I enjoyed this novel a great deal
349045
I enjoyed this novel a great deal.  This is the first of the Karen Vail series I have read, and as the other readers mentioned, I didn't feel as if I had jumped in to the middle of a story and didn't know what was going on.  The author, Alan Jacobson did a fantastic job bringing everyone up to speed.  I actually didn't feel like I had to read the rest of the series, although I may go back and do that.  This was a very good read and hard to put down.
260432
I found this novel to be one of the few that moved me. It was also informative.
4169080
A fun and thoughtful novel. I am about the same age as character Rose and I grew up in Seattle, the setting for this story. The characters now seem like friends maybe I knew. The story as told by Rose comes very much from the view of one of that age in those times, well written to hold ones attention and empathize with the characters.
1191052
Even though this is my first Walter Mosley read, I knew him as a mystery writer, who has received many accolades. Therefore, I decided to make this book my introduction to him. Luckily, it was a very nice experience, since I got more than I bargained for. The novel really starts out as a work of literature (in the literary fiction sense), exploring the life of an old man in his nineties, who is suffering from dementia and has been all but abandoned by his family. In walks a charming teenager, who starts taking care of him and provides him with the will to live his remaining days in dignity, no matter how long it lasts.

The relationship between the two main characters is extremely interesting, and uplifting. There are also certain erotic undertones that show how important this aspect is for humanity, even at en elderly stage of ones life. Then, when Ptolemy decides to undergo an experimental treatment to be lucid and enjoy his newly found will to fully experience the remainder of his days, the element of mystery is added to the mix. He starts investigating the true facts beside the drive-by shooting of Reggie, his great-nephew, who was the one taking care of him until his demise.

The novel flows effortlessly for most of the read, and it is a very enjoyable experience. It has definitely piqued my interest in reading more works by this author.
3464717
The novel is about a teenage woman who discovers she has a supernatural ability to heal peoples medical infirmities. She cannot summon the healing power at will; it manifests itself occasionally. Exercising the healing power complicates her relationships with her family, friends, and boyfriend. It also entwines her into the life of another woman and puts them both in harms way.
  Even though the cover says the novel is a young adult tale, and my young adulthood is a fading memory, I enjoyed the novel and always looked forward to my next opportunity to read more of it. The characters were easy to identify with, and the situations in which they became engaged were believable. In fact I occasionally found myself unwilling to put the book down until I found out how some crisis was going to be resolved.
  The story is written from a mature Christian perspective. By mature, I mean: 1) The interactions among the characters make it clear that people are flawed, and that people have the capacity for both good and evil. 2) Compassion, especially for people in lower economic and social strata is very evident in the way the characters are developed.
3944972
I thoroughly enjoyed this novel, it kept me interested and involved as the plot unfolded.  The main characters were unusual characters, well developed and believable. The setting for these novels is mostly quite bleak and sparse which adds an atmosphere very different to more contemporary crime fiction. There was the occasional interesting sexual relationship but for the most part this did not drive the storyline. The writing style was clever and easy to follow. I have just bought the authors previous novel the Gingerbread House and I hope I enjoy it just as much.
3181374
I thoroughly enjoyed this novel.  Sweet, warm, hopeful, tangy, a bit spicy, and fun.  I recommend this highly.  Take time to pleasure yourself, and take a trip.
4841181
I fell in love with the characters and enjoyed the novel.  The only issue that I had was it could be slow at times.
3157375
I enjoyed this novel very much, and found it a poignant  ode to Florence where I lived for several years, and an endearing at times compelling love story
3008712
I really enjoyed this novel. The plot pulled me right in and the characters felt real. The author has some  themes that are evident without being overbearing, adding depth to a good read.
4291196
I devoured the imagery in this novel and found the characters very well rounded and believable. I am not an artist but this novel allowed me a glimpse into their passionate world.
4315348
A very good read!  I enjoyed it a great deal and looked forward to seeing what happened next.
982560
I thoroughly enjoyed this novel. There weren't any unnecessary delays in delivering pertinent information to the reader. I did not give it 5 stars because the heroine narrowly escaped death just too often leaving me thinking, "Not one of those again." Also, the layout of the text can be better. I read the Kindle edition, so I don't know what the printed text looks like. The problem is that one would be reading a piece of test and then in the very next paragraph the scene changes. I would have liked some topographical indication that the scene is changing. However, that did not stop me from purchasing the rest of the series.
2425271
What can I say about this novel?  There were parts that I really loved and enjoyed, and then there were sections that irritated the crap out of me and for the life of me, didn't make sense.  Rules of Rain did have a lot of things happening inside its pages though.

