Rating: 
Summary: High-priced garbage
Review: Frey's other books were alright. Rather than being a suspense story about day trading, he sloppily built a mish-mash of plot devices. Rather than staying to a story line, he wandered like a cow through a pasture. His writing is unskilled, his characters are undefined; he built the story by wandering through a word and phrase supermarket. Glad I borrowed it from the library, sorry they bought it.
Rating: 
Summary: very entertaining and informative
Review: Having never been terribly interested in the stock market, I was rather amazed at how much I enjoyed this book. Being quite an ignoramus on this subject, I found his explanations very informative. He writes well, the pages turn themselves and I was even reluctant to finish it as I enjoyed the mystery. Will definitely read more of Stephen Frey's books. Was quite amazed to see so many negative reviews.
Rating:
Summary: very entertaining and informative
Review: Having never been terribly interested in the stock market, I was rather amazed at how much I enjoyed this book. Being quite an ignoramus on this subject, I found his explanations very informative. He writes well, the pages turn themselves and I was even reluctant to finish it as I enjoyed the mystery. Will definitely read more of Stephen Frey's books. Was quite amazed to see so many negative reviews.
Rating: 
Summary: The only thing good about this book is nothing.
Review: I certainly hope Frey takes his time and produces a decent product next time. The Day Trader is junk. If the plot had less imagination and the characters less development, it would be a children's book.
The text is at a 3rd grade level. The financial component to previous books has been intriguing. This attempt is on the level of balancing your checkbook.
The only thing good about this book is nothing.
Sorry Frey, you lost a reader.
Rating: 
Summary: A Huge New Fan, Very Well Written, Smooth and Polished
Review: I do not understand the negative reviews on this novel. I found this book to be very well written and thoughtful. Stephen Frey is a lot of writer.
Rating:
Summary: An easy read
Review: I found this novel to be easy to read. It is my first try for a Stephen Frey book and I would certainly read another one.
Rating: 
Summary: Stephen Frey demonstrates growth as a writer
Review: I guess I never thought I'd say this, but I actually found something to admire in Stephen Frey's "The Day Trader." I can understand why so many readers in this forum are puzzled, because the book really is a departure from Frey's previous work. What I'm saying is that this is a good thing.
Let me put this in the form of a story: This last summer, when I was packing up the house and waiting for movers to arrive, I found a couple of his early novels in paperback form. These were books I'd picked up and read years ago, "The Takeover" and "The Vulture Fund." I had only the vaguest of memories, and since they were the only things to read in the house, I sat down and read them again. To tell the truth, they were pretty awful -- characters of cardboard, every one of them described in superlatives and adverbs; plot twists that weren't just implausible but rather incomprehensible. But okay, I kept turning the pages. Bad writing can be inspiring. You tell yourself you can do better, and you take comfort in knowing this guy got published.
So when I saw "The Day Trader" on a remainder table a few weeks ago, I figured I was in for another treat. But you know what? In the five years or so that had elapsed between those early novels and this one, Steven Frey seems to have done some maturing. He's getting better at it, okay? For one thing, the main character is more believable than any in those early novels. This one actually has flaws. (He's a brilliant stock-picker, but he can't see that everyone around him is a schemer and scammer, including his wife and best friend.) And Stephen Frey's use of the first person in this novel shows that he is willing to stretch himself stylistically, and he's trying to grow. The plot itself is human-scaled, and doesn't involve terrorists taking over nuclear reactors or wicked people trying to manipulate the entire American economic system. Nope, it's about a regular guy trying to take on the world.
Now, I'm not saying this book is terrific, not by a longshot. There are still some points that stretch my credulity -- like the rather mild sense of betrayal that the hero feels when he discovers everyone has been lying to him for so long. Or the fact that he doesn't really seem to start worrying about the murder investigation until late in the novel. I mean, anyone who understands the conventions of these types of stories knows that the hero is going to be the prime suspect, and I guess I like my heroes not to be completely blockheaded. The guy might have been more interesting if he'd squirmed a little.
I'm going to say something here that might seem a little embarrassing, but I actually like some of John Grisham's work. This book really doesn't approach the level of Grisham's best work. But let me say this -- Frey is about halfway there, and if he continues to show the same development as a writer in his future books, he may become someone worth reading. I mean, as more than a guilty pleasure.
Sometimes I wonder if authors read the reviews that readers post on Amazon.com. Well, if so, all I can say is keep it up, Stephen -- the growth you showed with this novel is an inspiration.
Rating:
Summary: Don't waste your time
Review: I have enjoyed earlier books by Stephen Frey, but this reads like something he wrote on his lunch hour because the publisher was waiting for a book. The protagonist is incredibly simple and naive, as is the narrative and the plot.A real disappointment.
Rating:
Summary: So Disappointed!!
Review: I have lost respect for the NY Times and others who rave about this book on the cover. Most everyone hit upon why the book is weak so I'll focus on just a couple of things that were left out.First, the writing is condescending. There are so many adverbs to describe the way someone said something, whereas any intelligent reader can grasp it from the context (e.g., he said sarcastically, she said seriously). It is an insult to the reader. Second, the book is filled with stale cliches that it becomes unbelievable. For example, it's a hot July summer in Virginia and two police detectives show up at a guys door in the middle of the night. Of course they are wearing suits with the ties loose and one of them is patting his head down with a handkerchief. Another time Augustus McKnight is fighting someone on his lawn and naturally the 74 year-old lady across the street is on her lawn holding a flashlight wearing...guess what? Of course!! A floral cotton robe and big pink slippers. The only non-cliche character was the fortune teller. On the whole I found the story to be insulting, silly and unbelievable. What 33 year-old man with a sexual dynamo for a wife, who lives near DC has NEVER been into a strip club before?? And how could Augustus be a poor, stupid, paper salesman one second and a financial wiz the next. Way too inconsistent. I could go on and on but it seems to me like the author was rushing to meet a deadline. Not enough thought was put into the book. I never felt like part of the action and it was all too non-believable for me.
Rating:
Summary: Ugh
Review: I have never in my life read a more technically inproficient writer. Avoid at all costs.
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