Alice in Madness

• Rated 4 stars

“I don't usually read this kind of material. I'm not really into mystery or romance, although occasionally I'll delve into family drama. Sometimes though, you're just in the mood for something out of your usual box, and I couldn't resist Amish + Murder + Pregnancy out of wedlock.

It was a fascinating kind of glimpse at Amish culture, and I ended up totally riveted. Some of it was entirely predictable, but pleasantly written. The end was actually a surprise (I won't ruin it for you) but wasn't explained to my satisfaction. I tend to get grumpy when I feel like there's a loose end or the end is mostly insinuated.

I won't say that I loved it, but it was a good read and I'd recommend it if you're in the mood for something dramatic and entertaining, but not requiring too much philosophical thought. I think I'll pick up another Picoult for my next overseas flight.”

Alice in Madness wrote this review Monday, May 4 2009. ( reply | permalink )

• Rated 3 stars

“Good topic, but it fell flat. She has a point that she's not making really well, but it still has fairly useful guidelines in it if you're interested in politics.”

Alice in Madness wrote this review Monday, February 2 2009. ( reply | permalink )

• Rated 4 stars

“It's a well written book with efficient prose, but fairly bland in content. If you're interested in science, you won't find any new information, and most of it is much too simplified. On the other hand, you can paraphrase her layman's explanations to explain things to other people. ”

Alice in Madness wrote this review Monday, February 2 2009. ( reply | permalink )

• Rated 4 stars

“I liked the stories best. The overall plot was strange and even intriguing, but not so pretty as the little side-stories it contained. The writing was good...not the most brilliant I've ever seen, probably because of it's occasional (what I would call) abrasiveness.

Overall an excellent read, but not a very challenging one. ”

Alice in Madness wrote this review Thursday, September 25 2008. ( reply | permalink )

• Rated 3 stars

“Honestly, I thought it would be better. Some of the words that were often used and of a foreign origin weren't defined, and the general style was fairly dull. The theme of personal growth could have been taken and developed much better than I felt it was. Finally...maybe I missed something, but I have no idea why this is the title of the book. The subject wasn't touched on to my recollection. ”

Alice in Madness wrote this review Sunday, September 21 2008. ( reply | permalink )

• Rated 5 stars

“Excellent, as usual. I'm sad that this concludes the series, but glad that everything came full circle.”

Alice in Madness wrote this review Sunday, September 7 2008. ( reply | permalink )

• Rated 4 stars

“This is a soft-spoken book. The story...written in a different way...could have been more powerful, more moving, more poetic.

And still, the story itself remains in a pristine way, too pure for frills. The message stands quite unadorned. It's a good message: one about courage, forgiveness and unconditional love. It's a worthy book and one that I truly enjoyed and tore through within a day. ”

Alice in Madness wrote this review Saturday, August 30 2008. ( reply | permalink )

• Rated 2 stars

“I lost interest about halfway through. It's a book based on research, which doesn't in itself bother me, but it's mostly a conglomeration of dry numbers...for us "outsiders" the conclusions and evidence aren't surprising. Mostly, this is a text for door-to-door religion pitchers that are down on their luck. ”

Alice in Madness wrote this review Sunday, August 24 2008. ( reply | permalink )

• Rated 3 stars

“I wouldn't rush out and buy it, but it was good. I liked the interwoven stories, though the transitions were rather jarring...it's the kind of book you read a section at a time. Each little piece is pristine, though on the whole it seems disjointed. I'll probably get a copy in paperback when it comes out.”

Alice in Madness wrote this review Saturday, August 23 2008. ( reply | permalink )

0 of 2 members found this review helpful.

• Rated 1 stars

“Ah, member of the The Stooges of American History (the other two being Gore Vidal and Noam Chomsky). What is there to say? Firstly, every event in the U.S. was motivated by greed. Apparently. His interpretation is flat, one-dimensional, and unfair. Second, certain events were GLARINGLY missing. Mostly the good ones. Hmmmm...

Zinn admits that he's wildly biased and trying to influence perceptions rather than give you an objective account. Has America made mistakes? Of course. Every country/government does and has...but that doesn't mean that we're a nation founded on some sort of all-consuming, greedy evil. If you want real history, read A Patriot's History of the United States. The authors won't mince words, directly address the nonsense in this book, and cover much more ground. ”

Alice in Madness wrote this review Friday, August 22 2008. ( reply | view 1 replies | permalink )