Rating: 
Summary: Interesting insider's look at the depths of gangs and drugs
Review: Alice Hoffman has became my favorite author over the years but upon rereading this one, I found it to not have the character development and detail that I enjoy in her later books. The unnamed protagonist-narrator seems much too bright and together to fall into the trap of drugs and gangs. This book would not be out of place among the young adult fiction of authors such as S.E. Hinton. A good cautionary tale for dissassociated teens.
Rating:
Summary: Fascinating, Superbly Written Novel
Review: Alice Hoffman's first novel contains some of her best writing--fascinating and well-developed characters, phrasing that will remain etched in your memory for a long time. The emphasis on drug use may be off-putting to some, but if this won't bother you, this is the book to start with if you're new to Hoffman's writings--or to get posthaste if you like her work and have somehow missed it.
Rating: 
Summary: Fantastic!!!
Review: I am quite frankly surprised with the popularity of Alice Hoffman's literature, that no one has reviewed Property Of. I found the book at a thrift store and purchased it based on name only (at that point I had not read any Hoffman). Several of my students had read Practical Magic and highly suggested it, so I read that first and thoroughly enjoyed it. Then I remembered Property of--WOW!! This is an extremely powerful novel that deals with obsession--in relationships, drugs, even with concept of honor. I don't believe I do the novel justice, but highly recommend women read this. It is about women and, if we let it be, our relationship with just about everything in this world--"property of."
Rating: 
Summary: PROPERTY OF SHOULD BE PROPERTY OF THE BIRDS! FOR THE BIRDS!
Review: I hate to be a dissenter, but I just didn't like this book. Although it was well-written and a realistically grim picture of urban gang life, I just could not like any of the characters. Danny the Sweet was the only quasi-decent one in the bunch. Even though this is trivial, I found the sobriquet "the Sweet" irritating. What bothered me most was the sheer sexism that was not only practiced, but accepted and even welcomed by the female characters. The title itself is very revealing -- women were nothing more than "chattel," or "Property." I didn't like the onstant references to the female characters as "the Property," "Orphan (or Pack) Property." It was a dehumanizing treatment of women and certainly made for some very unsympathetic and unappealing charcters, including the unnamed protagonist. I loved every other book Ms. Hoffman wrote except for this one. I thought "Property of" was for the birds.
Rating:
Summary: A touching, wonderful book!
Review: I really enjoyed reading this book, though it was not all happy and joyful through the whole thing. If anyone has ever fallen for a guy from the wrong side of the tracks, and had thier heart broken, this is the book for you. It gets down deep into the heart of this particular woman, and you grow up with her from a teeny bopper to a strong individual. I would recommend this book to anyone. It has a lot of insight. It was a wonderful book and I could not put it down.
Rating:
Summary: This is a good book!
Review: I really liked this book. It was an excellent book until the heroine came in, then it fell just a little. I still liked it though. I found it to be very interesting. Alice Hoffman is one of my favorite authors because she writes wonderful novels, this one was no different.
Rating: 
Summary: Very decent novel about girls and gangs
Review: I still prefer Foxfire, by Joyce Carol Oates, a much better book dealing with girl gangs. However, Alice Hoffman didn't do a bad job portraying why some girls gravitate towards gangs. The sense of belonging and importance that they obtained when they officially became The Property was something that they probably had not experienced ever before. The nameless protagonist, who is also the narrator, is a very mature 17 year old who is simply looking to connect with someone. The object of her affection is McKay, the leader of the gang. McKay is the epitome of the bad boy, and we all know how attractive a bad boy can be to a teenager. McKay is mysterious, powerful, and a junkie. Sure, this book contains some graphic violence, drugs, sex, the works. This is what the novel is about. Don't expect to find a fairy tale, please!The silver lining in this novel is that the protagonist eventually comes of age. The process is very painful, but I loved the hopeful ending. This book is in my honest opinion much better than Here on Earth.
Rating:
Summary: Very decent novel about girls and gangs
Review: I still prefer Foxfire, by Joyce Carol Oates, a much better book dealing with girl gangs. However, Alice Hoffman didn't do a bad job portraying why some girls gravitate towards gangs. The sense of belonging and importance that they obtained when they officially became The Property was something that they probably had not experienced ever before. The nameless protagonist, who is also the narrator, is a very mature 17 year old who is simply looking to connect with someone. The object of her affection is McKay, the leader of the gang. McKay is the epitome of the bad boy, and we all know how attractive a bad boy can be to a teenager. McKay is mysterious, powerful, and a junkie. Sure, this book contains some graphic violence, drugs, sex, the works. This is what the novel is about. Don't expect to find a fairy tale, please! The silver lining in this novel is that the protagonist eventually comes of age. The process is very painful, but I loved the hopeful ending. This book is in my honest opinion much better than Here on Earth.
Rating:
Summary: MAJOR DISAPPOINTMENT
Review: I'm sorry, but I just didn't like this book. There was not one single character in it I could like. The anonymous protagonist was a cliche outsider and it is sad that a gang, of all organizations was the place she wanted to fit in. The gang was aptly named the "Orphans," which seemed to fit right into the theme of disaffectation. I didn't like the way she treated sex so casually. The part I found most distasteful was the way women were described and perceived. Calling them "The Property" and referring to them as "property" throughout the book was bad enough. The fact that the women seemed to welcome their status as chattel and that they seemed to regard themselves that way was disturbing. Another disappointing aspect of the story is the lack of definity to McKay's character. Who was he? What really made him tick? And why was the foolish protagonist so eager to belong to such a group? Danny was the only really sympathetic character, the only one who was not completely armor plated by drugs and inner city gang life. I didn't like the nickname "Danny the Sweet," which I felt trivialized his character I found the shortened reference to Danny as just plain "the Sweet" demeaning to his character. I loved all of Alice Hoffman's other books, but I did feel sorely let down by this one. I didn't like the protagonist at all. I thought she was a foolish girl flirting with danger and even welcoming it. The only thing I liked in this story was the 1959 Chevrolet. (I like classic cars).
Rating:
Summary: It's a keeper!
Review: I've owned this book for many years. It's one of my all time favorites. It mirrors real life, and has a very haunting quality about it. I looked up this book not expecting to find it. I'm glad it's out there for when my copy falls apart completely.
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