2.28k reviews for:

Beli oleander

Janet Fitch

4.0 AVERAGE

airisha_reads's review against another edition

4.0

emotional reflective medium-paced

le_jf's review against another edition

3.5

emotional medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: No

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

gracedowler's review against another edition

3.0

emotional sad slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: No

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: No

sarah_alvarez's review against another edition

5.0

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(4.5) This book was such a dark, complex portrayal of a mother/daughter relationship - and I didn't want this to end because Janet Fitch's writing was so beautiful.

middleagedbookworm's review against another edition

5.0

dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: N/A

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

_bookally_'s review against another edition

4.0

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In short this book follows Astrid and her journey through life and her tumultuous relationship with her mother Ingrid.

I did not expect how much I would love this book when I picked it up. It was a book that was getting thrown away so I kept it and then a book club was reading it on Instagram so I thought why not.

The writing in this is so beautiful, if annotated my books this book would be full of highlights and tabs that is for sure. It hooked me in straight away and I quickly became obsessed.

The story itself is not a happy one and some of the characters are so frustrating and obnoxious but I think that's the point. Although not a huge book I feel like every character had alot of detail and depth including the numerous side characters.

Be prepared to be in all sorts of feels. It is a sad book, and parts will probably make you furious but I honestly think it is one well worth reading. Just do yourself a favour and don't watch the movie!

shaerikireads's review against another edition

5.0

dark emotional mysterious reflective sad medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

becvin's review against another edition

4.75

challenging dark emotional reflective sad medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

scrapgirltc's review against another edition

4.0

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good read. Sad story though.

lasesana's review against another edition

5.0

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This book was a surprise. I have not seen the movie (it is on my DVR), but I was expecting something totally different. To tell the truth, I was expecting some kind of murderous Steel Magnolias. What I got was a beautiful, lyrical, coming-of-age story with a little Chuck Palahniuk mixed in. I love it when a book surprises me and this one definitely did.
I loved the complexity of the characters. Astrid was not perfect and did a lot of pretty nasty things- and many were not justified. However, she was a character that was real and human and multifaceted. Ingrid was the opposite- you hated her most of the time, but there were instances where the reader understands her and feels for her. The other characters were also fantastic: Starr, Olivia, Marvel…
This book was beautiful and a great read. Highly recommended.

Read more of my reviews: http://bit.ly/1bNraCd