Discussion of The Lovely Bones

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LauraL
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Re: Discussion of The Lovey Bones

Post by LauraL »

I enjoyed some things about this book. I really like that the author did things differently, in terms of the narrator, the ending, character development etc. However I agree with others that the middle of the book was a bit slow and the mother did bother me quite a bit. I like that the family was dysfunctional, finally a typical family and not the cookie cutter family.

DO NOT watch the movie. It's awful!

Laura
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emergirl
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Post by emergirl »

I read this book a couple years ago and the beginning of the book really drew me in. However, as I got farther into the book I felt it started to drag and was a bit too long and drawn out. It took me a lot longer to read than most books it's size. I had heard so much hype over the book I think I just had too high expectations of it. It's still worth reading though but the ending was kind of stupid if you ask me. To me the book was so so. I found myself only finishing it because of the amount of hype I heard around the book not because I was interested.
kismoody
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Post by kismoody »

I started this book a few years ago and it creeped me out, but I liked the character development, the narrator, and the well-developed plot. Movie stunk.
npandit
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Post by npandit »

There are many aspects of this book that are scary and unsettling; such as the fact that the girl has still not found peace after her tragic and violent death. But the story is extremely captivating, and you can't put it down. Recently I saw an interview with Alice Sebould, the author, who used her own experience to inform the book. It was very sad and disturbing; but it certainly explains why things aren't glossed over in the story.

I liked the pacing of the novel, and the way it unfolded. The resolution, in my opinion, would have been more gratifying had there been more revenge taken out on the antagonist--but this just goes to show, doesn't it, that in real life, sometimes people get off free (from judicial punishment, anyway.)
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randomcheerio
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Post by randomcheerio »

This is one of my favorite books of all time. I know others have mentioned that the narrator's murderer was never brought to justice but I always felt that the message of the book was about the victim and her family's healing without such justice. We all know that victims of crime do not get their justice and sometimes all we have is our will to wake up each day, keep moving forward, and finding beauty in life again.
JuliannaSilva
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Post by JuliannaSilva »

This book fell short for me. I had heard such good things about it which contributed to my disappointment. After the initial horrors of the novel, it seemed to drag on and be very dull. I had been expecting a good ending to make up for the lackluster middle section but I found it to be an extraordinary let down that Mr. Harvey was never caught. I would have been happier reading only the first few chapters.
Sveta
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Post by Sveta »

I liked parts of the book but felt it tended to stretch out a lot and some parts felt frustrating to get through.
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ttuso22
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Post by ttuso22 »

This is one of the few stories where I enjoyed the movie more than the book. I don't know why but I just thought the movie captured everything I expected out of it and it might have been because I saw the movie first.
If there’s a book you really want to read but it hasn’t been written yet, then you must write it. ~Toni Morrison
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cyndiha11
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Post by cyndiha11 »

I enjoyed this book as a whole, but felt that it dragged on at times and that, for me, made the story not quite as interesting. I liked the narrating from the girl's point of view!
“I hope you live a life you’re proud of. If you find that you are not, I hope you have the strength to start all over again.” F. Scott Fitzgerald
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RebekaV
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Post by RebekaV »

Lots of people told me the movie is better than the book. I guess I'll give it a go then before reading it.
"What's coming will come and we'll just have to meet it when it does." - J K Rowling
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KiwiKaylee90
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Post by KiwiKaylee90 »

I truly enjoyed reading this book, and watching the movie for that matter. I've recommended and loaned this book to a few people.
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Dando
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Post by Dando »

I read this book years ago and I wish I could remember it in enough detail to write a thorough and thoughtful response to Scott’s questions. However, as a young girl at about 14 years old, it was a very powerful read. If I remember correctly, my favorite character was the protagonist’s father. At my young age I imagined myself in her shoes and felt comforted by the thought of someone adamantly seeking justice for this horrible crime. The perspective from heaven is very interesting and not something I have ever encountered elsewhere. I also think we hear a lot about crimes of this nature, but rarely hear the victim’s voice.
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jkclay1
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Post by jkclay1 »

I read this book while going through very difficult times. It completely freaked me out and made me uncomfortable. Although it was an interesting read, it was very difficult for me to read. The perspective was interesting, but the way it was written wasn't the best I've seen, of course it was from a school girls perspective. I wouldn't read this book again if I got the chance, but I wouldn't mark it on my bad books list. It just wasn't the book for me.
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aaa123
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Post by aaa123 »

The book has a very original idea of it being narrated from someone in heaven. Which is quite interesting. You should definitely read this book to see what you think for yourself.
steinhm
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Post by steinhm »

I read this book for the first time in high school and it really resonated with me. It was so different to anything I'd ever read and it made it unique and interesting. The way in which it was told, almost matter-of-fact, almost freaked me out at that age. However, I reread it recently and it just struck me even more so how grim it really is.

The thing I did like about it though was that it was sad, but not overpoweringly sad, and ultimately I didn't feel heartbroken or torn apart at the end. I thought it struck a good balance between scary and sad but also lighter as well, which is something that's really hard to do.

I would definitely recommend it, but under the pretense it can get quite dark. Just so no one is surprised!
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