Local Girls

Rating:
Summary: a real let down
Review: I really like AH and have enjoyed each one of her magical books. This book seemed like an imitation of her. Not much to it. I don't understand the raves.

Rating:
Summary: A very poignant indepth look at growing up as a young woman.
Review: Alice Hoffman is undoubtedly one of my favorite writers. The words she chooses to write her novels make the characters and setting so tangible you can almost feel yourself melting into the story. She uses fragrances, nature and feelings to evoke a familiarity in the reader and this is what draws you in . Local girls made me feel like I was sixteen again..the magic was there again for me!

Rating:
Summary: A short, sweet book on life.
Review: "Local Girls" was my 1st Alice Hoffman book and it was not disappointing!!!! Gretel and her friend Jill are typical teenagers with not-so-typical families. This book was short and sweet, and I read it in 3 hours. I will surely read more of Ms. Hoffman's books in the near future. She has a great way with words and makes you feel like you know the characters.

Rating:
Summary: This is truly great literature
Review: This is a truly wonderful book. Though I spent much of the time crying through it, I believe it to be a wonderful story. After having both of my parent suffer from cancer (my dad died at 56), I was amazed to find my feelings so imtimately captured by Hoffman's novel. I loved her other book, especially Heaven on Earth, but this novel is even better.

Rating:
Summary: Good summer read.
Review: I felt this book was unique in it's story telling but the characters were a little hard to feel for. This book is not in the same league as "Here on Earth". Read it for fun but don't expect too much!

Rating:
Summary: This is a great summertime book!
Review: I thought the characters were engaging, you really felt for what they were going through. It was a quick read, and a very enjoyable. Had many beautiful messages.

Rating:
Summary: This book is just too depressing!
Review: This book did not knock my socks off. The short story format within the novel was interesting, and at least progressed in a linear fashion, and Ms. Hoffman definitely writes beautiful, lyric prose. However, the characters just were amazingly depressing, especially because you could see how impaired they were but no one did anything to reach out and help. It's really hard to care about the characters who do nothing to help themselves, or each other... How can a young man accepted at Harvard turn into a grocery clerk cum drug addict in this day and age without anyone at least attempting some type of intervention? Why is it okay for Jill's husband to passionately kiss our heroine while we are reading that the marriage is working pretty well? This book is about wasted lives, and their is little redemption for anyone. Is that the point? I don't get it.

Rating:
Summary: Yet Another Awesome Read
Review: If you like Alice Hoffman or if you simply like to read, pick up this book. Alice Hoffman's prose is beautiful. You have to read her books to know what everyone is talking about.

Rating:
Summary: Enjoyable, but wait for the paperback
Review: I enjoyed the book in general, but I felt that there was a lot left unaddressed and undiscovered. It's a good book but save your money and wait for the paperback.

Rating:
Summary: wonderful characters conveyed with warmth compassion and wit
Review: I was very excited to find a new book by one of my favorite authors, Alice Hoffman. "Local Girls" proved to be another wonderful read by an author who writes with enormous honesty, warmth, compassion and wit. Characters came alive and a book of short stories became a novel that ended too soon!