The Lovely Bones- My Review

[janiet]

** SPOILERS**

I usually write reviews about books I have enjoyed reading, but I was so dissappointed with this book that I felt compelled to write a review. First of all, those that liked the book have to keep in mind that not everyone is going to buy into the hype and be completely taken by it. It was the movie trailer that sparked my interest in the book. The book started out promising but half way through it was nothing but drivel. I didn't like how she jumped from one character to the next. Susie's mother seemed like a bored housewilfe that decided to change her life by leaving her family for a few years. I can deal with the fact that they never found Susie's body, but having her killer die in such a pathetic way and not bringing him to justice was the most upsetting thing for me. I found it lame and trite and don't reccomend it.

[StephenKingman]

I agree with your review. The book has its good points and is sad in places but my biggest problem with the plot was accepting that Susie would spend years and years watching over her family stuck in a kind of perpetual purgatory, vainly hoping her killer would be brought to justice. A few years of sadness and longing perhaps but surely she would reach a point where she would accept her fate and move into the light, as her surviving family moved on with their lives and scarcely bore her a second though in the end...

<Spoiler> and yes, the death of her killer was very unsatisfying. A two line finale was all that rewarded the reader who, presumably, waited for him to be tried and brought to justice and face Suzies' family.

[victorian.noire]

but people do die in pathetic ways like that....and not every killer is found. and i have to say that hanging around watching my family would be really interesting. it would be no different then watching tv...which millions of americans do for hours a day every day. just because it isnt the greatest novel ever written doesnt make it "drivel"....maybe it was just more "real" then you expected....

[janiet]

Real? I beg to differ. I found absolutely nothing realistic about this novel. I think it was rather sad to have Susie watching her family all the time. I didn't see it as her watching over them more like a yearning to be alive again, as if she wasn't able to let go of what hapened. I personally found that very sad. Good for you if you liked the novel but I didn't and not everyone has to. In fact, different views is why we are able to discuss it.

[victorian.noire]

oh i one hundred percent agree, but with every discussion has to come an opposing view.

and what thirteen year old girl who was murdered wouldnt yearn to be alive again. it is sad, but if that is truly the way heaven is set up i am sure there are plenty of people who do exactly the same thing.

did you at least like the idea of heaven?

[yellowstonegirl]

I'm very interested to read "The Lovely Bones" and see the movie. I would hope though that in real-life those murdered are stuck in purgatory until their killer is brought to justice unless they wanted to be there.

[poomlie]

I read this book in 2003 right at the time that my mother died, upon her recommendation. She thought it was a wonderful book. I was distracted by her imminent death so didn't read it very carefully, in fact I read it quickly to talk to her about it before she died. It was the last book that she read and she was a very prodigious reader. I remember that I thought that the poor little girl seemed to be in a kind of purgatory and I felt sorry for her.

I was surprised that my mom felt that the girl was in a good place and she wanted to be in a similar place when she died, to watch us all. Kind of creepy. My siblings agreed that we hoped she didn't hang around.

I should read this book again from a better perspective.

[DaoJones]

Warning: Spoilers
I read this book because an old girl friend really loved it. I found it kind of mediocre and unsatisfying. Might have liked it better if the murdered girl hadn't "jumped" into another girls body for a short time. That just ruined the story for me. It was already stretching the limits of believability. And I agree with some others here who are not satisifed with the way the killer/rapist met his demise. Over rated and over hyped. Haven't seen the film and probably won't go out of my way to do so.

[victorian.noire]

I just watched the movie for free online and was extremely disappointed in it. Some parts of it were quite lovely visually but not worth the two hours to watch it

[lmmj4]

I read this book a couple of years ago and did not see the movie. The movie usually misses so many things so I probably won't see it. I liked the book because it narrates the book in a completely different way than I usually see. The connection she has with her father I thought was an important part of the book.