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atheneria's review against another edition
1.0
I had to read this book for school, but I was not a fan.
kateabane2003'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
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3.5
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“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:
theteauprising's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
alyssatuininga's review against another edition
4.0
Very nice story, very similar writing style to Amy Tan. Sad but compelling story about a woman and her two first generation Chinese American sisters.
atreegrowsinbooks's review
emotional
sad
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? It's complicated
3.25
Content Warnings
Moderate: Suicide
savannahtrice's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
The beginning of the book was great, the middle was dragging, and the end was great. I wasn't a huge fan of this, but I can't deny that Ng is a talented writer. If she wrote poetry, I would 100% read it.
A couple beautiful lines:
"To us, the deformed man is oddly compelling, the forgotten man is a good story, and a beautiful woman suffers."
"Blood and bones. The oldtimers believed that the blood came from the mother and the bones from the father. Ona was part Leon and part Mah, but neither of them could believe that Ona's unhappiness was all her own."
"...sorrow moves through the heart the way a ship moves through the ocean. Ships are massive, but the ocean has a simple superiority."
"I believe in holding still. I believe that the secrets we hold in our hearts are our anchors, that even the unspoken between us is a measure of our every promise to the living and to the dead. And all our promises, like all our hopes, move us through life with the power of an ocean liner pushing through the sea."
A couple beautiful lines:
"To us, the deformed man is oddly compelling, the forgotten man is a good story, and a beautiful woman suffers."
"Blood and bones. The oldtimers believed that the blood came from the mother and the bones from the father. Ona was part Leon and part Mah, but neither of them could believe that Ona's unhappiness was all her own."
"...sorrow moves through the heart the way a ship moves through the ocean. Ships are massive, but the ocean has a simple superiority."
"I believe in holding still. I believe that the secrets we hold in our hearts are our anchors, that even the unspoken between us is a measure of our every promise to the living and to the dead. And all our promises, like all our hopes, move us through life with the power of an ocean liner pushing through the sea."
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicide