The Lovely Bones -- A Book Review

I read this book a few months ago, but did not do a blog book review because I simply didn't feel comfortable recommending this novel. I tend to keep my blog uplifting and I thought that perhaps a negative book review would chip away at my initial purpose of blogging -- to spread a positive outlook on life. However, upon further thought, I, personally, would have liked an honest review of this novel before I picked it up so perhaps you would too. If not, please stop reading now.

The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold is certainly a page-turner, but as a reader, I couldn't get past the initial violent act that sets the stage for the entire novel. That scene has literally haunted me (and not in a thoughtful way) for months. I still think of it and shudder at its atrocity and the detail in which Sebold describes it. Anyone who has suffered violence of any kind or who is especially sensitive to violence (as I am) will probably find this novel to be too graphic.

I prefer novels that deal with sensitive topics delicately and later illustrate how the protagonists overcome said topics. The Lovely Bones is not one of those novels. Instead, Sebold mainly focuses on the negative consequences and no characters seems to be able to move past them. After turning the last page, I felt an emptiness and I would not recommend this novel to someone who reads for pleasure and to escape the heaviness of life. (As I do.) This novel will not provide you the experience you seek. Nor, is it meant to.