As I began this book, I was a little bored but realized it wasn't the book but the fact that I have been a little over saturated lately in my reading of biographies and non-fiction. Once I realized that and settled into the genre of chick-lit, I started to appreciate the intricacies of Green's storytelling ability. It was an easy read with an unexpected twist at the end that sealed the story's appeal.

I am not at all a fan of snow skiing, so the inordinate amount of space devoted to detailed descriptions of the mountains, ski runs and the sports involved in general made for a big yawn for me in reading this book. If I skip over those things and just look at the story itself, I reluctantly have to say it was pretty predictable with the characters all divided into good v. evil. I have enjoyed other books by T. Jefferson Parker and was disappointed I wasn't a real fan of this one. Kudos, though, for all the deep research done on snowboarding and all forms of skiing.... it was quite extensive and impressive.

This took a little bit of tenacity to get through the first 60-75 pages, but if you'll be patient you'll be handsomely rewarded! Highly reminiscent of Graham Greene novels, this book was a very different type of thriller. Once I got into the meat of the plot, I was hooked. The characters, many of whom only made brief appearances here and there, were well developed and the plot tied them together very nicely at the end. Not having visited that area myself, I found the infinite travel details a little distracting, but in the end, they contributed to the overall "feel" of the story. My only criticism would be, editorially, I would tighten up the first part of the book to make sure the reader is hooked earlier on. I can count on one hand the number of books I have not finished and this one was well on the way to being another of those if the plot hadn't kicked in when it did.

This was probably one of the better efforts at self portrait of a young man as an alcoholic. His self deprecation and hilarious takes on the world were funny and heartbreaking at the same time; his relationship with Mamma Jean was warped. Even though she loved him beyond words, the damage she did with the type of love she dispensed was life altering. If you are a hovering parent you should take note, you are not doing your child any favors with your smothering attention. I'm not sure if the rehab began to work or Jamie finally matured -- or maybe a combo of both, but I was glad to see this talented young man finally find peace within himself.

Although the writing was ethereal and lovely, this was one of the most irritating books I have ever read. I almost put it down several times as the story seemed redundant and drawn out. Honestly, by the end of it, I hoped all the characters would drown in The Well and be done with it. Only giving it a 3 because of the beautiful writing.

Not sure what I expected from this book, but it was, for sure, a very educational experience! At times I even laughed out loud at the nonsensical acts of leadership and blatant lies fed to the general public by North Korean leaders .... and they were believed! It is hard, as a free American, to wrap your mind around the complete lack of freedom and brain washing that has been forced on the citizens of North Korea ... for nothing more than the edification of their leader. For that reason, I found the book a slow read. I would absolutely recommend this book because I assume others have the same lack of knowledge about North Korea. It has now sparked my interest in another new book just released about North Korea by a woman who posed as a teacher for a year in an elite school there. Who knew there were areas of our world still kept in the dark like this? I knew .... but after reading this book .... realized I still had NO idea the extent of the darkness.

I have read quite a few books about various Kennedy family members, including several specifically about John and Jackie Kennedy. Reading this book intrigued me as I couldn't imagine what else could be written about this former First Lady. I was a little put off that the first 1/3 of the book focused so much on John Kennedy's view of who Jackie should be but as the book progressed I realized that view was integral to appreciating what she became.

The story was a brutally honest look at Jackie's life .... she wasn't perfect, even though that is what she thought American wanted her to be .... and what none of us are. I thought the writer did a wonderful job of researching thoughts and feelings through interviews and letters in order to compose this book about the very reclusive Jackie Kennedy. I was a bit curious about the lack of detail about her relationships with her children, but realized at the end of the book that was probably by design. The author wanted the focus to be on Jackie herself, her thoughts, feelings and motivations through various stages in her personal development. I thought she did an excellent job. This book did add to my knowledge of the Kennedy clan ... or at least gave me another window through which to view their historical value. I would recommend.