3.5 stars. I think i waited too long to read this book; it was way too hyped and i expected to like it more than i did. The plot seemed slow and meandering and anti-climactic. I did like the characters, but i felt kind of disappointed by how mundane their stories were--with the exception, i suppose, of Minny's. At times there were somewhat dramatic things that happened but we didn't get to experience the action, only the aftermath. I think for this to have been a really classic story something more exciting would've had to happen to one of the main characters right before our eyes. I can't wait to see the movie, though; i can see how this story could be clipped and arranged into a nice little storyline for a very pleasant film.