The character of Rain annoyed me for the most part.  Rain has a twin brother Ethan who is autistic and in Rains world, helpless.  Rain feels she needs to be his shadow and she feels she knows what is best for him.  Dont get me wrong, she has helped him greatly over the years and he is making great strides but Rain is afraid to let go. At sixteen, Ethan is trying to broaden his world, but even small baby steps are overshadowed and examined before Ethan steps out.  Its not like Rains choices in the novel were outstanding and successful so in reality she doesnt know everything.  I really didn't understand her blog either. I realize she liked food and it was an outlet for her but her responses and topics were, to me, pointless and she might as well have been writing in a diary.  I liked Rains relationship with Liam.  What a great account with its highs and lows as they both were having their first serious relationship but at the end of the novel, I could have reached right through the pages and strangled Rain.  Just pulled her through to my world and had it out with her.

Liam, her brother was terrific.  He was trying, he was visualizing what his future might look like and he was trying to get there.  Liam was very smart and he loved human anatomy.  I loved it when he would go off on an anatomy topic: the details, his speech, and his focus were so detailed and firm.  I liked Rains best friend Hope.  What can I say about a friend that stands there and is your constant?  What can I say about a friend who hears but doesnt speak? I needed more Hope.  We all need more Hope.  I liked a lot of the scenes that occurred in this novel.  The novel was fun, adventurous, and enjoyable for the most part.

I liked this novel for the mistakes that it made and for the healing that it provided.  I liked it for the relationships that it provided. I liked all the issues it presented about family and how it dealt with them.  After reading this novel, I noticed how much silence there was in it.  How individuals just noticed things, how they did things without asking, how they didn't talk about things or they didn't tell because of their disability or some other reason.  I liked that about this novel. I remember something that Ethan mentioned.  Someone asked him if he had told Rain about a specific thing that had occurred and he said that he hadnt and that she hadnt ask him either.  I thought this was interesting as Rain would probably never ask, she wouldnt even know such an event had occurred so why would she ask.  I wish I would have liked Rain more, but she just got under my skin.
610974
I really enjoyed this novel, it's a lot of fun to read, the primary characters are terrific, the plot is inventive, the characters are interesting and the romances are hot as well as endearing. The prose is more edgy and realistic than most of her romances, something I like, and I'm an older reader, but those who get upset at realism should stick to the Debbie Macombers of sappy fiction. I gave up reading these trilogies years ago because I tended to become bored after the first story, but this looked interesting and as I'm a heavy library user, have been reading Nora Roberts books since early days, and can just return a book I don't care for without losing money as so many people complain about, I took a chance and am happy I did. I'm looking forward to the final chapter in this set because Ms. Roberts has a hell of an imagination and has given herself free rein in this trilogy. I hope she continues this in this vein.
4516409
I rather enjoyed this novel.  While clear that the author had a message, it took nothing away from the excitement and suspense of the novel.  In fact, I wish more books had depth to them like this novel.
1497737
I thought a lot about this novel after I put it down. It had elements in it that surprised me, delighted me and also things that made me mad. Like the way things were back in the segregated south. I loved the character of Billy Ray, and his musical talents delighted me. He seemed so true and the way he related to the world really resonated with me. I also liked the way the story in the present joined the story in the past. I wonder if she'll write a sequel.