The Lovely Bones - Deconstruction

Time waits for no bookclubber, and with our next meeting less than a week away its time to publish the debrief from The Lovely Bones - with or without comments from everyone. Three out of six is not too bad, but I feel sure we will do better with the next review!!

What would you score The Lovely Bones overall?

Vanessa: 4/5

Tanya: 3.5/5

Jen:4/5 - the subject matter was at times too yucky to give it 5/5 but gee it was close!

Which character would you like to hang out with and why?

Vanessa: Grandma Lynn - she's ballsy and loves red lipstick.

Tanya: Grandma Lynn 'cos I reckon she'd be good value and have a more objective perspective on it all. Oh, and Hal Heckler because he's described as being really good looking, rides a motorbike and doesn't appear to have any girlfriends (obviously in this fantasy I am young, hot and single).

Jen: I would love to hang out with Lindsey for a while because she seemed to be such a strong, independent woman. She was sporty and a bit of a go-getter so I think I'd enjoy her company.

General comments:

Vanessa: I have walked past this book at bookstores so many times... it was lovely to discover what lay beneath the cover...would highly recommend this book to anyone who loves a good emotive and explorative read!

Tanya: I did enjoy this book but was hungry for more. The author seemed to skim over some areas and I wanted more depth or reasoning behind certain scenes - like Susie's influence over things on Earth, "the edge of the grave" and the initial suspense around Mr Harvey that just disappeared once he left town. I really enjoyed the description of heaven and the theory behind a person's soul being able to hang around and watch over loved ones if they decided. I liked Lindsey and how she handled grief, but she seemed to come away from it all with the greater ability to move on (besides Grandma Lynn). Overall, the book was a page-turner. I found myself wanting to read more, even though I wasn't fully satisfied. I think this book will translate well into a movie and I cant wait to see it!

Jen: I would never normally pick up a book about a child who is raped and murdered, but this book is written from such a unique perspective, and its written with a delicacy that makes the gruesome scenes bearable. When Lindsey broke into Mr Harvey's house my heart was racing and I could NOT put the book down until I knew what happened - I was right there with her and bloody scared!