Rating: 
Summary: Succeeds on many levels-plot, character, local color
Review: I've never read anything before by the author. This book grabbed me from the first page and I am normally not a fan of crime stories, police stories, etc. The book was long but the writing so rich, it was worth it. None of the characters were perfect, except the innocent child who touches everyone's life. The only totally unbelievable character was the brother Ben. He seemed merely a plot device and there was no comprehensible reason for all of this weird behaviours.
Rating: 
Summary: Like, don't bother!
Review: If you actually have the mental stamina to persevere to the end of this rambling narrative of the inner city, please do me a favor: Count how many times Mr. Price uses the word "like" and/or the phrase "I hear you." You'll be amazed!!
Rating:
Summary: Tremendous let down after reading Clockers: long and boring
Review: I guess it is dangeruous to base one expectations of a book on the autbor's previous work. After reading Clockers, which held my attention on every page with well developed characters and story line, I was looking forward to reading Freedomland. Unfortnuately, Freedomland was a complete disappoint. Although the main characters were interesting the story dragged and by the end of the book I just did not care what happened. I am really not sure who is more to blame for the books failure, the author or the editor. There was probably enough of a story for a 300 page novel. Unfortunately, writers and/or editors seemed compelled to publish books of 500+ pages even when there is not enough book to support this length. It seems in the case of Freedomland some tougher editinig could have improved the book and saved alot of trees.
Rating:
Summary: even better than "Clockers" -poignant & gripping
Review: In "Freedomland" Richard Price's talent for hyper-realist drama has superseded the limits of the urban cops & robbers genre. I think the setting and characters he prefers put him in a category where his writing is doomed to be overlooked. How else can you explain bad reviews of such an elegantly written book? The characters are painfully real although drawn in an economy of gestures rather than by heavy-handed narration. His ear for dialogue is as always, dead accurate, never a false note whether it's a white suburban cop or an elderly African-American preacher. My only complaint was that the plot was so compelling that it was hard to read slowly enough to enjoy the writing.
Rating: 
Summary: Disappointing & lengthy work from usually talented novelist
Review: I consider myself a Richard Price fan and have read all his novels, but this one was shockingly disappointing. Overlong by at least a fourth, with a plot that moves as quickly as the wait in a Driver's Licene office, it is also filled with blandly drawn or downright annoying characters, with the worst offenders unfortunately found in the two main protagonists, the Susan Smith-like Brenda Martin and detective Lorenzo Council. And while Price can effectively weave in pop culture references into his work, having Brenda incessantly name-check '60s & '70s soul artists and songs feels like a smarmy history lesson from a smug professor. In his best work ("The Wanderers," "The Ladies' Man," "Clockers") Price has given us unforgettable characters who face unpredictable and exciting situations that literally force us to turn the page. In "Freedomland," he takes the skeletal narrative outline of a real-life crime, but fails to put any meat on its bones. A sad downturn for a talented scribe. Let's hope the next book is far better.
Rating:
Summary: Probably Price's best book...
Review: I have read almost everything that Richard Price has written, and this by far the best. This is a panoramic view of urban life, but with a bonus--characters we can care about. No one comes off well, but each character is vividly, realistically human. I'm sorry I've finished it, and I can't wait for more.
Rating:
Summary: Price seems to attract carping critics, like Dreiser.
Review: Fortunately, I finished Freedomland before reading the niggling reviews. This book is worth the effort. Price understands precisely how urban disintegration exploits every vice and weakness. The details are chilling, and not very flattering to any of the participants. But no one is better at humanizing the casualties of our prosperity.
Rating:
Summary: BLAH
Review: THE BAD FEATURES: 1) Too long; 2) Too many rambling descriptions attempting to "set the scene"; 3) Cliched characters; 4) Predictable; 5) Too slow. THE GOOD FEATURES: 1) Interesting story; 2) Makes me want to keep reading to "find the truth behind the lies"; 3) Great dialogue - Price has the lingo down pat; 4) I loved Lorenzo's character. OVERALL: Wait for the paperback version or buy it on audio. "Clockers" fans beware: It's not as good.
Rating:
Summary: Couldn't put it down
Review: Exciting, suspensful, cut above reality. After reading all of Price's books, this was by far his best. His sense of reaching out into the streets and putting the character on the pages of the book, made me feel like they are talking directly to me. I became completely emerged in the search for the child. I wanted the truth as bad as Lorenzo Council did. Definately one of my favorites!
Rating: 
Summary: A very good book (but I didn't like it as much as Mamet did)
Review: At a reading, David Mamet recommended this book as the best he'd read in a long time. My first Price book and I enjoyed it. Price is a masterful writer, creates great characters, and really evokes a sense of place. But it's not a masterpiece. It's too long and needed a bit more discipline. Also, why did he title it Freedomland when the action took place in Freedomtown?
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