Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood : A Novel

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Summary: Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood Review
Review: Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood tells the story of a girl named Sidda Walker who admired her mother, Vivi Walker while she was growing up. Sidda however also had to live with her mother's spontaneous, cruel acts towards her and her siblings. Vivi's actions were passed down from her own mother, Buggy.
I feel that the ideal audience for the book, Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood, would be teenagers and older, but more specifically females because of the fact that the book centers mainly on the relationship of four women. The author of this book uses characterization extremely well. With her descriptions of the characters, I could imagine each one of them in my head as if they were standing right in front of me. The author gave descriptions of characters in creative ways instead of just listing their physical features. When Vivi Walker is described as a young mother, the author uses characterization to create an image in the reader's mind, "Her hair was naturally blonde, and without makeup her eyebrows and eyelashes were the same shade." All throughout the book, the author uses strong imagery, which helps the reader to really understand what is being described. An example of this is when Vivi's daughter, Sidda, is describing the distinct smell of the Ya-Yas, "The soft aroma of old worn cotton from a linen chest; the lingering smell of tobacco on an angora sweater; Jergen's hand lotion; sautéed green peppers and onions..."
Although this book focuses around mother/daughter relationships, it also focuses on the relationship between the four Ya-Yas. The reader discovers the strong, loyal, long-lasting friendship of the Ya-Yas from childhood to adulthood. This book shows readers the importance of a motherly figure in a daughter's life.
I really enjoy reading this book and couldn't seem to put it down. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who has ever had a best friend or a group of best friends. There are many aspects of close friendships that this book touches upon.

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Summary: A Story of Love, Betrayal, and Friendship
Review: Viviane Joan Abbott. Caroline Eza Bennett. Aimee Malissa Whitman. Denise Rose Kelleher. No, these aren't the names of movie stars, these are the names of 4 best friends, nicknamed Vivi, Caro, Teensy, and Necie respectively and known as the Ya-Ya sisters. The Ya-Yas survive everything together, from marriage to motherhood, always relying on each other's love, even in the most tragic situations. "Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood" brings togethr a mother and daughter, Vivi and her oldest daughter Sidda, on a journey to sort out and understand their sad and tragic past. It is a journey, that I believe, we all must go through one day because none of our lives are perfect.
Vivi is a woman who has both endured and caused a lot of pain. In her younger years, Vivi is a veritable force of nature, and she has this way of sweeping her friends and family into her tragedies. In high school, she was what you'd call a perfect teenager: cheerleader, popular, beautiful, tennis captain, yearbook editor etc. However, as we read, we realize that behind this "happy" girl, her life is far from perfect. When the book begins, her successful playwright/daughter Sidda has just given a tell-all interview to a reporter from the New York Times in which she details what it was like to grow up with her family especially her mother. The article states that Sidda's mother, Vivi, physically abused her children and was a cruel mother. Lest mother and daughter never reconcile, the Ya-Ya sisterhood intervenes (Teensy, Caro, and Necie), visiting Sidda and force-feeding her secrets about her mother's past, telling why Vivi acted crazily towards her children.

As the book progresses, we zero in on the relationship between Vivi and Sidda, which, is more complex than we think. Vivi actually had a reason for beating her children because of a bourbon addiction. Also, we travel through Vivi's life when she was a child, which you wouldn't really call the "perfect" life. In fact, Vivi's family doesn't seem as if they love her. They believe that she is not Catholic enough. This has caused Vivi a lot fo emotional grief in her life which is another reason why she is sometimes so violent. Back to the present, Vivi has caused Sidda a lot of grief and anger from her youth. Sidda must forgive Vivi to move on with life.
Sidda starts working on a new play about friendship and what better way to begin it with the Ya-Ya's helping her! She then asks Vivi to send her their scrapbook so she can get a better feel of what true friendship is really like through their pictures, letters, souvenirs from ever since they were little.
Divine Secrets does venture into rather dark territory - scenes where Vivi projects both strength and weakness. But there's never much doubt that Vivi will survive her nervous breakdown or that she will make amends with her daughter and husband. Still, the moments themselves are genuinely heartfelt, thanks in large part to the emotional experiences of Vivi, who is a woman who's almost absurdly tragic.
"Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood" is not like you're usual novel these days. It's not a mystery or adventure or science-fiction. This novel has it's own genre: reality because the situations portrayed in this book could happen to any woman or male and is truly inspiring. "Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Siterhood" is a very entertaining and a deeply moving novel about the complex bonds between a mother and a daughter. But, most importantly, it is also about the meaning of the true friendship between Vivi and her Ya-ya's. I believe that every woman should have a pack of buddies like the Ya-Yas to get them through the normal tragedies of life. Without the Ya-Ya's during all of her emotional tragedies, Vivi would not have been able to get through life. After reading this novel, I have one thing to say: "Go Ya-Ya's!" I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys novels where you grow as an individual. "Divine
Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood" is one of those books where you'll laugh and cry but you'll mostly learn from all the mistakes that Vivi, Necie, Caro, Teensy,and Sidda make in their life.

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Summary: The dumbest book I almost finished
Review: This so called work made me embarrassed to be a woman and by the number of 5 star reviews I feel the world may come to an end. If you have any taste in literature and feel deep in your soul that you are a "grown up" I would recommend not wasting your precious life on earth reading this jibberish. There are no redeeming qualities to be found. Reading this was like chinese water torture, or screeching nails on a blackboard. I wouldn't trust any woman who thinks this type of literature is "wonderful?" because she is not a woman, she is stuck at age 7.

