Rating: 
Summary: The Book of Fred
Review: Finally a book I could sit down and read from beginning to end in one sitting. This is a quaint book about 15yr old Mary Fred who is taken from her parents along with her 4 little brothers and sisters. Her parents belong to a group who worship The One and they do not believe in medicine. Her 2 brothers die and this results in her parents being arrested and the surviving children sent to foster homes. Mary Fred winds up with Alice Cullison, her daughter Heather and Mary's brother Roy. To Mary Fred people who don't believe in the One are Lackers. How Mary Fred comes to grips with living on the outside and the freedom it entails is a heart warming tale. She gets to finally go to school and wear clothes other than in the color brown. She is able to break down the barriers between Heather and her mother and also the wall that Roy has built around himself. The last part of the book was kind of quirky but I was very happy how it all turned out. All in all a great first novel from Abby Bardi.
Rating: 
Summary: Could this book be any worse?!
Review: I began reading this book with an optimistic outlook. I thought it would be good because it's about a girl who is put into new surroundings and tells of her life, and how she deals with these new things. I read half the book, and it was still kind of slow so I thought, I'm only half way through it so it will probably get better... Well let me tell you, It DIDN'T! I could barely finish it it was so bad! I do not recommend this book for anyone, unless you just like boring stories. I would definitely give this book a negative rating, but one was the lowest number.
Rating: 
Summary: Touched by an angel
Review: I bought this book because the synopsis on the back cover offered an interesting premise. 15 year old Mary Fred is removed from her parents' custody after two of her brothers die of curable illnesses. The family belongs to a fundamentalist sect which mixes Christianity and the teachings of one Fred Brown (thus, every one's name must have Fred in it and every member must wear only brown clothing). The Freds have isolated themselves from the rest of society, so Mary Fred has never seen a TV or a supermarket, or gone to a school outside the walls of the sect's compound. The most dangerous thing about the religion is that the members do not believe in doctors or medicine. Mary Fred is placed into foster care with the Cullisons, a family which is supposed to represent a microcosm of typical 90s problems. We have the blue haired teenager, Heather, whose after school life consists of watching Jerry Springer and Judge Judy, the permissive, insecure single mom, Alice, and her secretly drug-addicted brother, Roy. Through her good cheer, warmth and hopefulness (as well as her cooking and organizational skills), Mary Fred changes them all, somehow giving each what he or she needs in a manner reminiscent of The Wizard of Oz (which is mentioned several times in this book), transforming them into a viable family. In a scene recalling Alice in Wonderland falling down the rabbit hole, Mary Fred eventually gets what she needs for herself, as well (a la` Dorothy).My concerns about this book are many. The writing is uneven. The book is paced a bit slowly until the last chapter which rushes along with blinding speed, minimizing very serious issues in its haste. The book is divided into five sections. Each section is spoken by a character in the book: first Mary Fred, then Alice, then Heather, then Roy and back to Mary Fred. This might be a successful writing technique if the characters each had a distinct voice and the chapters sounded like they actually came from different people. The description of the Freds was somewhat awkward, as though the author had put together a group of silly values in order to create a sect--eating fish but no meat, wearing only brown, selecting January 7th as Judgement Day, etc--while the sect portrayed in the last chapter seems to be lifted directly from media reports of the Branch Davidians in Waco, Texas. Not very creative... Everything is too neat, too perfect; everyone is happy. Heather turns off the TV, Roy completes a program at a rehab center, and Alice finds love with the doctor who saves Mary Fred's life after an accident. And all this from a 15 year old whose parents are in jail, who lost two brothers due to parental neglegence, and who has no idea where her younger siblings are. I cannot imagine how this child, from an isolated, disturbed family, with all her social and emotional limitations, has come by such incredible powers! More believable are the changes Mary Fred makes, thanks to the Cullisons. After all, what teenager could resist K-mart, pink hair clips and suburban high school football jocks? She takes to these mainstays of American life as though she were born to them--and we know she was not. Mary Fred's mother eventually comes to get her (after a stint in prison), and brings her to their new sect, the old one having apparently fled the Bureau of Child Welfare. A violent confrontation occurs between the police and sect leaders. Mary Fred escapes during the chaos and makes her way back to the Cullisons. While the chapters dealing with life at the Cullisons are pleasant, particlarly with respect to Heather and Mary Fred, the last chapter attempts too much, overwhelms us and leaves us with too many questions.
Rating:
Summary: Take the Bait!
