Fabulous book...better than I expected
928862
This book should please casual and avid fiction readers as well as anyone serious about or interested in creative writing, fiction or storytelling . What starts out as a tale of manners in the South of the early 1960's turns into a true literary tale in a way that hasn't been explored before. As someone who grew up in the Deep South in the 60's (although not in Mississippi) and was raised by some of these very same women characterized in the book, I can attest to the truth of the author's interpretation. I can also attest to the fact that it is a worthy read. Anyone who thinks they are too literary to appreciate it just has too many pretensions.
3313437
I bought this book based on the reviews I read here. It was better than I expected, and one of the most enjoyable books I've read in a long time. I won't recap the story, as other have already done that. I will say that the pages flew past me, as I enjoyed every bit of this story. The book is definitely "R" rated, so those easily offended by language or adult situations may want to look elsewhere.
741945
This book was not what I expected but I was very surprised at how good it was.  The book was more in depth with great examples than I thought it would have. It also explains things in a way that anyone from any background can understand. It was a pleasant surprise!
4635740
Originally I gave this one star because the book is not currently available while being transferred to a new publisher. I still feel this is a mistake, but then realized I had purchased the kindle addition back in February and so read it over the last few days.

I have to say, this is a fabulous book! The satirical sense of humor is very reminiscent of Harry Dresden and the main character is extremely likable. I don't really know if the science is correct in it , but it certainly seems so. I was laughing and learning all he way through.

Wonderful book and highly recommended.
3330499
it exceeded them. I thought this would just be a nice book, but it really changed the way I look at the word. And while I don't consider myself to be a 'peaceful warrior' quite yet, i will definitely be buying the other books in this series. This book has helped me to appreciate life and people so much better... I recommend this to anyone who wants to find happiness. This book gives you some principles, and it isn't just a self help book.. it is a story, and you follow it eagerly to find out what happens and end up learning along the way.
A phenomenal read. I would buy it again and again to show my enthusiasm!
3298698
I didn't expect to enjoy this book so much, but this was a real pleasure to read.  The writing quality is higher than I would have expected.  The author is both funny and insightful in his observations, and the style is thoroughly engaging.  I look forward to reading more from him in the future!
4006542
I honestly did not know what to expect when I read this. My only experience with the game has been sitting with my daughter and watching YouTubers play it and get the mess scared out of them.
That being said, this book was much much better than I anticipated!  Maybe I set the bar too low, or maybe it really was just that good. There were a few little plot things that tripped me up, but it read just as good (if not better) than most other thrillers that I have read this year.
There is actually a backstory... and a plot... those are kind of awesome!
856793
An absolutely fantastic book. Much more than I expected. I have never seen its' like.
3741279
I was not too enthusiastic about this book due to the cover and title. However I thought Ill give it a try and I am so happy I did. I LOVED it from page 1. I could not put it down.

The author is excellent revealing the characters feelings for us and I cant wait to read book number two.

Best was the book was 700 and something pages!!! I enjoyed this book so much.

Buy it you sure will enjoy it!!!!!

Im going to read book 2 now!!

:)
814987
My mom recommended this book to me, but I was a bit skeptical. I was very pleasantly surprised to find that this book, which follows the relationship of two women, could hold my interest so easily.  While I was able to  predict some of the big twists and turns, the quality of the writing and  the exploration of the two main characters developing frienship make this a  must read for anybody...male or female.
572043
I really wasn't sure what to expect when I read the title of this book, but I must say, I really enjoyed this book. I could not put it down. Such a great story line and great way to show friendship is important in our lives. An emotional story with twists and secrets and vibrantly described characters. Loved it. Great job E. Clay.
1147753
Before reading this book, I had spent about a year trying to find new, interesting-sounding books at my local bookstores, then reading them through my library.  Unfortunately, this wasn't going to well, with such mishaps as Troy, Resurrection Men, I'd Tell You That I Love You But Then I'd Have To Kill You, and Eragon.  Needless to say, I was beginning to lose hope that I would ever find a good YA book again, without the help of a personal recommendation from one of my friends.  And then (of course) I picked this one up.

I've seen that many people on Amazon found this book to be boring, stereotypical, etc.  I beg to differ.  From almost the first page, I was hooked on this book, and hardly put it down until I'd finished.  The characters were engaging, the dialogue and prose both carried me along without a hitch (and made me laugh, so double points there), and the plot twist actually surprised me.  (Recently I've gotten used to being able to predict the endings of every YA book I read once I hit page 50, so that was a big deal for me.)  Now, maybe it's because I don't read a lot of demon-hunter books, but I thoroughly enjoyed the world created in this story, and I didn't feel that I'd really read anything like it before.

Speaking as someone who reads nearly all-fantasy, who expects a lot out of a book, and who thought that YA fiction had nothing more to give, I really do believe this book to be absolutely fabulous.  I'm definitely looking forward to the sequel.
4963109
I just can't believe how good this book was!!!!.
3464946
This book was so not what I expected at all. I'd seen it mentioned a lot this year, but after reading the Goodreads description, I was unimpressed. It just didn't sound appealing to me at all. But then came a lot of End of Year Surveys and Top Ten Books of 2012, and I saw this book all over the place. I figured for it to be getting that much love, it had to be better than it sounded, and I decided to give it a chance.

From the very beginning, the first couple pages, it was clear to me that I really, really liked Hazel. Even though she is terminally ill with cancer, she has a sense of humor that can't be beat. I found myself chuckling a lot at things that came out of her mouth, and I found myself often forgetting that she was, in fact, sick, until the next mention of her cannula came up.

Augustus was easily my favorite character. He was just so swoon-worthy and romantic, but also hilarious and sarcastic. From the start, I really liked his interaction with Hazel. They just had a relationship that was so believable but still really enjoyable to read. I never found myself rolling my eyes or getting aggravated with them. I really loved their chemistry.

There was a twist at the end that while I sort of saw it coming, it wasn't blatantly predictable, and I liked it. It changed the way I expected the story to go, which was nice. I am also glad that a prediction I made for the ending did not come true. I definitely thought it was foreshadowed and would not have been happy with it, so I'm glad that it didn't happen the way I thought it would.

I did find myself with some questions left over at the end of the story, but I think that that was realistic. The whole story was very realistic, and in life, you don't always get the answers you want, and you don't always get a happy ending. I thought that was appropriate here.

Overall, I really, really loved this book. It was so beautifully written, a realistic look at the way cancer affects people's lives. I found my heart going out to the characters for their struggles, but moreso loving how they continued to live their lives and not let their cancer define them. I would definitely recommend that everybody read this book, and I will definitely be reading more John Green. I easily give it 5 stars!
3809476
I was very pleasantly surprised by how good this book was. It sounded good when I read the description, but it was even better than I expected!!
1899968
Better than expected. I highly recommend it.
4182382
I absolutely loved&nbsp;<a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/What-Alice-Forgot/dp/B009BDVNF8/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">What Alice Forgot</a>, by Liana Moriarty, but I expected this book to be a fluffy "oh what fun to be a triplet" piece, and was very pleasantly surprised to read a very good book about completely relate-able women with very real problems... and everything isn't always happily ever after. I finished the book in 3 days, I just could not put it down. I would highly highly recommend this book.