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| Plot Summary of The Lovely Bones |
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"
Little, Brown, Jun 2002, 21.95, 328 pp.
ISBN: 0316666343
Teenager Susie Salmon looks down from her heaven to observe her family suffering from grief over her disappearance. She also sees her killer trying to cover his odious deed. As the next few weeks pass, Susie continues to watch as her parents' marriage seems to disintegrate as neither can cope with not knowing whether she lived; her sister turns into an unfeeling rock to be strong; and her little brother cannot understand what happened to Susie.
Her heaven is a playground, but the swings are perfect. Counselors help Susie and other newcomers cope and she makes new friends. However, heaven cannot give her what she most desires. She wants to be back with her loving family as they seek closure in different ways.
Any reader lucky enough to peruse THE LOVELY BONES will know how fortunate they are to be in on the early stages of what appears to be a super talent. The creative story line is deftly handled so that the audience can follow how various key players, especially the Salmon family insuring Susie, cope or not with their loss. Alice Sebold provides a tremendous character driven tale that though melancholy yet optimist makes reading a heaven on earth.
Harriet Klausner
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Harriet Klausner, Resident Scholar
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"In "The Lovely Bones" we meet 14-year-old Susie Salmon after she has already died. The book then follows her family cope with her death as she watches them from Heaven. Her parents marriage begins to crumble, her sister becomes a rock in order to stay strong, and her little brother tries to understand the finality of death. She is forced to watch her killer evade capture and go free. Through it all the book manages to stay suprisingly upbeat. Susie watches her family grow and move on without her while trying to find her place in their memory. "
Beverly Walters, Resident Scholar
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| Review Analysis of The Lovely Bones |
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Our unique search engine provides a wealth of detail about books by breaking them down into many different literary elements, all of which are searchable (click here).
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Ratings are on a 1-10 scale (Low to High)
Plot
Composition of Book
Descript. of chases or violence - 10%
planning/preparing, gather info, debate puzzles/motives - 20%
Feelings, relationships, character bio/development - 55%
Descript. of society, phenomena (tech), places - 15%
Tone of book
- very upbeat
FANTASY or SCIENCE FICTION?
- part earth & part fantasy world
- fantasy story on current Earth
Inner Struggle
Yes
Plotlet:
- search for identity/new understanding
Is this an adult or child's book?
- Adult or Young Adult Book
Religious overtones?
Yes
Family relations
Yes
Main Character
Identity:
- Female
Age:
- a teen
How sensitive is this character?
- sensitive to others' feelings
Sense of humor
- Strong but gentle sense of humor
Intelligence
- Smarter than most other characters
- Very much smarter than other characters
Physique
- very athletic
Main Adversary
Identity:
- Male
Age:
- 40's-50's
Profession/status:
- killer
Eccentric:
Yes
- obsessed
How much of work is main antagonist actually present in:
- a moderate amount
- an average amount
How sensitive is this character?
- hard edged
Sense of humor
- Cynical sense of humor
Intelligence
- Smarter than most other characters
Physique
- average physique
Setting
Earth setting:
- 20th century
- during "Tolkien" (fairytime) times
Takes place on Earth?
Yes
Style
Person?
- mostly 1st
- mostly 3rd
Accounts of torture and death?
- generic/vague references to death/punishment
Sex in book?
Yes
What kind of sex:
- vague references only
- rape/molest (yeech!)
How much dialogue?
- significantly more dialog than descript
- significantly more descript than dialog
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Note: the views expressed here are only those of the reviewer(s). | |
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