The Lovely Bones
by Alice Sebold
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Book Reviews of The Lovely Bones
Book Review: Oh my holy smokes, this was a good book
Summary: 5 Stars
I never thought a book about rape and murder would turn out to be such an enjoyable read. To be sure, the story, about a 14-year-old girl's rape and murder by the neighborhood sociopath, is very tragic.... I knew it would happen, and in fact, the murder takes place in the very beginning, yet I kept thinking, "No! Do NOT follow that man!"
The rest of the story, in which Susie watches as her family disintegrates and repairs itself, and her friends come to terms with her death, is sad also, but sometimes funny and eventually uplifting. Because she can see and hear all everything that goes on in the characters' lives, as well as read their thoughts, each person in the story becomes someone complex and fascinating to follow.
Through her eyes, her killer's story unfolds with such sensitivity that I felt both repulsion and sympathy, often within the same paragraph.
Though you have to take into account your own beliefs of the afterlife, the story is organic and true-to-life. For the most part, her "hauntings" of the people on earth are felt only in the brush of air or a very strong memory- things we normally feel when a loved one dies. There is only one scene, toward the end, in which the rules of life and death bend and something miraculous happens for the sake of drama. I'm still not sure how I feel about it. I like it for the sake of the story-telling, but it doesn't match the rest of the book, in which most of the action was believable.
But I can forgive this one little misstep by Alice Sebold, because the rest of the story left me so warm. If I had to describe this book in one word, Warm is what it would be. And I defy anyone to read the last four sentences and not be a total mess
Book Review: A work of art
Summary: 5 Stars
Recently I decided it was about time to finish the book I had started so many months ago. I sat down one afternoon and read it all in one splurt. I think that for me, that's the way to do it. I can't do dissection. If you do that and get so wrapped up and the little miniscule things, you can't get the vibe and emotions of the book as well which I think is why I enjoyed the second half of the book A LOT.
You can clicky on the "Made to Last: The Lovely Bones" tag thing in the sidebar if you want to see what I thought of the first twelve or so chapters.
Now to the review-ish part:
I can definitely see why The Lovely Bones has left such a mark on the literary industry/on people everywhere. It's a book that works on so many levels. Alice Sebold is able to take a story of one family's tragic loss and turn it into a book that, no matter your experience, almost everyone will be able to relate to. She does it with eloquence and simplicity. She does it with almost poetic like prose at some points, and stark, brisk words at others. She knows how to manipulate your feelings, create amazingly deep and insightful characters, and most of all, make you feel along with the book.
It's one of the few stories that I've read that has really moved me and made me question the way I see things and the way I judge people. I think it's a book you have to read to believe. My pathetic words aren't going to do it any justice. And I don't think I want to over analyze it any more than I already have for fear of ruining it for myself.
So yeah, this is my crappy review.
Please read this book. It's amazing. It will move you. It will make you see things differently. And you'll love it.
Book Review: An enrichning story about life and the life after death
Summary: 5 Stars
The Lovely Bones is an enlightening tale about a girl name Susie who on a walk home from school became the victim of rape and murder. She watches her family grow up and apart and then later they come to live their lives again.
As far as the book goes, there is no real central plot. Some might say this is a very bad thing, but I ask you: what is plot? How many of us actually read for plot? Are we reading a book for plot or story? The answer my friends is story. And the Lovely Bones has a very enrichning storyline full of characters that will make you angry, and others that will make you smile.
At first the story comes off as pretty blatant. What's it all about? What's the point of Susie watching the family. But as the tale goes on it becomes clearer that this is not a story about finding Susie's murderer, but a story about where the home and the heart is. A story about a grieving family that has to struggle through their own emotions to really become a family. And Susie watches it all. The collapse and reconstruction of her family over the years.
Remarkably written, The Lovely Bones prose float off the page as literacy wonders, and soon become memorable lines in the reader's hearts.
The story is a drama, full of emotion and a little bit of hope. Alice Seabold does add a touch of humor to the story as well. The story begins so horribly but then when you get to the end you realize just how uplifting the book really is.
The Lovely Bones is a wonderful tale that accurately portrays the realities of death and grieving, as well as compassion and togetherness. Now quite in the league of To Kill a Mockingbird, but certainly a joyful read nonetheless.
Book Review: Heatheraine's Reviews: heatheraine.blogspot.com
Summary: 2 Stars
Suzi, the narrator, of the THE LOVELY BONES tells her story from heaven. She tells us how she was lured into an underground cave where she was brutally raped and murdered. This is not a "who dun it" book. She shows us from the start. This book is a gripping piece about grief, love, and family with an odd coming-of-age angle. She has trouble letting go. She is in heaven (almost/sort of) but won't let go of the "why" to be able to go fully into heaven.
I don't really appreciate when people make stuff up about heaven. Not that I have strong views about what it will be like, I just avoid filling my head with ideas, I don't think it will be anything like what anyone thinks. I was annoyed at everything that happened in the "heaven" scenes and noticed I breezed through those parts. Avoidance.
My opinion about the storyline is that it is AWEFUL, only because it is so painful to hear about a child being raped and murdered. It was painful to read this book from beginning to end. Their family is of course torn apart because of the murder of Suzie. Of course her father went crazy looking for his baby, of course her mother avoided the pain and had an affair. It was hard to finish because of all the pain in this novel. But one can say that it did its job. It made an impression. It got to me. I wanted to cry. I wanted to kill the bad guy.
With that in mind I am having a hard time determining the "time value" of this novel. I almost wished I hadn't read it because of all the pain in it. Yet, Alice did her job by getting to me through all that emotion. When I think about the latter, I say 3. But when I think about how much it hurt, I'm settling on a 2: Somewhat not worth the time invested.
Book Review: A great debut book!
Summary: 3 Stars
When I was first offered this book, I read the title and was told it was about a girl who was raped and murdered. Well, there is enough of that to be found in real life, one doesn't have to seek it out in fiction. "No thanks!" I replied and the book went on down the line.
However, with the big Blizzard of 2006 on it's way, I wanted a book to read. So off to the library to borrow a book. I came home with this book.
First off, although the rape and murder of Susie Salmon happens within the first 20 or so pages, it is not overly graphic. Thank-you author! Nor does the book really dwell on this horific crime. It does dwell on the aftermath, which is the death of a 14 year old girl and how it affects her doting dad, loving mother, younger sister, baby brother and a circle of friends, including a young man who was just starting to be brave enough to express his love.
Susie is safe in her heaven as she watches her family cope with her probable death - her body is never found - and watches as the family slowly disintegrates from the emotions and stress that result.
The book is tinged with sadness, as Susie watches her younger sister and friends grow up, and experience what she yearns to experience also, and never will.
And yet, when the family is scraped to the bare bones , the healing begins. Not a goody two shoes, unrealistic conclussion, you will be satisfied with the ending, as the Salmon family and Susie's friend's build a new life on The Lovely Bones.
Mary Bennett
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