First off, I have to say that the book is far superior to the film though I doubt that's much of a feat, considering how cloying I found the film when I watched it in the theater. Anyway, I found this novel to be quite compelling despite the maddening character of Ingrid Magnussen. I understand that she's an artist and also a cynical and hardened woman, but she comes off to me as being obscenely pretentious. Her language just never rang true to me because I can't imagine any real human being speaking in such a poetic manner and having it sound unforced. That said, I found the character of Astrid Magnussen to be well-written and wholly sympathetic. She initially fears abandonment by Ingrid, but as the story draws out, she grows resentful of her and attempts to distance herself from her "white oleander" of a mother, who's as beautiful as she is poisonous and deadly. Astrid's journey through foster care hell and toward reconciling her own identity with that of her mother's was made more enjoyable for me because of the settings used throughout the novel. It was exciting and amusing to see the names of local L.A. shops, schools, and streets mentioned and described so accurately by Fitch. Some of the places referred to are less than five minutes from where I live, and that just added to the sense of relatability that I yearn for in a book, not that I intend to read only books based in the L.A. area, mind you. All in all, I'd recommend this book to anyone that craves heartwrenching drama, gorgeous (though at times, egregiously poetic) language, and well-drawn characters!