Author: Alice Sebold
Genre: General Fiction/Supernatural Thriller
Summary
In the winter of 1973, fourteen year old Susie Salmon is brutally murdered. Now she must watch from heaven as her family, friends, and her murderer continue life with out her.
What I Thought Of This Book
The novel is not nearly as creepy as the summary implies. I will warn you that the actual murder scene is rather intense. Once that part is over it is much less disturbing, so no worries this is not a horror novel.
This book is an excellent description of how different people deal with death. You'll find it interesting how all the characters respond to Susie's untimely demise. I also found Alice Sebold's depiction of heaven intriguing.
I enjoyed this book immensely. While the idea behind it is rather dark, there are many light and even funny points. I could see it being a great travel book, since nine times out of ten I found myself reading it while riding in the car.
Facts I Found Interesting
1. The Lovely Bones is partially based on Alice Sebold's personal experience with rape, which she wrote about in a memoir, entitled Lucky.
2. In the back of the book Alice Sebold includes an essay called The Oddity of Suburbia. In the essay, she talks a bit about how complexity of life in the seemly normal suburbs was another inspiration for the novel.
The Movie
Through out the entire book I was hoping someone would make a movie. I was even casting it in my head. Then I looked on the internet and found out that they are making it a film. Oh, Joy! I actually did a little happy dance when I found out. My dad thought I had lost my mind. Ha-ha.
The film is to be released December 11, 2009. Peter Jackson is directing it. Yay! The actors include Susan Sarandon, Rachel Weisz, and Mark Wahlberg. Triple yay! Saoirse Ronan is playing the lead character Susie. I've never seen her in any of her movies, but in her pictures, she looks pretty close to how I imagined Susie.
Update: The Lovely Bones Movie Review
Music To Read By
Favorite Albums
All The Lost Souls by James Blunt was my favorite, though not many songs from this album ended up on my playlist. Not only does the title of the album and the occasional song lyric coincide with the story, this album includes the song 1973, which is the year the novel is set in at the beginning of the book.
My other favorite was The Ultimate Collection by The Who. It just sounds like music that some of the teenage characters would like. I could just see one of the characters, Ruth, loving The Who. I was amused by how all the themes for the CSI shows were on this album, since this novel is a bit of a murder story.
Other great albums for this novel were Turbulent Indigo by Joni Mitchell, Plans by Death Cab For Cutie, and Essential Jefferson Airplane by well obviously Jefferson Airplane.
The Lovely Bones Playlist
This playlist includes a few songs that have been covered by other artists. Most of the time I couldn't decide whether I liked the original or the cover better so I just put both on the playlist for my own sanity.
Songs marked with this (*) symbol could are not on the player below. If you want to make the effort to find them for yourself to have a listen please do.
*Me and A Gun - Vitamin Sting Quartet originally Performed by Tori Amos
(Note: This is a instrumental version of the song from Tori's album Little Earthquakes.)
Fire and Rain - James Taylor
Slipped Away - Avril Lavigne
Moon River - Audrey Hepburn
(Note: Susie's friend in heaven, Holly, states that she got her name from Breakfast At Tiffany's. For you crazy people who have never heard of Breakfast at Tiffany's this song is in the film.)
Summer Skin - Death Cab For Cutie
*Borderline - Joni Mitchell
My Immortal - Evanescence
Frozen - Madonna
Your Heart Is An Empty Room - Death Cab For Cutie
Prodigal - OneRepublic
Stairway to Heaven - Led Zeppelin
Stairway To Heaven - Dolly Parton originally performed by Led Zeppelin
Fragile - Sting
Love Reign O'er Me - The Who
Headlights On Dark Roads - Snow Patrol
Girl Disappearing -Tori Amos
(Note: Reminds me of the character Ruth for some weird reason. I have no idea why.)
Big Time Sensuality - Bjork
Just Like Heaven - The Cure
(Note: I'm so obsessed with this song including many of the covers.)
Just Like Heaven - Charlotte Martin originally performed by The Cure
Embryonic Journey - Jefferson Airplane
Bouncing Off Clouds - Tori Amos
Tears In Heaven - Eric Clapton
In Repair - John Mayor
I'll Take Everything - James Blunt
All Is Full Of Love - Bjork
Shine - Collective Soul
Shine - Dolly Parton originally performed by Collective Soul
See You Later Readers. Keep it Shiny!
Next About Books Blog: The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd
Next About Books Blog: The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd
2 comments:
I'd love to read this book, seems like most people who have read it -loved it to tears.
And I'm deffinately going to see the movie. I'm a huge fan of Mark Wahlberg.
When I first saw that book at the book store it took me a minute to realize that it wasn't one of Kathy Reich's Temperance Brennan Novels. Once I did so, I wasn't interested. I know aweful right?
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