Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood : A Novel

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Summary: Wells Captures the Essence of Southern Sisterhood
Review: So well does Ms. Wells understand the bonds formed in Southern childhood and the unique way that women have of creating family through rituals of blood and water. The first chapter reads as though it were a distant memory out of one's own past - full of hot lazy summers, girlish laughter, and tall pitchers of iced tea drunk on screened porches. At times bordering on the melodramatic, Divine Secrets is still entertaining, tear-jerking storytelling at its best-- something too many authors have forgotten. The most remarkable feat of this books is the ability of Ms. Wells to shift from Vivi's to Sidda's voice with a smooth as silk transition. Regardless of whether your mother is your best friend or someone you don't recognize on the street, you will recognize yourself and her in Divine Secrets.

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Summary: Not "Little Altars"....
Review: but nonetheless, not a bad book. Sidda's character irritated me a little. 40 years old and still has gripes with her mother. Get over it already, move on, forget about the past. The story itself was entertaining. Interesting plot. However, there were a few moments while reading the book, I felt like shouting at Sidda, "Shut up already. Stop with your whining. And move on with your life" Otherwise, it was an easy and a fun read.

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Summary: Loved the book -- can't wait for the movie!
Review: Enjoyable, funny, yet thought-provoking, "Divine Secrets..." was a welcome sequel to "Little Altars Everywhere". Everyone has known folks like these inhabitants of Garnet Parish, Louisiana -- the Ya-Ya's, their husbands, the Petites Ya-Ya's -- people with problems and frailities, but also with love, loyalty, and joie de vivre. Not only did I feel as if I knew them all intimately, I found myself wishing I had grown up in the South on a bayou! I was sorry to say good bye to Siddalee and the rest of them when the book was over, and I eagerly await future novels by Ms. Wells.

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Summary: Read the book first, then the reviews!
Review: Well, I liked the book. And then I read these reviews and I like it less! Sidda who's stuck and can't decide if she should marry stuck as me as someone who's got time to stare at her belly button. The YA YA part is entertaining. The book does cover the truth that families can have abuse and good times all in the same family. Not a popular idea right now, but true. Even when parents drink, they may be doing lots of things right, or will later. At least this book has the courage to write this instead of some many others where the characters are either all good or bad. It did irritate me that she's 40 and still stuck on her mom - grow up, forgive, and see if you can do better, Sidda! Quick silly ending to wrap it all up.

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Summary: Loved "Altars," "Ya-Yas" afflicted with snake
Review: Little Altars Everywhere was a glorious heart level story of life with Mama the alcoholic. At the end, our heroine SiddaLee realizes that no matter what, she cannot allow pain and confusion to close her heart. My heart cracked open with SiddaLee's! What more can you ask of an author? "Altars" is a beautifully written, touching, true-to-life, funny, marvelous book. Bravo! But "Ya-Ya's" idealizes mama, and SiddaLee reveals herself as rather unevolved after all...she doesn't quite get it about her mother, though the book is about understanding her. SiddaLee does everything she can to get on Mama's good side after a rift, goes home, has chawmin' weddin', perhaps even lives happily ever after, an "imperfect person in an imperfect world." Given mama's history this just doesn't hold up. More probably, Mama got loaded and dropped the wedding cake, made scathing remarks, fell over in the punchbowl. Why should reader believe momma changed just because her loving daughter and friends wanted her to? Aging alcoholics do not improve with time unless they quit drinking; weddings, Christmas, holidays are usually their WORST days, not their best. Ms. Wells is a lovely writer, this is a fun read for many reasons, but I felt there was a snake loose on the pages, alcoholism wriggling through, confronted on the surface, but undetected at deeper levels. In my opinion, Little Altars is a must for readers with family history of alcoholism, Ya-Ya Sisterhood is optional.

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Summary: This book hits home with every relationship a woman can have
Review: Rebecca Wells captures both the rapture and heartbreak that a woman can experience with her relationships between a mother and daughter, as well as a woman and her friends. The entire time I read the book, I yearned to join the Ya-Ya group for their next adventure!

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Summary: Not what I expected
Review: After hearing (and reading) all the hoopla about this novel, I was very excited to finally get to read it. It started a bit slow for me and I really couldn't understand Sidda's problem and reasoning for "going away for a little while." The high points were definitely all about the Ya-Ya antics, and I feel guilty that I couldn't appreciate the message about mothers and daughters until the last few chapters. However, I did enjoy this novel and I was kept interested until the very end. But I liked LITTLE ALTARS EVERYWHERE tons better. It's a lot darker and more sad, but it touched me deeper than DIVINE SECRETS.

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Summary: Ho Hum
Review: Silly book about an aging yuppie and her relationship with alcoholic mother and mother's relationship with alcoholic "sisters". Oh yuck. I was simply unmoved by the angst of these priviledged, white, Dixie debs. The characters were flat and predictable. The grossly overdone references to food, booze and flowers were, I suppose, meant to be sensual. It left me retching. There was precious little here to be of any real interest or value.

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Summary: Took me back to my childhood!
Review: Although I'm from the Northwest and only lived in the South for several years as an adult, I identified with this book. My mother and her friends had much the same lifestyles as the Ya-Yas, and we must have been quite the Petite Ya-Yas without ever knowing it! My office mates and other friends are passing this book around at a speedy rate, and although it's not everybody's favorite, it is near the top of the list.

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Summary: wonderful, yet confusing
Review: i loved almost every aspect of this book, and, being a twelve year old daughter, felt some of the tension between the mother and daughter. but what i cannot understand is why this is such an acclaimed mother-daughter novel. my mother opened to the second page which is (i believe) stuffed with curses and other language, and (it doesn't really bother her) asked me the question i'm asking. i don't need an answer, but i want to be a writer, and this is definitely an experience seeing a different writer write.