Review: I couldn't resist the cover - a fish bookmark. Both my 18 year-old daughter and I liked this book, so if you are into mother-daughter discussions, this one could work. Even though the novel is critical of religious cults, Mary Fred, the product of a cult, does educate and enlighten those with whom she comes into contact. Most teenagers should see a bit of themselves in both the naive Mary Fred and her more worldly, cynical foster sister, Heather.
Rating: 
Summary: Feeds the spirit and funny too.
Review: I loved the hopefulness of this book. And also Mary Fred's interpretation of the religion. I would want to be a Fredian, too, if Mary Fred's description were real.
Rating:
Summary: Just didn't like it
Review: I picked "The Book of Fred" up on recomendation from a local bookstore, and I just couldn't get into it. While the premise was rather interesting, I found that it lacked strength in the execution. The voices of the four characters telling the story were not particularly compelling or insightful.
Rating:
Summary: What a great first novel!
Review: I read a lot, and I teach English classes, so I'm a little mystified about why I'm having such a difficult time explaining WHY I liked Bardi's fist novel so much. Despite the inner turmoil of all of her characters, Bardi weaves their tales together with such tranquility and grace. This book was such an effortless and enjoyable read. I found her characters so realistic--they continued to surprise me as much as they did each other. While perhaps a few of the technique seemed a bit superficial--e.g., the allusions to the Frank Baum books--they never distracted from my enjoyment. To her credit, I think Bardi also deserves a second read: there's much there beneath the surface that warrants further investigation. I found myself in that dilemma of books I truly love--wanting to get to the ending but not wanting the (experience of reading the) book to end! My next dilemma--which of my friends will I loan this book out to first?! I for one am eagerly anticipating Bardi's next book.
Rating:
Summary: All Things Are Possible
Review: Mary Fred, 15 years old, has been raised in a secretive and bizarre cult, the Fredians, whose beliefs were shaped by their prophet, Fred Brown. Alice Cullison is an unhappy divorced Mom, who is trying to hold her family together. Roy, her brother, seems to do nothing but hang out and make bad jokes. Heather Cullison, Alice's daughter, deeply wounded by the divorce, has withdrawn into a shell of sarcasm and defiance. The characters are brought together when Mary Fred's parents are jailed for child neglect and Alice becomes Mary Fred's foster mother. An unlikely combination, with unpredictable results. Mary Fred is naive to the modern world, has never watched TV, has never been allowed to wear anything but the color brown, and has lived a life of discipline and service. Now what will happen when she is plunged into the very secular, modern, up-to-date but shallow Cullison family? And what will happen to them? Author Abby Bardi explores this question through a succession of narrators, each of whom takes the story a little farther along. It is a challenging situation for all of them, and all of them will change as a result. But what kind of change? Better or worse? What will happen to Mary Fred? Will she ever get back to her real family? Will she discover who she really is? Read the book and find out! Author Bardi writes extremely well, in a lucid, conversational style that is easy to follow, and with a great sense of humor. She drew me right into her story. As the book moved toward its conclusion I found myself racing through it. Of course, it is a little far-fetched, and sometimes comes a little close to being over-dramatized, a little too close to sentimentality. Still, it works. Take it for what it is, and you will find the book both entertaining and uplifting. I recommend this one. Reviewed by Louis N. Gruber.
Rating:
Summary: Wow!
Review: My daughter loaned me this book...we laughed at the title because she and her husband call each other "Fred" (which is neither of their names). I read it in one sitting. I couldn't put it down. It's the story of 15 year old Mary Fred who has grown up in the twisted cult of 'Fred Brown'....they all have Fred in their names and they all wear the color brown and are all waiting for the big "Cat" to come (you gotta read this book for more on that!). They don't believe in medical care, so when two of Mary Fred's young brothers die, the parents are arrested and the children are all put in foster homes. That's when the heart-warming story really begins. This is a story of the healing power of love and the power to change and grow and let go of the past. I'm not sure who learned more, Mary Fred or her foster family of Alice, Uncle Roy and Alice's daughter, Heather. I loved each of the characters and hated to read the last chapter---a sure fire sign of a great book! Thanks, April, for loaning me this one....I promise to return it...eventually!!
Rating:
Summary: FRED ROCKS!
Review: One of the best novels I've read in years. Intriguing and interesting characters and plot, told with a great deal of humor. Both thought-provoking and hilarious! Buy it, read it, send it to your friends. They'll thank you!
|
