Rating: 
Summary: Great book, great setting, wonderful characters
Review: Didn't want this book to end. I felt like I was living with the characters, rather than reading about them. While it was a sometimes sad and poignant book, it gave me an uplifting feeling that's hard to explain. I read a lot, and this book is right up there as one of my favorite works of fiction. Subtle in its message, it is beautifully written and a joy to read.
Rating:
Summary: A modern day classic!!
Review: I am disheartened when I read some of the reviews of this book. I was taken with this story from the very first pages. I see Theresa as a modern day St. Francis, efortlessly winning the respect of animals and children alike. I got the feeling that Theresa didn't really fit in anyway, what with being the only child of older parents, so she used her talent of being the most sought after baby sitter in Long Island to her benefit and to the benefit of many children that are all but forgotten by their families. Theresa provided the stability that this idyllic place needed.This book and all the people in it are utterly unforgettable and superbly crafted. I was touched by Theresa's unconditional love for Daisy Mae and Flora. I loved the scenes at the beach as well as the scene with Debbie and Curly, the cat, and decorating the lollipop tree. Alice McDermott is an efortless, gifted storyteller and this is the type of book that you'll want to curl up with and hang on to.
Rating:
Summary: A modern day classic!!
Review: I am disheartened when I read some of the reviews of this book. I was taken with this story from the very first pages. I see Theresa as a modern day St. Francis, efortlessly winning the respect of animals and children alike. I got the feeling that Theresa didn't really fit in anyway, what with being the only child of older parents, so she used her talent of being the most sought after baby sitter in Long Island to her benefit and to the benefit of many children that are all but forgotten by their families. Theresa provided the stability that this idyllic place needed. This book and all the people in it are utterly unforgettable and superbly crafted. I was touched by Theresa's unconditional love for Daisy Mae and Flora. I loved the scenes at the beach as well as the scene with Debbie and Curly, the cat, and decorating the lollipop tree. Alice McDermott is an efortless, gifted storyteller and this is the type of book that you'll want to curl up with and hang on to.
Rating: 
Summary: Excellent storytelling, but lacks illumination
Review: I enjoyed this book and the relationship between Theresa and Daisy. The writing was excellent and the descriptions of minor characters like the people who own the Scottish Terriers, clear and precise. However, I didn't really understand Theresa's motivations for her actions, nor did I get that delicious gut feeling that I got reading Elizabeth Berg's novels about a girl around this age. Those are really heartstring tugging. I suppose McDermott wants to take a cooler approach and more distant. My other problem with this book is that summer days are inevitably repetitious, which made the book repetitious. I also do not believe for a moment that a 15-year old girl would remain naked under a blanket tent on a busy beach for even a millisecond.
Rating: 
Summary: Novel or memoir? I think she wrote this one first...
Review: I have a feeling this book was the author's first - before
the brilliant "Charming Billy," which I adored, and which
inspired me with the book I'm writing about my family. "Child" feels precious and self-congratulatory...the story of
her own life as a cutesy adolescent loved by one and all in
her little fishing village. Frankly, I found it too dull to finish,
which shocked me. I expected to devour it, as I had
"Charming Billy." As someone below has noted, the "wrong" note here is
that there is no pre-teen or teenager on earth who just
loves all little children. Pre-teens and teenagers are
blessedly self-centered and even if they get a kick out of
kids they resent having to babysit more than an hour at
a time, having to give anyone but themselves more than
an hour of intense attention. Anyone who understands
children knows that. So - Theresa - saintly little caretaker? No way!!! I know this is going to sound strange to some, but I think
any kid like that would be a little sick in real life. Perhaps
the kind who is anorexic or bulimic, rebelling against having
to be perfect. My feeling is that this book is how the author remembers
her youth, and it's too sugary for words, literally. Had she
written it as a memoir, in fact....it would have been
more gutsy, and she wouldn't have been allowed the
self-canonization.
Rating:
Summary: Beautiful and Real
Review: I have a hard time putting into words my opinion of this novel. It is so carefully crafted. There don't seem to be any moments where the right words are not used. This has all the hallmarks of a classic. The sign of such a good work is that you might guess what is to come (the tragedy, the ultimate pain and/or joy) and you feel that emotion along with the characters but you could not put the book down before getting there. I did not give this a 5 because at first I was disappointed with the ending. It is somehow anti-climatic. The more, however, I thought about it I realized that this was the writer's design. The world of the narrator moves on in the way it does for all of us and especially when we are "coming of age" so to speak. That would be my only suggestion that you keep an open mind to the end and really reflect on the trip the novel took you on.
Rating: 
Summary: Disappointing
Review: I have read and loved every one of McDermott's other novels, but this one is disappointing. While I agree that her prose is exquisite, the story fails to illuminate in a convincing manner why the main characters, especially the 15 year old Theresa, do what they do. One fully never is able to grasp why Theresa becomes sexually attracted to the 70 year old artist, who is a poor excuse for a father, a drunk, and an out-and-out philanderer. Nor does McDermott provide enough context clues about Theresa's character for a reader to really understand why Theresa would simply fail to inform an adult about her cousin's Daisy's medical problems (bruises appear on her feet and other parts of her body for no apparent reason). How many beautiful 15 year old girls would want to have sex with an ugly, drunk 70 year old man and ignore the serious medical condition of someone she truly loves? MeDermott provides some insight but not enough in this short novel to make this reader believe in the characters or the story.
Rating:
Summary: Initial delight and late disappointment
Review: I heard Alice McDermott on the radio, promoting her book on NPR and I was instantly captivated by her elegant comments. She read the second paragraph of the book and the next thing I know I was rushing to the bookshop to buy it. It was very easy to get attached to the book right from the first page. The lightness of the narration is enchanting and was addictive for some time, but soon it became boring when I realized that the story was not going anywhere. After I lost my enthusiasm, I left the book aside for a few months and sort of just finished recently just to get rid of it. The sexual involvement of Theresa with a 70-year old drunk and womanizer artist was profoundly disturbing to me and kind of out of context. It made me regret reaching the end of the book. I really would like to ask the author the reason behind this passage. Also, Theresa's irresponsibility of knowing that Daisy was sick and not taking any action did not gain my sympathy either. Although I was not fond of the book itself, McDermott has a charismatic way of writing and I certainly plan to read her other books.
Rating:
Summary: Good
Review: I liked this book a lot. I did find the relationship between Theresa and the painter to be distasteful and at odds with the author's character development of these individuals. Nevertheless, I really enjoyed reading this beautifully written book.
Rating: 
Summary: Yeah, right
Review: I muttered throughout this whole entire book. Doesn't Theresa have anyone her own age to hang out with? With an ego like Theresa's it is no wonder she only has babies, dogs, 70 year old men and street urchins to keep her company. Who her age would want to be around her? This story has great potential at the beginning then quickly takes a nose dive. Let Charming Billy be your introduction to Alice McDermott and leave this one on the shelf.
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