BBW Review: The Lovely Bones

I read and reviewed this book in honor of ALA's Banned Book Week. This book was moved to the faculty section of the John W. McDevitt Middle School library in Waltham, Mass in 2008 because its content was too frightening for middle school students. I actually understand this one because there was murder, rape, some language, and sex in the book, but I still think it's up to a child and/or their parents if they are mature enough to read this powerful and amazing novel. Summary is from Amazon.

Title: The Lovely Bones
Author: Alice Sebold
Publisher: Back Bay Books
Publication Date: April 20, 2004
Pages: 328
My Edition: Paperback
Reading Level: ----
Where I got it: Goodwill for 47 cents!

Summary:

Once in a generation a novel comes along that taps a vein of universal human experience, resonating with readers of all ages. THE LOVELY BONES is such a book — a #1 bestseller celebrated at once for its artistry, for its luminous clarity of emotion, and for its astonishing power to lay claim to the hearts of millions of readers around the world.

"My name was Salmon, like the fish; first name, Susie. I was fourteen when I was murdered on December 6, 1973."

So begins the story of Susie Salmon, who is adjusting to her new home in heaven, a place that is not at all what she expected, even as she is watching life on earth continue without her — her friends trading rumors about her disappearance, her killer trying to cover his tracks, her grief-stricken family unraveling. Out of unspeakable tragedy and loss, THE LOVELY BONES succeeds, miraculously, in building a tale filled with hope, humor, suspense, even joy.

The major motion picture version of THE LOVELY BONES, directed by Peter Jackson and starring Rachel Weisz, Susan Sarandon, Mark Wahlberg, Stanley Tucci, and Saoirse Ronan is scheduled for release on December 11, 2009.

Review (Lots of spoilers about the book, so read at your discretion!):

Wow, this book started off very intensely! I couldn't put it down, but once I got past the aftershock of her murder, the story kind of became a little boring. I really liked it, but it was a little too sad to read about. One things for sure Alice Sebold can really tell a powerful story of a teenage girl who is raped then murdered by a male neighbor. I was surprised that only the first 4 or 5 chapters was about Susie's murder, then the rest was about her "life" in heaven and how her family deals with her death. I really liked Susie's sister, Lindsay. She was a very strong female character, and I love how her life turns out with her childhood crush then husband. Also, it was perfect ending with Mr. Harvey (the murderer, ex-neighbor) dying by an icicle (the perfect murder). It was really interesting how connected Susie was to her school friend Ruth and how Susie actually went into her body and made love to her I guess boyfriend. This book will have me thinking and I won't forget her tragic story. I highly recommend it, and I give it 4 stars only because it was a little boring.

The movie for Lovely Bones is coming out this year, and it looks amazing! Here is the trailer:

Rating:

Catcher in the Rye Review

I read Cather in the Rye for ALA's Banned Book Week. Tomorrow, I will start reading the Lovely Bones for BBW.

Title: Catcher in the Rye
Author: J.D. Salinger
Publisher: Bantam
Publication Date: November 1, 1984
Pages: 214
My Edition: Paperback
Reading Level: ---
Where I got it: This old copy is my mom's and who knows where she got it : )

Description (From Goodreads):
Since his debut in 1951 as The Catcher in the Rye, Holden Caulfield has been synonymous with "cynical adolescent." Holden narrates the story of a couple of days in his sixteen-year-old life, just after he's been expelled from prep school, in a slang that sounds edgy even today and keeps this novel on banned book lists. It begins, "If you really want to hear about it, the first thing you'll probably want to know is where I was born and what my lousy childhood was like, and how my parents were occupied and all before they had me, and all that David Copperfield kind of crap, but I don't feel like going into it, if you want to know the truth. In the first place, that stuff bores me, and in the second place, my parents would have about two hemorrhages apiece if I told anything pretty personal about them." His constant wry observations about what he encounters, from teachers to phonies (the two of course are not mutually exclusive) capture the essence of the eternal teenage experience of alienation.

Review:

Catcher in the Rye takes place in two days in Holden's confused life. He's expelled from multiple boarding schools and just got expelled again. He is expelled for failing several classes because he just doesn't care anymore. After he is expelled, he doesn't want to go home to face his parents, so he wanders around NYC trying to find things to do. He doesn't like the "phonies" in the world and is very pessimistic. He's also a rich boy who wastes a lot of money trying to entertain himself which results in a prostitute, a fight, argument with a girl, and lost money. In my opinion, I don't understand what was the point of the book. It was pretty decent and not as boring as I thought it would be. Holden's thoughts and dialogue was pretty funny. Every second he swears which is kind of funny but annoying. It took a long time to finish it because it didn't keep me hooked. I recommend and don't recommend reading this. Also, I can see why this book has been banned many times because of the language, alcohol and cigarette usage, and sex talk of teenage boys.

Rating:

Celebrate ALA's Banned Books Week!

ALA's Banned Books Week is from September 26-October 3, 2009. Banned Books Week celebrates the freedom to choose and the freedom to express one’s opinion, even if that opinion might be considered unpopular or unorthodox. The campaign stresses the importance of ensuring the availability of those viewpoints to all who wish to read them. (Isn't the picture really cute!!)

In celebration of Banned Book Week I will be reviewing some of the books that are being banned and challenged in 08-09 in September. I found a list HERE. Right now I'm reading Catcher in the Rye which was challenged in a High School in Montana, so that will be my first banned book review as well as apart of my challenge. Next, I will read Lovely Bones which was moved to the faculty section of a Middle School in Mass. because its content was too frightening for middle school students. Isn't that just ridiculous?! On the list I have read many of the books including: Twilight saga by Stephenie Meyer, The Boy Book by E. Lockart, TTFN by Lauren Myracle, and several others.