I just finished reading The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold for
my book club. For the past couple of years I have heard so
many people tell me what a great book it is. Yes, I did enjoy
the book but not as much as I expected. Often when this
happens I wonder if it was because the book was hyped up to the
extreme. I wonder what the other readers in my group
thought. Sadly, the book club does not meet until November
8th. Waiting is hard.
Normally I am not one to point out flaws in books. However,
in this book I was a bit confused by the age of the
characters. Susie, the main character, is 14 when she is
murdered. Her sister, Lindsey, is 13. At first the
author does not say the age of the younger brother,
Buckley. Later you find out he is 4. Wouldn’t that make
Susie 10 years older than Buckley? That is what I
thought. After which I was confused when Susie
reflects on when Utemeyer dies. Susie states
that she was 6 and Lindsey was 5....okay that makes sense...then I
swear she says her mother was pregnant with Buckley.
What? Did I read that wrong?
All in all, it was an interesting book. I read it in a short
amount of time. The author painted a good picture of the
characters; I could visualize them in my mind. I suppose you
could say I just did not like the writing style.
Also, something I mentioned to my book club at our last meeting...I
don't like books where someone is raped, murdered, molested,
etc in the first chapter. I really wish authors could wait
until chapter two. I prefer to ease into a book.
Sometimes I find I actually prefer not to finish a book that has
violence in the first chapter. In my mind the first chapter
is the background information and foreshadowing. Is it
possible that authors do this now to pull in the reader? Is
it that there are so many choices of novels that the author has to
hook you immediately so that you do not pick up another book?
The movie comes out in January. I
can't wait to see what they did with that. Mark Wahlberg
is the dad. Susan Sarandon is the grandma. The
grandma...YES...you heard that correctly. When did she become
old enough to be a grandma?
That is all for now. I need to start reading a
book for another book club. (I love book
clubs!) I am reading The Sparrow by Mary Doria Russell.
Happy Reading!
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
The Lovely Bones
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From the Community…
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Posted by Sat Oct 17, 2009 11:36am PDT
Report AbuseThis book reminded me of my missing and murdered Aunt's story.
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Posted by Sat Oct 17, 2009 11:54am PDT
Report AbuseIt's been a few years since I read the book, but it reminded me how many horrible acts can happen when we are in the false security of our own neighborhoods. Many girls and boys as well as young adults vanish just a few blocks from their homes. The book also shows the stages of grief a family encounters and what it does to that family.The take on Heaven was very interesting as well.
When this book first came out, many young girls ( 12, 13) were eager to read it. I don't know if that is a good thing or not and would be interested in what book club members may think.
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Posted by Sat Oct 17, 2009 3:11pm PDT
Report AbuseI don't know that I agree with young girls reading this book. I think some is a little graphic for children. However, I do think that this book should remind parents to go over safety with their children. Teaching your children street smarts is always a good leason.
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Posted by Tue Oct 20, 2009 1:48pm PDT
Report AbuseYou have to remember that the story was written from the memory of Susie so the time line is going to be messed up just the same way if a real 14yr old was telling the story. I read the book 2years ago and loved it because it was not slow. Unlike you I can not read books that ease into things because my attention span is to short for me to read filler.
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Posted by Wed Oct 21, 2009 3:32am PDT
Report AbuseI READ lOVELY BONES ALSO IT WAS INTRIGUING AND SAD AND JOYUOUS GREAT READ LIKED IT SO MUCH THAT I GAVE TO MY 16 YR OLD NIECE TO READ
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Posted by Wed Oct 21, 2009 11:56am PDT
Report AbuseHi im Tatyanna and im 15 i read the lovely bones 2 weeks ago at my high school and i loved it. i like that it started off intresting and that it is told from her point of view i would have loved it from lidnseys and buckley. Alot of my friends and i like it because it lets us know even you cant trust evrybody in your neighborhood even the absolutely normal ones so we really watch people
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Posted by Thu Oct 22, 2009 8:13am PDT
Report AbuseI've read this book too . my english teacher recommended that . I enjoyed it alot it was as I had expected . ;) sometime when people say too many good things about something our expectation increases that's why you didn't think of it as it was .
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Posted by Thu Oct 22, 2009 12:55pm PDT
Report AbuseI just started reading the lovely bones today. I had heard about it a few years back, but wasn't all that interested then (I reading romance novels and my mind was warped). So far, I'm enjoying the book very much and the violence in the beginning is fine with me since I don't have to wait and worry-it's done-move on. Once I'm finished I guess I could have a different take on the book, but for now, I'm liking that heaven for Susie isn't all choirs, angels, and religion. I should be finished soon as it has become interesting to me already.
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Posted by Fri Oct 23, 2009 4:15am PDT
Report Abusemost touching book i ever read, and never forgot it, and that was 2 years ago. i think they should leave it as a book. not everything has to become a movie.
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Posted by Fri Oct 23, 2009 6:54am PDT
Report AbuseI enjoyed this book it was so interesting. It was better than I thought it would be. I heard they're gonna make it a movie???
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