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mrskristineg's review against another edition
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
2.5
parker_beyers's review
4.0
LOL REVISIONIST HISTORY MOMENT
- This is now 4/5 stars because I read supplemental texts regarding the timeline. Now the backward narrative makes so much sense ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh. Anyway, shoutout to Chapter 3 of Lisa Lowe's [b: Immigrant Acts|2781|Immigrant Acts On Asian American Cultural Politics|Lisa Lowe|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1386924277l/2781._SX50_.jpg|6704] for breaking it down. Please check it out. <3
--------------------------------------------
3.5
----
“Remembering the past gives power to the present.”
I'm conflicted as to whether or not to raise the rating of this book to four stars, but as of right now, three and a half feels right.
[b: Bone|12232938|The Lovely Bones|Alice Sebold|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1457810586l/12232938._SY75_.jpg|1145090] is a beautifully sad novel, with moving prose, realistic characters, and a compelling storyline. Each family member is strikingly well-rounded, resulting in various dynamic and engaging interactions between the Leongs. I'm particularly drawn to Leon; his schemes and paper trail of lies lead to poignant commentary on cultural assimilation. What defines a "successful" immigrant? What kind of person does American society deem worthy of integration? Is the truth not enough? Must immigrants suffer through, what the narrator Leila deems, the "humiliation" of exhaustive work to ensure the security of future generations?
Needless to say, my Asian-American literature class is having an exuberant time discussing these topical questions. There's so much to be said, truly.
However, [b: Bone|12232938|The Lovely Bones|Alice Sebold|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1457810586l/12232938._SY75_.jpg|1145090]'s non-linear storytelling is disappointingly frustrating. The narrative's timeline jumps all over the place, constantly switching back and forth between the past and present. While this complements the Leong family's struggle to not allow errors of the past to overwhelm their current lives, the message is partly lost in its flimsy execution. All too often, I had to remind myself which characters are alive or dead, what caused certain events to take place, or where the characters were in their development. These flaws distract from the captivating narrative themes, causing them to constantly be undermined by the confusion from the reader.
There were are few moments of levity. I'm beginning to grow tired of the endless battering rams of sadness present in most contemporary family dramas. Maybe that's just a critique of the genre's conventions as a whole, but these kinds of narratives are starting to run flat for me.
Overall, [b: Bone|12232938|The Lovely Bones|Alice Sebold|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1457810586l/12232938._SY75_.jpg|1145090] is a well-written, consistently fascinating novel that serves as a great leaping-off point for important conversations surrounding immigrant identity and culture. The thematic impacts may be dampened by the confusing timeline, but it's still a valuable read nonetheless.
Anyway, here's the meme:
- This is now 4/5 stars because I read supplemental texts regarding the timeline. Now the backward narrative makes so much sense ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh. Anyway, shoutout to Chapter 3 of Lisa Lowe's [b: Immigrant Acts|2781|Immigrant Acts On Asian American Cultural Politics|Lisa Lowe|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1386924277l/2781._SX50_.jpg|6704] for breaking it down. Please check it out. <3
--------------------------------------------
3.5
----
“Remembering the past gives power to the present.”
I'm conflicted as to whether or not to raise the rating of this book to four stars, but as of right now, three and a half feels right.
[b: Bone|12232938|The Lovely Bones|Alice Sebold|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1457810586l/12232938._SY75_.jpg|1145090] is a beautifully sad novel, with moving prose, realistic characters, and a compelling storyline. Each family member is strikingly well-rounded, resulting in various dynamic and engaging interactions between the Leongs. I'm particularly drawn to Leon; his schemes and paper trail of lies lead to poignant commentary on cultural assimilation. What defines a "successful" immigrant? What kind of person does American society deem worthy of integration? Is the truth not enough? Must immigrants suffer through, what the narrator Leila deems, the "humiliation" of exhaustive work to ensure the security of future generations?
Needless to say, my Asian-American literature class is having an exuberant time discussing these topical questions. There's so much to be said, truly.
However, [b: Bone|12232938|The Lovely Bones|Alice Sebold|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1457810586l/12232938._SY75_.jpg|1145090]'s non-linear storytelling is disappointingly frustrating. The narrative's timeline jumps all over the place, constantly switching back and forth between the past and present. While this complements the Leong family's struggle to not allow errors of the past to overwhelm their current lives, the message is partly lost in its flimsy execution. All too often, I had to remind myself which characters are alive or dead, what caused certain events to take place, or where the characters were in their development. These flaws distract from the captivating narrative themes, causing them to constantly be undermined by the confusion from the reader.
There were are few moments of levity. I'm beginning to grow tired of the endless battering rams of sadness present in most contemporary family dramas. Maybe that's just a critique of the genre's conventions as a whole, but these kinds of narratives are starting to run flat for me.
Overall, [b: Bone|12232938|The Lovely Bones|Alice Sebold|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1457810586l/12232938._SY75_.jpg|1145090] is a well-written, consistently fascinating novel that serves as a great leaping-off point for important conversations surrounding immigrant identity and culture. The thematic impacts may be dampened by the confusing timeline, but it's still a valuable read nonetheless.
Anyway, here's the meme:
ximenaperez's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
3.5
gb50's review against another edition
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
3.25
cdeane61's review against another edition
4.0
I really enjoy books that give me a perspective of daily life from within the boundries of a culture different than mine.
The strenght of the prose is its honesty and clear voice. It is not "flowery" or poetic but still captivated me with its description of life in chinatown, and the cast of characters it focused on.
This is a story centralized on a tragedy, but that does not overshadow the telling.
The strenght of the prose is its honesty and clear voice. It is not "flowery" or poetic but still captivated me with its description of life in chinatown, and the cast of characters it focused on.
This is a story centralized on a tragedy, but that does not overshadow the telling.
fa_biene's review against another edition
2.0
It was ok. Very interesting to read about the Chinese community in San Francisco and how the family Leong deals with the loss of one of their children; Ona.
However, I felt that the characters were too easy and a bit stereotypical. (struggling father, perfect boyfriend, overly-responsible daughter). They aren't developed and I think that this is the main reason why the story left me somewhat cold. Also; the story has a pretty odd chronology, we find out that Ona dies on page one but the reasons and backgrounds are explored later, in retrospective. I feel that this technique can be very nice but that it did not work for this novel, as it was not done well enough.
However, I felt that the characters were too easy and a bit stereotypical. (struggling father, perfect boyfriend, overly-responsible daughter). They aren't developed and I think that this is the main reason why the story left me somewhat cold. Also; the story has a pretty odd chronology, we find out that Ona dies on page one but the reasons and backgrounds are explored later, in retrospective. I feel that this technique can be very nice but that it did not work for this novel, as it was not done well enough.
katmystery's review
3.0
Beautifully constructed but ultimately bleak. This book is about a family suffocating in an unforgiving world they can't escape from. I see why someone could love this book- it's immersive and gets you thinking about it long after you've put it down- but it was too bleak and vaguely plotted for me.
roguepyre's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
inspiring
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
leftleaning's review against another edition
3.75
Bone is a reminder how much grief impacts all of life. The protagonist and her family live in Chinatown SF and are navigating the shames and secrets of their family: the dad a paper son, the mom a cheater, the middle daughter dead. Through grief and grit the family remains loyal to each other even if the pain is inflicted by one another.
Sometimes it's not easy to be around family, and that it's okay to establish boundaries.