The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold Summary and Reviews
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Book Reviews of The Lovely Bones
Book Review: A Fascinating Premise
Summary: 4 Stars
The opening chapters of this book are so harrowing as to be almost impossible to read at times - what Sebold has shown us through her marvelous descriptive powers is a glimpse of hell as the teenage girl, now in heaven, recalls in unflinching detail the terrible fate that she suffered at the hands of her neighbour, Mr Harvey. The premise for this novel is fascinating - that the murdered girl views the world she so cruelly lost, from the perspective of heaven. This gives the story line an almost unbearable poignancy as we see her family gradually implode under the burden of their grief - and the way her mother declines is especially traumatic. But Susie's intermittet haunting is not always satisfactorily portrayed - and is often confusing - and this tends to detract from the novel's power. I also wished to see more anger from her at what has been done to her - but she seems emotionally unengaged - presumably because in heaven - wherever that may be - there is no such thing as rage or bitterness. Neverthless The Lovely Bones is a very memorable and thought provoking read.Book Review: A Great Read
Summary: 4 Stars
I had no idea really what this book was about when I bought it, except that every one seemed to have read it apart from me. From the first page onwards I was hooked, this is the best book I have read so far this year. A great read. I wouldn't recommend the autobiography book though - a little to depressing. Buy this and enjoy!Book Review: A Murdered Girl Keeps a Loving Eye on Her Family
Summary: 5 Stars
Wow! There are close to 3,000 reviews already. That is heartening to see because this is a book that deserves to be read and Alice Sebold is an amazingly good writer! I loved this book.
This novel is about a young girl who is brutally raped and murdered in a field close to her house. The impact on her family is devastating and her parents end up separating. The grief is unbearable. Her mother leaves and, interestingly, the grandmother (mother's mother) joins the household to help the father care for the other two children, one girl and one boy.
The murdered girl is in a state of limbo. She sees the unbearable grief of her family and is unable to move on to a different place. She watches over them, flickering as a light in their lives that they really can't be sure they are experiencing.
She watches her murderer, too, observing what he is doing and who he is killing next. We get to know him through his victim.
This is an amazing story of grief and love. As a clinical social worker and marriage and family therapist, I have given this book to clients with unresolved grief. It is one of the best books I have ever read about the effects of violence and loss on the family system.
Book Review: A Touching Perspective from the Afterlife
Summary: 5 Stars
"The Lovely Bones" by Alice Sebold, was beyond what I imagined it would be about. As I read the back of the book, its unreal and unique plot already captivated me. After I read the first sentence, I knew this book would be worthwhile. "The Lovely Bones" allowed readers to see a story from an unusual point of view, heaven. Emotion and suspense is introduced right as the first chapter begins and does not cease for a moment. Susie Salmon tells of her story from heaven after she is murdered and how it affects her family. As the days go on after she is dead, her family slowly falls apart. Her father and brother cling together for support while her mom turns to her past life of freedom and her sister starts to grow up fast. Even at its low points of the story, the emotion still thrives. I couldn't believe how fast I had read this book, four days at the most. I usually don't enjoy reading, but as I read this book my social life went on a hold. I caught myself reading in the strangest places and at the strangest times. Whether it was during Foods class or out running around, it seemed I couldn't get "The Lovely Bones" out of my hands. It caught me off guard on how detailed and touching it was and had a hold on me until I reluctantly read the last sentence.Book Review: A beautiful story told from an unusual viewpoint
Summary: 5 Stars
At first this book is very unsettling. Having young children myself the heinous murder of a child-I am not giving anything away here- affected me deeply. The story reaffirms the fragile nature of life and the enormous consequences a loss of life has on family and friends. What started as a tragic tale transformed into one of love and redemption sweetly told by the victim, Susie Salmon. The book was not perfect.There were a couple of sequences near the end that seemed unnecessary or too contrived-I would be giving too much away here to expound. I gave it 5 stars because the book was unusual, thought provoking and it captured my interest from beginning to end. Read it. And love your children.