This was the first book by Ann Patchett that I've read and I found it very descriptive and creative. The fact that the Amazon has the possibility of curing possible diseases and providing us with unknown magical solutions to human life was the central theme of the book. Patchett provides some excentric ideas, but their believablilty is stong, even if they might be just wishful thinking. The story moves quickly and the surprises at the end make the book a great read. Our bookclub had a long conversation over the strengths/weaknesses of the characters and why or why not the story could really happen. Overall, we all liked the book very much.

But you'll get hooked.

While our club enjoyed reading the book, we did have some issues with the story. We found that the author did not entirely convince us that the story was taking place in the jungle. We also felt that the author had trouble transitioning from one part of the story to another. It left us wondering if we had forgotten to read a paragraph when we picked up the book to continue reading. Overall the idea for the story was interesting and despite our problems with some of the writing, we enjoyed it and would recommend it to others.

The best book I read all year.

An excellent read - great discussion. Perfect for book clubs.

I did not find it compelling for the first 50 pages, but then I was swept in and loved it.

I liked the book. As for book clubs, State of Wonder provides discussion topics aplenty.

This book left me in a "State of Wondering?"

I enjoyed this book. The plot was original and interesting. Surprisingly, our book club found lots of topics and characters to discuss.

Our club enjoyed the book and would highly recommend it. It has adventure, questions to ponder and some twists you don't see coming. It gave us a lot to talk about.

The book was quite educational. I learned a lot about the Brazilian jungle. It was quite different from anything I've read recently.

Most of us thought this was a fantasy. We didn't have strong feelings about the heroine. We thought she was very naive. The character that impressed us the most and stimulated most of our discussion was Dr. Annicke Swenson. As a book club read it did stimulate lots of discussion. Many of us wouldn't have finished it if it hadn't been a book club selection.

The characters while not likeable all that much many times drew you in and kept developing as you went along.

The setting is very fascinating, and the story interesting and a good bookclub read. Lots of
hot topics to discuss!!

Disappointing after other books by Ann Patchett. Very slow moving. Split opinion of our members. Good discussion, though.

This is a popular discussion book, thus my recommendation for book clubs. A bit of a mystery, a bit of a medical book, a bit of sci-fi, a bit of a love story...but not well done in any of those genres. Never the less many find it worth reading.

This was a great book club discussion book. So many things to talk about! The book starts a little slow but you'll get to a point where you can't put it down! I want to read more books by Ann Patchett.

I could not put this book down. I really liked the characters and found the descriptions fascinating. Almost as good as Bel canto!

This book was slow in the first half, but then soon picks up and really caught my attention. I definitely would recommend it, but you have to stick with it >

Unusual plot, product of a highly imaginative mind!

poorly sketched characters; predictable plot

Tons of things to discuss, fast-moving story.

A good book for discussion. The story had good potential but it lost it's quality towards the end.

I will be choosing this as one of our Book Club reads. I read this over the summer and thought it was a great read. I had a hard time of putting it down as it just kept you on the edge through the whole book.

You do have to stick with it. It is hard to explain if one hasn't read it. But I suppose it might be good for discussion because of that. Yes, very imaginative.

The moral questions raised by this novel are worth considering. Patchett does an expert job of maintaining that "heart of darkness" atmosphere throughout the story.

This book was wonderfully written and kept you intrigued the whole way through.

There are a lot of issues that can be discussed in this book. The fine line of ethics and morality is crossed many times. Leaves you pondering about the good or evil of science, research and human interference.

The story is set in the Amazon, which is adventurous in itself. The native people are fascinating, and the doctors/scientists are so varied in personality that it makes for a good discussion about each of their motives for being in the Amazon. The novel gives food for thought about infertility, drugs, and the people who profit from them.

What a book! Most of my friends preferred Bel Canto, but I adored this dark book, a 21 st century version of Heart of Darkness, with women as main characters. Was hooked from pg. 1, but I'll never visit the Amazon after reading this entrallingI book that takes place in the jungles of. Lots of issues to discuss in a book group-- provocative, morally ambiguous (the characters), fascinating.

I didn't get into the book until 200 pages in. I did like it especially the end but I was not "invested" until halfway through. If it wasn't for book club, I may not have finished it.

Fantastic read, one of my favs in quite some time.

This book holds your attention from start to finish. I thought it was a very good read and
very thought provoking.

