Rating: 
Summary: Not her Best
Review: I love Alice Hoffman, but I did not love this book. ...Ethan Ford's downfall, or rather, attempt at redemption is not brought into any clarity for the reader. There is no reason this atrocious man turned good overnight. The book does hint that he truly is not a redeemed man, but so what? I did not care about him at all, and found his wife's action inevitable and not surprising. There was no magic for me in this book. A quality that I have always loved about Hoffman in the past. The book consisted of too many cliche characters with no in depth exploration. An evil man caught, trying to save himself. A destroyed wife, trying to "understand", an angry son, a vindictive and jealous little girl, the beautiful but ill best friend who ends up with the nerd from high school...the only interesting person was the victim, and her brother, who do not occupy enough of the book. All in all a disappointing read.
Rating:
Summary: Blue Diary
Review: I have found this book to be fascinating so far. I find that some details do tend to drag on, but it's a needed assest to the plot. The details and figurative language are excellent. The sense images are descriptive enough for me to picture the flowers and how Ethan is touching and caressing her soft skin. The plot takes quite an unusual yet expected twist. The twist thickens the plot and makes it even more interesting. The flashbacks also add a little bit of a twist to the way the novel is written. I have not finished reading this novel yet and it is the first i've read by Alice Hoffman. I am starting to like her work. I may have to read some other novels by her.
Rating:
Summary: Just couldn't bring myself to finish it .....
Review: I love the works of Alice Hoffman ... but this one is a bit much. It goes on for pages, and pages, and pages ad nauseum describing the town, the characters, the aching feelings of the cast of characters ... at the beginning they ache with happiness and absolute perfection -- sorry, that went on WAY too long. Ms. Hoffman almost lost me there, but a devoted fan, I kept plugging away -- honestly it went on SO long she could have told the whole story in half the pages she took. Well, valiantly I trudged through this story until the wonderful, perfect character in the book is arrested for and admits to the rape and murder of a 15 year old girl (child), the editorial comments already told of this happening. Anyway, The town is crestfallen and holds rallies for him and bake sales. CLAP -- that's when I closed the book.. Sorry, I can't feel anything good about a story that talks about redemption of a ..murderer of an innocent child (or anyone for that matter). Ms. Hoffman, you lost me on this one. If you don't mind reading about a child dying, a killer being worshipped, while wading through HUNDREDS of pages of description, go ahead and read this book. Sorry, I couldn't even bring myself to finish it.
Rating: 
Summary: A perspective of integrity with an open yet honest insight!
Review: Writing a review of a book could be at times most difficult, in measure of the perceived opposed to the human intent by an author!
Here it goes, wish me luck! The book was found to be extremely enjoyable, so much so that I could not put it down in my spare time after work. It was an opened end yet realistic look at life. Many adventurous avenues from daily life to be explored that a common reader (self included) could follow, understand & appreciate. They say that the life of the author can sometimes be felt in the reflections of their works? I suppose this is what could be termed as "Human", lets spread it around people! (I believe we actually do like to receive it when it comes???). This is the first book I have read by this particular author & plan to add more of the author's works to my library. Much more cannot be said without giving away the interesting parts of the story. However, there are so many that one or two give aways could not possible harm this jewel. Since, I do not wish to ruin the curiosity of the other readers I will stop short there. I would like to add that this book is a definite work of perceptual integrity left for the reader to decide. A necessity for those of us who like to look at things from more than just one planned perspective by any given author. Ron D
Rating: 
Summary: Hoffman draws you in
Review: Alice Hoffman is an excellent author...one of the few that makes you forget that you are reading a book and makes you feel like you are right there in the middle of the action. She also is in touch with what the human experience is all about...the large and small issues and daily battles that we all face. She is a master at character development.
"The Blue Diary" will stay with you long after you close the book. Hoffman explores what makes us who we are, and if the past can ever be forgiven or forgotten. It makes you think about our pasts and how they shape who we become.
Hoffman is also not afraid to use children to tell the story, and at times, there observations can be the most true to life.
Read this book and you are guaranteed a good read AND something to think about.
Rating:
Summary: Very nice novel!
Review: Although it took me a while to really get started on the book, after a few chapters, I was hooked! It's a story about what was an ideal family living an ideal life in Monroe, Massachusetts, when all of a sudden, their lives are changed when you start to uncover details of the husband's past. It is a very compelling novel and is one of those what-will-happen-next books. It sort of leaves you hanging, like there was supposed to be another chapter at the end, which was the only thing I disliked. I'd recommend this book to anyone who wants to read a very moving novel!
Rating:
Summary: one of the most marvelous book I've read all year
Review: After stumbling upon this book after deep disappointment with another multiple 'best-selling' author (Robin Cook) whose books were barely readable (simplistic awful dialogue/wooden writing style)....I am simply enchanted. This book reads almost like a parable and Hoffman's style is complex, lyrical, and involving. I don't see what others find to fault with this book. Realistic, well-fleshed characters, beautiful descriptive passages, gosh....I want more!
Rating:
Summary: Thoughtful topic
Review: Why did so many people dislike this book? This is the only novel of Alice Hoffman's that I actually enjoyed. I thought the topic of redemption was a good one and the idea that someone may not really know the person they married an interesting notion. The only somewhat annoying parts were the constant use of the present tense, which got on my nerves. In the beginning I enjoyed the description of various flowers and trees in the Massachusetts countryside, but it became too much like a travelogue. The really unrealistic part was when Jorie called the victim's brother and he allowed her to come over. This seemed completely out of line, especially when his personality was described.
Rating: 
Summary: be warned, leave this one on the shelf!
Review: If you read this review and buy this book anyway,don't say I didn't tell you. I was so dissappointed. I just read 'Local Girls' and loved it. This is a book about a man who is discovered to not be what he has says he is for the past 13 years. One minute his wife and child love him more than life itself and the very next it is absolutely over. That's a little to cut and dry for real life. But, that's not the worst part, there's at least two more books inside this one story that I had rather hear about than this one! Last but not least why does Ms. Hoffman think she has to write a 'Travel Guide' for New England. She tells about the weather, the birds, the flowers and she does this over and over and over, etc. I read a review before I read this one but I decided that they had to be wrong. I'm sorry to say they were not. Don't waste your time!
Rating:
Summary: I don't know which is worse
Review: My book group read this book, and I must say that we unanimously hated it. I don't know which is worse, her self-conscious, cloying prose (first person to third person to first person; you hate the protagonists from the get-go) or the way the plot takes a nose dive.How do these books get published?
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