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iridaceae's review
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, Pedophilia, Sexual assault, Child death, and Rape
greatexpectations77's review
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Okay, why the hell did I think this was a young adult book?? I swear that it was mis-shelved at my library growing up because what was I doing reading this as a pre-teen??? I was just in love with this. It moved me and disgusted me and made me feel for these characters like entire whole people. Emotions are extremely complicated, as is grief. And there are so many beautiful lines in here. What a triumph of a novel about how survival is the most innate human urge. I wish I could speak in beautiful words like Ms. Sebold.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Grief, Child death, and Murder
Moderate: Infidelity, Kidnapping, Rape, Abandonment, and Bullying
Minor: Animal death, Blood, Sexual content, and Stalking
mika_thewriter's review
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
pumpkinmasterug's review
dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Not the best novel I’ve read, but definitely not the worst. It presents grief through a range of perspectives and is definitely dark and uncomfortable at several points. I enjoyed majority of the book, however the possession scene spoiled the tone of it all for me, especially since the argument for Susie sleeping with her crush instead of tracking down her killer is her reclaiming what was taken from her during her murder, but after she hopes her father dies to be in heaven with her TWICE she let’s her family suffer in grief when she could’ve caught her killer or unveiled the location of her body and helped them. Of course that would’ve been very cliche so I understand why Seabold avoided this, but it just made Susie come across very selfish and quite unlikeable. It’s a bit corny in some places and I don’t think the writing style will suit everyone, and some of the characters are so flat and predictable they read more like AI trying to blend in than actual human beings, but I honestly didn’t mind that too much in this case. Overall though, it’s a good read with a hopeful message and I did enjoy it for the most part.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Child death, Confinement, Kidnapping, Body horror, Gore, Murder, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual violence, Death, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual assault, and Violence
Moderate: Infidelity, Abandonment, and Cursing
Minor: Alcoholism, Animal death, Mental illness, Alcohol, Body shaming, and Death of parent
mysimas's review against another edition
dark
hopeful
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
1.5
And I thought that terrible sex scene from Stephen King’s It couldn’t be topped… Haha, how naive! (Of course I’m not referring to Susie’s murder, talking about the other, supposedly positive scene…)
Anywho, this book is overall weirdly obsessed with sex. Also it features a questionable lesbian and Asian representation (the Asians are fetishized, the lesbian sort of enjoys sex with a guy).
The characters are flat like a board, and there’s not really any plot — the murder isn’t being solved, it’s just about the family dealing with the grief in a series of disjointed scenes that generally don’t have much emotional impact, not to mention the rapid and massive time skips in the last third of the book. Also there’s nearly no cool or spooky ghost scenes. So much potential, unrealized.
Would round up to two stars if pressed because there were moments that I liked(the group therapy in heaven, the strong if grim beginning, the positiveness of Lindsey and Sam’s relationship…) and also I do feel kinda good about finishing a book in German. :)
Anywho, this book is overall weirdly obsessed with sex. Also it features a questionable lesbian and Asian representation (the Asians are fetishized, the lesbian sort of enjoys sex with a guy).
The characters are flat like a board, and there’s not really any plot — the murder isn’t being solved, it’s just about the family dealing with the grief in a series of disjointed scenes that generally don’t have much emotional impact, not to mention the rapid and massive time skips in the last third of the book. Also there’s nearly no cool or spooky ghost scenes. So much potential, unrealized.
Would round up to two stars if pressed because there were moments that I liked
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, Rape, Grief, and Child death
eleanor_18's review
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
deshanejt's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.5
The premise was dark, heartbreaking and sweet; The reality was, almost halfway thru the book, the plot seemed lost to me.
Painstakingly, you watch the family struggle to accept their grief while a community never stops moving forward.
I guess the message the author wanted to leave us with would be life goes on. Remembering those you've lost along the way doesn't have to be painful... Lastly, it's a stark reminder, that justice isn't always served, but monsters still meet their end.
Painstakingly, you watch the family struggle to accept their grief while a community never stops moving forward.
I guess the message the author wanted to leave us with would be life goes on. Remembering those you've lost along the way doesn't have to be painful... Lastly, it's a stark reminder, that justice isn't always served, but monsters still meet their end.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcohol, Sexual assault, Child death, Death, Pedophilia, Stalking, Animal death, Gaslighting, Murder, Grief, Rape, Blood, Gore, Kidnapping, Medical content, and Pregnancy
kfar1881's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape and Murder
haley_mil_reads's review
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, Grief, and Rape
lesdialazo's review against another edition
dark
emotional
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
I found myself crying multiple times while reading this book. As a person who lost a friend at 16 years old, it brought up a lot of grief and emotions while reading. I have often thought of "heaven" this way, a place where we can watch our loved one if we want, so it nice to see someone else write a "heaven" like this.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape and Child death