Very good read! Could have been a little shorter. Too much time spent on getting to the Amazon and then not enough time spent on describing the Amazon and it's environment and the tribes. But awesome topic! Finding a tribe where the women stay furtile til very late in life. Many surprises!!!!

This book is pretty interesting but it's a slow read with a slow start. There is no real climax to the book either so if you're waiting for something spectacular to happen, it wont. It's written beautifully and it's a pretty good book, however it wasn't for my book club I probably wouldn't have finished it.

Characters were likeable but the story was thrown away, in the end. Some parts of the storyline were unconvincing.

I can\\\'t explain why I got sucked in to this story, but it happened. I think at first I thought there was going to be some mysterious climax at the end (which there really wasn\\\'t) but for whatever reason, the author made me feel I was taking the journey along with Marina. I kept wanting to swat bugs and insects; I could almost hear the humming as unknown species in the jungle called out to one another. I thought the author was very descriptive and that the story opened up many topics upon which to \\\"wonder\\\", e.g., the morality of drug testing, the sacrifices made in the name of science, the ethical ability to alter one\\\'s child-bearing years, the paths we choose for ourselves and our careers based on fears, actions of others and a need for acceptance. I actually grew to like the book even more once the cover was closed and I had time to ponder all of the elements of the story. It was not a book I would have chosen for myself to read, but I am VERY glad I read it and was captivated by the story.

A very good read, even if some of the scenes in the book are \\\"Jules Vern\\\" like. It does pull you right in and you are committed to see the adventure through to the end.

This was an excellent read for me. I've read 25+ books this last year and this one was the best so far. I really enjoyed it; the ending left it wide open for a sequel. It would make a really good movie.

This novel is written with beautiful language and gorgeous descriptions. The symbolism in the book offer much to discuss.

Not my favorite Ann Patchett. State of Wonder draws out our morals and ethics and questions is one the person you think you are and how well do we really know others.

Stupid waste of paper. Boring. Piss poor sci fi.

Most of our group enjoyed this read although most members fet neither of the main characters were particularly likeable. It is well written and quite an adventure!

Dr. Anders Eckman is reported dead in the Amazon after being sent there to get a status update from Dr. Swenson, who has been working in the Amazon jungle on a fertility miracle drug. Dr. Eckman's office co-worker Dr. Marina Singh is sent down to the Amazon to find out what she can about his death, and to pick up Dr. Eckman's mission where he left off.

This book was an odd one for me. I didn’t want to put it down, wanting to turn the page and discover what would happen next, and yet I was left feeling a little...melancholy. That’s the best way I can describe it. This was a good story, well-written, but it wasn’t a rip-roaring fun ride. It was emotional and thought-provoking, but a little sad- always a little sad. There were never really any “giddy” moments.

This book is not for someone who insists on an ending all tied up with a neat little bow. It leaves the ending much to your interpretation, and I actually found that I enjoyed the first 3/4 of the book much more than the ending. So the first half of the book I loved, and the last half I just liked. But I liked it enough to want to try Ann Patchett again, as this is my first book written by her.

I'd give this one about 3.5 out of 5 stars.

I liked this book. I thought it was adventurous and also had a sense of mystery.

The book is a bit slow at the very beginning, but 30-40 pages in, you will be hooked! The non-stop action makes it hard to put down, as researcher Marina Singh heads into the Amazonian jungle to find out the truth behind a fellow researcher's supposed death. As Marina unfolds the dangerous secrets of the research team that has been silent and out-of-pocket for years, the suspense and revelations are hard to imagine.

While it took me awhile to get into this novel, it was well worth the time. The main character, Marina, begins as a lukewarm, wishy-washy character, yet she evolves as she must choose between being carried along by the strong characters around her or stepping forward in a direction of her choosing. Patchett does a wonderful job of transporting her readers into the world of medical researchers in the heart of the Amazon rainforest and creating several tribes of indigenous peoples to develop this tale. I thoroughly enjoyed this title and highly recommend it.

I skipped some of the dialogue in this - the good doctor was very wordy and preachy. I still got the gist of the book. Interesting...a little far-fetched. It transported me to the setting and experiences. The ending was a little disconcerting.

What should be the endgame of pharmaceutical research, humanitarianism or profit? This fascinating book takes us on a voyage deep into the heart of darkness (Amazon version) to shed light on this issue.