Reviews tagging 'Physical abuse'

The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold

15 reviews

hue's review against another edition

dark mysterious medium-paced

4.0

Lovely, but so very sad. It was interesting to follow Susie's pov even if she was already dead when the story started. The people around her and her death were intensely interesting, and felt so very real. So human.

Must say that I was boiling over when Mr Harvey got away even after everyone knew it was him who'd killed Susie, and hurt so many more. I wish I could've strangled him, or that someone in the story would've done so. Alas. Sometimes there is no satisfying conclusion, no proper justice.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Animal death, Child death, Chronic illness, Death, Infidelity, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Murder, Pregnancy, Abandonment, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail

agosto111's review against another edition

dark emotional informative inspiring sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

I love this book so much!! WARNING RAPE AND A LOT OF REALLY TRAUMATIZING THINGS. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Child abuse, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual violence, Violence, Blood, and Murder

This is an amazing book but please be careful this book is really triggering and sad so read with caution

nadijya's review against another edition

Toooo slow and the book could've been shorter

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gore, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Violence, Grief, Murder, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail

sarawildoosen's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional inspiring mysterious sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Death, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Violence, Kidnapping, and Grief

serenityxnicole's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

Beautiful book! As an oldest sister, this made me cry twice! The only complaint is I hate the ending, but overall a good read. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Child death, Death, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Blood, Kidnapping, Grief, Stalking, Murder, and Alcohol

tigertheory's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

people being human. loved it. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Death, Infidelity, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Stalking, Murder, and Abandonment

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, and Alcohol

Minor: Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Kidnapping, and Death of parent

sarahsbookss's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

2.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Infidelity, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Grief, Stalking, Murder, Pregnancy, Alcohol, and Sexual harassment

threadbear's review against another edition

Too upsetting to be enjoyable in any way.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Death, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Violence, and Murder

belladonnashrike's review against another edition

reflective sad medium-paced

5.0

this was so heartbreaking. really really good, but heartbreaking. 

I really liked the choice in perspective & I love how it dealt with

susie’s mortal life as well as her journey beyond.

after reading this & seeing the movie - I like both versions but I prefer the book. saorise was absolutely phenomenal in the movie and I loved her as susie

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Child abuse, Child death, Death, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Torture, Violence, Grief, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail

james1star's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful reflective sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

TW: this book mentions rape, murder, grief and loss of a child/sister, mental health among others. 

From the get-go you are bombarded with the brutal and harrowing plot line that The Lovely Bones follows: a 14 year old girl in heaven is watching over her family and friends as they attempt to get to grips with her kidnap, rape, murder and dismemberment of her body by a neighbour. This graphic retelling is told and further alluded to throughout the book but the key themes penetrating the novel is how grief and the impact of Susie’s death has on those who knew her. The book is wholly from Susie’s POV up in heaven as she watched over all these people and how they get along with their lives without her. It is a rather slow-paced and character-focussed account as little happens but instead we try to understand people’s emotions and interactions. These all range from sad, depressing, tense, angry, harrowing, hopeful and many more. Obviously they are saddened by the loss of a daughter/sister/ love interest/acquaintance but we also are able to view this grief through each character’s lens. For example, Lindsey (Susie’s sister) is forced to take on more responsibility and is seen by many characters to be a replacement as such for her dead sister with the idea of having a ‘susie shadow’ which is referenced also in the father’s perspective. I believe this is done exceptionally well. 

Sebold’s writing is very vivid and lifelike I’d say. She portrays very real characters and themes despite the central plot line being a girl in heaven (a contested place - if you can even call it that) and having some supernatural elements. I personally didn’t like this certain part in chapter 22 as was quite unexpected and unnecessary. However, I must admit the revelations Susie gains is a prominent message left to the reader. On this note of what we take from the book: before reading I was hoping to have a more ‘live in the moment’ attitude pronounced and to live every day to the fullest as we don’t know what will happen, but instead it didn’t give me this. I can’t quite articulate the impact of this book I guess it’s more a telling of the nuanced feelings and emotions that grief and loss of a loved one has on us. And for this, Sebold presents a hard to read account that eventually leads to a redemptive type of love. I really liked this part of the Daily Mail’s review that the authors “words are strung together like the most delicate of charm bracelets” which - if you read the book - are a returning message. 

This was certainly a difficult book to read, wholly due to the content and graphic accounts of her murder and others committed by this man. But all in all it was written well, flawed but relatively loveable characters who do develop over time and a raw telling of the impact of grief. From not believing and hope she’ll come back through to acceptance and having to move on in a world without someone you love being there anymore. And likewise, from Susie’s viewpoint of letting your loved ones go no matter how much you want to come back to them and experience life again. Well written just with some personal ‘ehh’ moments. A solid 4 stars. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Death, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Violence, Kidnapping, Grief, Stalking, and Murder

Moderate: Alcoholism, Infidelity, Mental illness, and Self harm