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Summary: On the band wagon
Review: Ok, I'm on the bandwagon! I'll make this short since there's over 1,000 reviews. I'll sum it up: It was a good book. If you like family drama, you'll like the book.

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Summary: It takes time to appreciate
Review: I have to admit that it took me a while to appreciate the book: I found the first part, when the ya yas are young, a bit boring. I appreciated them more once they became teenagers, and very much liked the descriptions of Vivi's experience at St.Augustine's. I also liked alot Sidda and Connor's relationship: very independent from one another. No need to say I loved Huelayne!

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Summary: Kat's Review
Review: "The Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood" is the sequel to "Little Altars Everywhere" where we were introduced to the Ya-Ya's- a group of four larger than life, cocktail drinking, cigarette smoking, havoc-causing Southern dahlings and their children. Vivi could be seen as the 'main' Ya-Ya and is by far the most animated, moody and enrapturing of the four. Siddalee is Vivi Abbotts daughter and a successful playwright and director in New York. When Siddalee is interviewed by the New York Times about her next play she mentions her mother and the drama and creativity that she brought to her life. The journalist unscrupulously writes the article from a critical tone offending Vivi so badly that she declares to Siddalee, "You have killed me. Now I am killing you." After the Ya-Ya's realise the extent of Vivi's anger and hurt they set out to explain to Siddalee what her mother was like when she was younger hoping to shed some light on Vivi's outburst. They deliver her a scrapbook detailing the life of a younger Vivi. The flashbacks to Vivi's life give Sidda a new understanding of her sensational and often melodramatic mother. Wells manages to bring authentic Southernisms to the characters in both their speech and traditional charms, but the often formal mother-daughter relationship causes one to question how damaging southern rules and culture can be on a child. The rituals, ceremonies and adventures of the Ya-Ya's are delightful and despite being fantastical at times I felt myself wanting to be a part of a secret girls group. However, after reading "Little Alters Everywhere" I found "Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood" a bit too sunshiny and glossy. "Little Altars Everywhere" portrayed Vivi in a slightly more negative light, as an alcoholic, self-absorbed woman who even molested her own son. After an event as serious as that had been introduced in the previous book I felt that "Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood" left a rather bad taste in my mouth.

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Summary: The audio version brings the book to full life.
Review: Having already read the book, when I received the audio version as a gift, I casually started to listen. The characters immediately took on a new life as the beautiful spoken word in the true dialect and accent of Louisiana drew distinct images of each person. From the French Bayou influenced Teensy to the very distinct voice of Vivi, this wonderful book became a whole new experience. The book, which I enjoyed immensly was even better in audio. It draws you intimately into the world of the Ya Ya's. I was smiling, laughing and crying all over again.

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Summary: Good, but not as much as "Little Altars Everywhere"
Review: I did enjoy reading "Divine Secrets", but I didn't enjoy it half as much as "Little Altars Everywhere". I think this wasn't as in depth or emotional. It just let me down a bit, after I had read & loved "Little Altars Everywhere". It was okay, definitely not something I was unable to put down, though. I just wouldn't really recommend this book, it wasn't horrible, but it wasn't spectacular, either. I would recommend "Little Altars Everywhere" instead--it was great.

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Summary: So much better than the movie!
Review: Everyone kept telling me how great this book was. Before I got a chance to read it, I went to see the movie with my mom, her friends, and her friends' daughters (in the spirit of the ya-yas and petite ya-yas). In my opinion, the movie did not do justice to the characters of Vivi or Sidda--who both came off as spoiled brats. The origins of Vivi's illness were also so superficially explored that I felt it did not excuse her questionable mothering skills. Needless to say, I was unimpressed. However, after more urging to read the book, I gave the story a second try, and I'm glad that I did.

This story is actually a little gem about female friendship and the complex relationship between mothers and daughters. In the story, we are introduced to Vivi, Necie, Teensy and Caro, a group of four friends growing up in Central Louisiana in the 30's and 40's. The lifelong friends refer to themselves as the "ya yas". Though the story is about all four girls, it focuses primarily on Vivi. We learn about the hapiness she derives from the friendship with the ya yas, but also the sadness she endures during childhood, adolescence and adulthood. Vivi loses her true love in World War II, is sent to a horrible Catholic boarding school where everyone hates her (including all of the nuns), is treated abominably by her jealous mother and callous father, suffers from alcoholism, and eventually has a breakdown as a mother of four children. This breakdown is the source of much tension between Vivi and her oldest daughter Sidda. Sidda's education about the secret life of her mother and the ya yas drives the plot, and is a wonderful example of the fact that children often know little about their parents as people.

I loved the story of Vivi and Sidda's relationship, and of the ya yas' deep and intense friendship. However, I also loved many of the story's less tangible qualities: descriptions of the bayou and its culture, the wonderful Southern expressions and speech, Vivi's and Sidda's relationship with the black women who raised each of them. This is a beautiful tale with many unexpected extra touches that made it stand out. What could have been another in an endless line of mother-daughter explorations was instead colorful and lively based on the Louisiana setting and the ya yas' animated storytelling.

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Summary: Yuck. I liked the movie, the book is SHALLOW.
Review: First of all, don't read this book if you expect it to be "clean." It's not the worst out there, but it managed to shock me a couple times. Second, even if you can tolerate that, these are SHALLOW people. I got about half way through the book. I'm sure "dramatic" and "inspiring" things happen later, but so far...ick. Its full of over the top STEREOTYPED characters. Not only that, but the characters all think they are deep and wonderful people. I've never read a book where I felt author was judgmental about what made an interesting person. I probably enjoyed the movie so much because they cut all the garbage out and it had a great cast. I can't believe people liked these characters!