“Here on Earth” was a mixed bag for me. The good: The writing was lyrical and Hoffman did such a great job of creating the world of Jenkintown that it seemed to actually exist. The same cannot be said about her characters, however. They never felt real, or even well-written, for the simple fact that they all had a very singular raison d’etre. It was not only March who loses her free will; none of the characters seemed to have any free will of their own – they were very obviously just pawns of the plot in Hoffman’s head. Especially when, towards the end, some characters act in ways that do not fit with their personalities (Susie goes all of the way to Florida to find out about Hollis, but can’t be bothered to try and seriously stop her friend from getting abused?). It doesn’t destroy the book, but it does make it seem kind of hollow. I thought I was going to hate this book while I was only halfway finished because up to that point it is simply a story about obsessive, narcissitic love between two people who were incredibly distasteful. The plot does manage to pick up in the second half of the book, however. Although I don’t recommend it, I won’t tell you not to read it. Generally I have liked the books Oprah has chosen for her book club, but this one seems to be the kind of book that people would read, roll their eyes, and say, “Of course, Oprah recommended this.”

supremely disappointed. This was a harlequin romance in disguise. Blah blah. Ugh! Shame on Alice!

This is my one of my top 5 favorite books! I read it years ago and have probably read it 20 more times since. I read it at least once a year. Her prose are so magical! She writes as if she grew up in the small town. The life she breathes into her characters is many times dark and scary, but always human. It’s a story of love, obsession and how the two can rip through your soul like a vortex. But mostly, it’s about what’s left in it’s wake.