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Title: The Lovely BonesAuthor: Alice Sebold
ISBN/Publisher: 0-316-17072-0/Back Bay Books (part of Hachette Book Group)
Age Group/Genre: Mature Young Adult to Adult/General Fiction
Susie Salmon, a teenage girl, is raped and murdered by a neighbor. And this is how Susie begins her story. She tells us what happened, but the biggest part of the novel is how she watches everyone she knew from Heaven.
Heaven to Susie is a place that looks like the high school she would have attended, with a few exceptions. But it is also a place that can be described as an "in between." She is stuck there until she can let go of what happened on Earth. And so she watches her family and friends and how they move on after Susie's death.
Susie narration from Heaven seemed like a great idea and I really liked it. Her thoughts on this in between place really got me thinking about an afterlife and how your family moves on. But I also kind of got bored in the middle of the book. Following her family for about ten years seemed a little too long for me. But I did get through it.
This is a coming-of-age story that was interesting since the girl growing up was dead. However, we also see her siblings grow up and how they deal with a brutal death of a sister.
My major problem with the story was a sex scene towards the end of the book. I'm not going to get into detail with it because it is sort of a spoiler. But I do think the story could have done without it.
This book was alright...I wish I didn't buy it though. If my opinion counts...you should just borrow it from a friend or check it out at the library.
My Rating:
(I bought this copy from a store called Power Books)
BTW-The book was adapted for a movie and is out January 2010
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I don't think I will read the book but I will watch the movie. I currently have my Earl Grey here, nice and hot and smelling divine.
ReplyDeleteAfter reading your review I'm glad we won this rather than bought it. Haven't read it yet and I'm curious as to how I'll feel about it. Thanks for a great review.
ReplyDeleteHappy New Year!
I've read alot of mixed reviews on this book. Personally I loved it, I read it back when it first came out years ago.
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed the book, until that sex scene at the end, which ruined the entire book for me. And I agree it's more of a book to borrow then to own, at least in my books.
ReplyDeleteAs for the movie, it might be due to the way they advertise them, but it looks to me that it's focused more on a father solving the murder, than a coming of age/looking at what happens to you after you die. So I'm unsure about the movie.
MarceJ...Earl Grey sounds kind of good right now : )
ReplyDeleteAlyssa...I can't wait to hear what you think of this book. It seems as if people have mixed feelings about this one.
Melissa...I wished I loved it, but oh well. I'm still willing to give her other books a try though : /
Jules...I guess a lot of people feel that way about the sex scene. It was just weird and maybe a bit disturbing (or is that just me?).
HAPPY readings everyone!!!