Rating: 
Summary: SURPRISED IT'S NOT AN OPRAH PICK!
Review: When I began this book, I didn't think I would enjoy it as much as I did. I found I couldn't put it down. Allison's character development is unparelleled. Even in the last chapter, you're still learning about what makes these people tick. I'm surprised it's not an Oprah pick because it has the mandatory struggling woman but much, much more. There is one part towards the end of the book that had me so scared my heart was beating faster and faster. An altogether great story which included a subject matter that I was unfamiliar with prior to reading this book.
Rating:
Summary: Wonderful story but uneven
Review: As one reviewer wrote, "let's get the negative stuff out of the way." About 3/4 of the way through the book, I wondered what happened to Delia, the supposed main character of the book. It occurred to me that the back book description needs to be changed. This story is equally about Delia and the individual stories of her three daughters, especially Cissy. Delia falls far into the background for most of the second half of the book. Another reviewer hated what I loved most about the book; Cissy's love for caving and the descriptions that went along with it. Beyond being a metaphor for the story, it was wonderful, original and realistic part of Cissy. What comes through clearly in the book is how much people can misunderstand each other and what people do with the void that that creates. This book meanders at times, but the last 40 pages are intense, well-written and aching. It's worth it to stick with this book
Rating:
Summary: Great book
Review: Could you please put the bibliograghies on the site for the book(s)of Dorothy Allsion ? Thanks for your time.
Rating: 
Summary: So Human!
Review: I found these characters, & their lives, so human. I cared about them all (even the bitter Amanda) & their personal relationships - to themselves, their family members & neighbors,& their circumstances. And beautiful, beautiful writing!
Rating: 
Summary: Flat-footed prose, paper-thin characters; needs editing.
Review: A flat, meandering, shambling book; most characters are distinguishable from one another by name alone (although, as a "good read" it gets better at the end). If you want good southern gothic, stick to Flannery O'Connor and Eudora Welty. If you want California angst, read Joan Didion.
Rating:
Summary: Not another "Bastard... ", but still worth the read
Review: I really enjoyed "Bastard Out of Carolina", so I had fairly high expectations of "Cavedweller." I don't think it is quite up to the same level of character development as the first.The character development seemed to be very "plot-based". As if we were only let in on the details if it was relevant to the current storyline. In my opinion this wasn't altogether a bad thing - though sometimes it could leave you feeling like you were missing out on pieces. I enjoyed the comic twists and thought that in the end the stories were linked together, if not very tightly. Overall, an entertaining and moving story. I'd definitely recommend it. Just don't expect it to be as tight as "Bastard Out of Carolina".
Rating:
Summary: Captivating
Review: I found this novel totally engrossing. I wanted to neglect my kids just to continue on with Delia, Cissy, et al. I admire Dorothy Allison; she has captured dimensions of the feminine heart in these women. It's interesting that the novel begins with a thought about death and towards the end each of Delia's daughters has a brush with death. I think the transformative moment is when Delia is with Dede at the jail. A moment of honesty that changes a whole family legacy of abandonment and loneliness. I was deeply moved by this novel. The characters rang true.
Rating:
Summary: Not bad, not bad at all
Review: Let's cover the negative stuff first. By the time I reached the last 1/4 of the book, I could care less about a cave or anybody that wanted to be in one. I don't know what editors get paid, as far as salaries nowadays, but I know this one got paid too much, for Allison definitely needed an editor. A good editor. Cavedweller had the tendency to drag on. Allison, in spots, repeated herself. That said... I still liked the book, a lot. Delia and Cissy are stand out characters. Dede is a pistol. The plot was realistic. Cavedweller also displayed Allison's wonderful sense of humor, such as the transformation of Nadine. And that wonderful line where Tacey, a young black woman tells Cissy, "My daddy always said that white folks are simply crazy. He also said that black folks are crazy too, but we aren't simple." *LOL* You gotta love it. This was my first time reading Allison. It won't be my last.
Rating:
Summary: Penance and Forgiveness
Review: I was surprised at this book's ability to capture me. While the sometimes humorous portrayal of the hypocrisy in Christianity was evident, the underlying theme of family values makes this book uniquely entertaining. Thank you, Dorothy Allison, for your work.
Rating:
Summary: Waaaaay Toooooo Loooooong
Review: Allison either needs a new editor, or she should have made this book into three different novels. I PLODDED through most of it and then gave up - mostly because I didn't care about ANY of the characters.
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