Reviews

White Oleander by Janet Fitch

skeating3's review

dark emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad tense 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

5.0

demanda's review

challenging dark emotional hopeful reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

a_reader_obsessed's review

3.0

A poignant, harsh look at surviving, discovering, and overcoming painful truths about the person who should love you the most. Beautifully and descriptively written, this definitely shows the complexities of relationships, especially that of between a mother and her daughter.

amb123abc's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

witpip's review

4.0

Another book I chose to read because I seen the movie. WORTH IT!
Astrid went to a lot more homes in the book! Astrid in the book has a better story.

amandareadsstuff's review

3.0

Fitch is an incredible writer. I was invested in Astrid's journey from the very first line of the novel. Still, I found the narrative overall difficult to follow at times and seem to have missed the overall point of the ending.

betherinharrison's review

dark emotional mysterious sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

tamgperkins's review

One of the few movies I can honestly say is as goood as the book.

book_concierge's review

4.0

Astrid narrates this tale of her journey through a series of foster homes in the six years following her mother’s imprisonment for murdering an ex-lover.

Ingrid Magnussen is the quintessential free spirit. Pale, with vivid blue eyes, and nearly white blond hair, she is wraithlike and beautiful; a single mother who is devoted to her only child, Astrid. Ingrid frequently spouts her philosophy that women should be strong and that they do not need the love of a man to flourish. Then Barry Kolker enters their lives, and Ingrid falls hard. When Barry stops calling, Ingrid cannot let go. Eventually her obsession with revenge leads her to concoct a poison of oleander blossoms, and Astrid is left to the foster care system when Ingrid is sent to prison.

Astrid’s experiences are at times horrific, but there are moments of warmth as well. She finds the strength to survive and even flourish for a while. The result is a young woman who is still far from the promise of her talent and intellect, but able finally to confront her mother.

It’s a powerful story, and well-written. The ending feels a little forced, however, wrapping up a bit too quickly.

octobah's review

adventurous dark emotional hopeful mysterious reflective sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Grief, Murder, Bullying, Emotional abuse, Pedophilia, and Death