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una_klavina's review against another edition
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Child abuse, Murder, Rape, and Pedophilia
mika_thewriter's review against another edition
dark
emotional
hopeful
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Murder, Rape, and Child abuse
eleanor_18's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
Honestly, just watch the movie. Although, that’s not entirely true…
The lovely bones starts off with quite a graphic scene in which the main character Susie is raped and murdered, which given the coming-of-age nature of the book feels unnecessarily descriptive.
It then depicts how Susie in heaven and her family on earth deal with the aftermath. This is where the book truly shines. It has beautiful depictions and ideas of heaven. From heaven, Susie recalls her teenage life and Alice Sebold perfectly captures these moments of what it means to grow up but to day-dream like a teenager. Sebold depicts Susie’s family’s struggle to reconcile her death and how each member copes with their grief in their own unique way, whilst struggling to keep the family together. Sebold does this by giving each character their own rich background and story in a way that allows the reader to sympathise with each one. The film also displays this well and is able to capture Sebold’s rich descriptive and emotive tapestry.
However, where the film ends, the book caries on. This is when Sebold loses her essence. The plot starts to become very drawn out with not much happening to keep interest, whilst the characters appear to stop developing and keep recycling the same emotional patterns. Finally, towards the end things begin to get wrapped up, albeit with one very weird sex scene.
Also throughout, despite the running theme that Susie’s killer took everything from her. Sebold continuously makes slightly weird and uncomfortable comments sexualising the pubescent girls in the book. These are purely added to the description and add quite literally nothing to the story. Given, what happened to Susie they seem especially bizarre and uncomfortable.
Therefore, as a book it’s mixed, the first 1/3 is very good but that’s where the book needs to end, just like the film does.
The lovely bones starts off with quite a graphic scene in which the main character Susie is raped and murdered, which given the coming-of-age nature of the book feels unnecessarily descriptive.
It then depicts how Susie in heaven and her family on earth deal with the aftermath. This is where the book truly shines. It has beautiful depictions and ideas of heaven. From heaven, Susie recalls her teenage life and Alice Sebold perfectly captures these moments of what it means to grow up but to day-dream like a teenager. Sebold depicts Susie’s family’s struggle to reconcile her death and how each member copes with their grief in their own unique way, whilst struggling to keep the family together. Sebold does this by giving each character their own rich background and story in a way that allows the reader to sympathise with each one. The film also displays this well and is able to capture Sebold’s rich descriptive and emotive tapestry.
However, where the film ends, the book caries on. This is when Sebold loses her essence. The plot starts to become very drawn out with not much happening to keep interest, whilst the characters appear to stop developing and keep recycling the same emotional patterns. Finally, towards the end things begin to get wrapped up, albeit with one very weird sex scene.
Also throughout, despite the running theme that Susie’s killer took everything from her. Sebold continuously makes slightly weird and uncomfortable comments sexualising the pubescent girls in the book. These are purely added to the description and add quite literally nothing to the story. Given, what happened to Susie they seem especially bizarre and uncomfortable.
Therefore, as a book it’s mixed, the first 1/3 is very good but that’s where the book needs to end, just like the film does.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse and Rape
Moderate: Child death and Murder
girlfawn's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Child abuse, Pedophilia, Death, Murder, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, and Sexual violence
Moderate: Racism
Minor: Grief
alyse_turns_pages's review against another edition
dark
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Grief, Kidnapping, Murder, Child death, and Pedophilia
r_skye's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Torture, Sexual violence, Grief, Death, Pedophilia, and Rape
lovenecy's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
This book did not end well. There was no happy ending; no pretty little bow to tie everything up. I don’t like books that don’t end well.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Animal cruelty, Child abuse, Murder, Sexual assault, and Sexual violence
melodyseestrees's review against another edition
There is an explicit SA scene of the child main character described in more detail than the murder you are warned of in the blurb.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Pedophilia, Sexual assault, Rape, Sexual violence, Violence, and Child abuse
Moderate: Murder
eelizard's review against another edition
challenging
dark
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Violence, Confinement, Death, Sexual violence, Blood, Child abuse, Child death, Gore, Grief, Kidnapping, Pedophilia, Sexual assault, and Stalking
summerbanks's review against another edition
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
This book was so much. There is no proper way to put it into words. I have never read a book that has made me feel this way for the charachters as if they were this real and the events did actually occur. It made me aware of all the people in the real world who have lived through something that terrible. At the same time, though, it proved to me that humans are hopeful creatures that can live through just about anything with the right people. This book covers an incredibly dark subject, and deals with it in a very, real, trying human way. I felt so much sadness and sympathy for Susie and everyone deeply affected by her death. The writing was glorious. It flowed beatuifully and was never clunky. These charachters were so vivid and real. I cried in the worst times and laughed in the best. The dark side of the plot was not shadowed with hate, either. Read this book if you are ready to be plunged into quite a dark place and come out of it with gratitude for life and a slice of the kind of hope that trascends even the most evil of things.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Rape, Child abuse, Sexual assault, Murder, Sexual violence, Pedophilia, and Child death