Wednesday, June 09, 2010

Book Review: THE LOVELY BONES by Alice Sebold

Hands down this is the best non-royalty historical fiction read I have read to date. I was hooked in with in the first few pages to the point where I wanted to sleep with it attached to my hand. I plunged so deeply into “Susie” that I finished it with in two days. Sleep deprived as I was, I found the book had taken a hold of me like nothing ever has before.

It is a tragedy in this world that people hurt children, it is a withdrawn subject to me and one that I choose not to ever touch on in my readings. I do not have a stomach for violence but violence with children involved hits a breaking point for me that I just cannot do. I purposely stayed away from this book because I was scared and I knew that a girl was brutally murdered but when I saw that maidens court had read it I knew it was time. I had to stomach the violence to see what all the fuss was about. I was in a dark mood the day I picked it up and happened to pick the off-handed read to change up the mix, I am glad I did.

As I braced myself for the read I found Susie Salmon, “Salmon like the fish” was in junior high in the early seventies. She was fourteen when her demonic pedophile neighbor Mr Harvey viciously murdered her. The murder happened with in the first few chapters because death was not the end of Susie Salmon. I instantly loved Susie as every woman could relate to being an innocent young girl in that awkward phase of life. She deserved to transcend directly to that place where lost loved ones waited with open arms to greet you. Something was transpiring and Susie found herself in a limbo place where people who could not move forward stayed in their own world, like a waiting room for heaven. Her little brother Buckley said it was the “in-between” part of Earth and heaven.

In the in-between Susie watched, she saw her family struggle with the loss that had no resolution. In my mind I have always felt that to loose a child at any age is a devastating event that many families are never able to recover from. To be just lost is worse because you never get the much needed closure. Susie found she did not have closure in her heaven either and she remained where she was and continued watching the time go by. The family changed the kids were growing up, mom had run off with her grief that was like a crushing weight. Her grandma moved in even if she was disfunctional in the begining, but with in it all they had each other still the core that mattered was intact. What kind of closure could there be for the girl that only her elbow was found? I was not really sure, I do not even think Susie knew what it was until it came in another unexpected form.

5/5+ loved it a exhilarating read that had me burning through pages all the way to the end. This book is reminiscent of my all time favorite movie “What Dreams May Become”, magically beautiful and deeply sinister all at the same time. I do have to state that I think if I had to give this a movie rating it would have to be R because it is violent and it does get into the disgusting details of a child’s rape and murder. With that out of the way I would highly recommend this read for who believes they can handle the grizzly details. This is one of those reads it is necessary to push through the bad to get to the startlingly good experience.

FTC This is my own personal book.
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17 comments:

  1. I still haven't had a chance to read this one yet, but it is on my shelf at home. I'm so glad that you enjoyed it considering it's not your usual reading genre.

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  2. I've known about this book (and the movie) for awhile but I haven't read it for the same reasons as well. Wasn't this based on a true story? I can't remember.

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  3. Jo-Jo, this one is different not just because of the genre but also because of the style in which it is written. I was scared of it but really hooked with in the first few pages. It did make me go from tears to goose bumps quite a few times. I feel too much empathy and I can be really sensitive about it at times. Susie is now a part of my heart I could never let go.

    Almybnenr, I tried my hardest to find out for sure if this book really was based on a true story but I came back empty handed. I could not find anything that even remotely said it was loosely based on a true story. I hope to god it was not a real story but I would like to know for sure or not. I watched the movie and it was good but as usual the book is way way better. One of those movies that is more of a visual masterpiece, it was beautiful.

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  4. Such a beautiful book. I'm not sure if this book was based on a true story but Lucky also by Sebold is based on her own life.

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  5. Linda, I am going to be on the look out now for the Lucky one. Hopefully I can find it at goodwill like I did this one.

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  6. I should probably give it a try, especially since you had the same fears and did anyway. I ask about the true story thing because I thought I heard that when the movie was in promotion, but if there's no evidence, then who knows? But I agree, I hope it's not, that would be horrible. Every case like that is horrible.

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  7. Wonderful review! I am glad you loved the book so much. This really is a fantastic story.

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  8. Almybnenr, that is where I thought I heard it was loosely true too! So true every case like that is horrible. I think I was just in the right mood hen I picked it up, I hae had it on my shelf for months now waiting for the right time.

    Miss Loves to read, fantastic is right when I put on Goodreads I was reading it I think it was the first book I have ever gotten comments on my status of the read, even Christy English commented on it.

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  9. I love this book. I read it when it first came out and have never forgotten it, it has a permanent place on my shelf. I hope to find time to reread it again someday.

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  10. I loved this book. I read it right before the movie came out. It was very well written and very heartbreaking.

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  11. It really was a very good book - it left me with goosebumps as I was reading it. Glad to see I encouraged you to pick it up. The movie wasn't as good as the book. Great review.

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  12. My mom was the one who recommended this book to me years ago and I LOVED it as well. Completely and utterly enthralling!

    I still have yet to see the movie, but I'm adding it to my Netflix queue!

    Great review Liz!

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  13. Brandy, I knew it you HAVE read it! Great read was it not? One of the best how could I possibly ever forget it now, maybe I can forget part of it so I could reread it.

    Michelle, I agree very well written in a dark and whimsical way. I cried many times reading it but I kept going for Susie. I just could not let her go.

    Dolleygurl, I had like the goose flesh goosebumps in a very good way. You were my courage if you could do it so could I. Movie was ....okay a visual stimulating movie but not nearly close to the book.

    Amy, LOL my mom came over to pick up my copy of it today. I told her all about it and she took it hopefully I can get that one back. It was a first edition hardback. I really did not sleep the 2 days it took to read this one, I actually woke up on day two early the read made me wake up. I LOVED it too!

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  14. Liz, I found THE LOVELY BONES to be an amazing, poignant, transcendental read. I couldn't put it down, and wept (openly and copiously) through much of it -- even while I was reading it on the subway in NYC. Even in public, I couldn't blink back my tears. The writing is gorgeous and the story is powerful. I haven't seen the film, but I understand that it doesn't have the courage of its convictions, and much of the painful pleasure I derived from reading the book is from the tone and Sebold's wordsmithing, not the plot -- and those are things you can't get in a film version of a novel.

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  15. Leslie, the film was different which made me tear up when "something" occurred differently from the books version. The book amplified but if I had seen the movie first I do not know if I would have liked it. I whole heartily agree her wordsmithing was alluring on such a heinous act, she takes you through a coplete range of emotion with Susie. I think you would have be a extremely creative person to make such an ugly topic beautiful and a pleasure to read.

    I am so glad to see you Leslie, it has been a while. There is always a warm seat waiting for you here! This was such a good read I am not alone in my love of this read.

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  16. I loved this book from Sebold, unfortunately her other 2 books are not nearly as good. I just reviewed 'Lucky' on my blog even though it has nothing to do with historical fiction (I have to take a break from the genre somtimes).
    Love you blog!

    http://livingandlovingincalifornia.blogspot.com

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  17. Cortney, I have actually heard that her others were not as good but that Lucky was kind of interesting. I know what you mean I had to take a break too. I am going to check your page out now, thanks for visiting.

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