Review: I do not understand why some people hate this book! This is a great tale of how important friendship is and how life was in the Old South. People have said that the characters were too whiney and such, that may be true, but the story explains perfectly why they may be that way. I could not put this book down and I think people will find great enjoyment in it.
Rating:
Summary: Totally 'Divine'
Review: This book and the companion to it, "Little Altars Everywhere" are beautifully crafted, real and funny. I'm amazed that some reviewers found the characters "shrill alcoholics". Wells' brutally honest characterisation of the Ya Ya's: all their flaws, their pain, their unfulfilled dreams, made me like and admire these women - not dislike them for being flawed; for being human.I found the Ya Ya's inspirational in their love and acceptance of each other; their enduring friendship and spirit. Sure, these women were dysfunctional even before we had a name for it but they got on with life, they raised more than a dozen children between them (who wouldn't need a drink!), and even had some laughs along the way. At the core of this story is the familiar theme of mothers and daughters: a relationships that is so complex and at times, drainingly difficult. Accepting that mothers are not perfect; or have had perfect lives, marriages; and realised all their dreams is part of seeing your mother for who she really is and this is where Wells gets us to. If you're a fan of Gone With The Wind you are in for an extra special treat - the reportage from a 10 year old Vivi to her friend from opening night of Gone With The Wind in Atlanta is simply laugh out loud gorgeous. In fact you'll probably want to read it out loud to someone so you can really enjoy it! Finally I would suggest that if you find you love this book buy it for a special friend - if they also love it I suspect you have yourself a Ya Ya sister who simply put, "gets it".
Rating: 
Summary: Left a Nasty Taste In My Mouth
Review: Far as I can tell this book is about a bunch of shrill, overly dramatic, self pitying alcoholics. This made for a weak book. I hated Sidda, she was irritating in her every word and action. And the mother was overdone and seemed less real for it.
Rating:
Summary: The Worst Book I Read This Year
Review: I was looking forward to reading this book. What a disappointment! I had to force myself to finish. Aside from the "whine" factor going through the roof, the sugar coating was just too much. "Fluffy pink and blue thoughts." The ridiculous 84,000 blessings. I defy you to turn to any random page and NOT come up with something gooey and cliched. This is the stuff of seriously bad Young Adult books. Ms. Wells might be a lucky writer, but she certainly isn't a gifted one.
Rating:
Summary: Fun Read
Review: I loved this book! It really gives you a sense of the growing up in Louisiana. It speaks of the mother - daughter relationship and how to make sense of it all. If you like books that give you a sense of the part of the country in which it takes place - you will enjoy it!
Rating: 
Summary: Sometimes imperfection is a wonderous thing.....
Review: Ok, I refused to read this to begin with. I thought it looked stupid. Then I heard Rebecca Wells speak at a conference in Seattle. I thought she was charming, and I still refused to buy the book. My best college friend sent me a copy for Christmas, and I didn't read it. Only when I was stupid enought to pick it up on a plane did I realize the error of my ways. The flight attendant will certainly remember me for my alternately laughing and asking for more Kleenex. You can't help but love the characters in this book. They are far from glamorous, no matter what they think of themselves. They are neurotic and ill mannered, vindictive and spiteful. And, they are completely charming. My mother and I don't relate this way. She has no friends like the Ya-Ya's, nor, for that matter, do I. Somehow I doubt most of us do. This was not a book to which I related on that level. I related to how you can be neurotic and still grow. How you can be flaky and still work some of your stuff out. Sometimes imperfection is a wonderous thing.
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