Reviews tagging 'Adult/minor relationship'

The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold

27 reviews

annadrinksmilk's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful reflective tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes

4.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Child death, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Stalking, and Murder

Moderate: Animal death

Minor: Alcoholism and Alcohol

tamzy6's review against another edition

dark sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

3.5 stars. It's a beautiful story and I really liked the concept of the Inbetween. The story is filled with broken people but they didn't feel like caricatures. Each one of them had distinct and rich personalities. It was really bittersweet seeing them grow up and experience the things that Susie will never be able to do in human form.

UNTIL... The ending.

What the fuck was that about? I really disliked how Sebold just HAD to give Susie that 'perfect' ending in human form, where Susie kind of possessed Ruth's body and then had sex with Ray? I'm all for fantasy and magical realism, we are reading about a ghost's thoughts after all, but romanticising this possession felt vulgar and weird. This could have been a 4 star read but meh, it felt weird after that.

Also, how did this book get published without a copyeditor because I found there were lots of weird phrases and spelling mistakes, e.g. using "reverted" instead of "riveted", and I had to re-read it to make sure I wasn't imagining things. You know, basic writing stuff.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Child death, Infidelity, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Grief, and Murder

emily_hunn's review against another edition

challenging dark slow-paced

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

0.25

For me this book was disappointing. The premise sounded so interesting and unique, beginning a story with a murder made for a strong start and could have led so many different ways. 

However, the book went downhill afterwards. The characters are underdeveloped and there were numerous who I completely forgot about and as I read their name I brushed over the fact that I couldn't remember them (Ruth, Franny just for 2 that spring to mind). 

I have so many questions. Are we sure Samuel was Lindsey's boyfriend and not Hal!? What happened to Len? How did Mrs Salmon leave her family so easily? Then the family accepted her when she swanned back in numerous years later!? 

I skim read the last 40 pages to be through with the book. I wish I could be writing something different! But the conclusion to this review is that there was no conclusion or wrapping up of the book. It was random and laughable.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Rape, and Sexual assault

vincentedward16's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

How are Mr. Harvey died is dumb and ruined the ending.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Pedophilia, Rape, Kidnapping, Grief, and Murder

Moderate: Body horror, Medical content, Kidnapping, and Abandonment

Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Cursing, and Racism

michaelion's review against another edition

dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

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

4.25

The only part I didn't like so much

was her coming back to life to have sex. Like I get it I don't wanna die a virgin either but there's more life to live other than sex!

I loved everything else though. No complaints!

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Gore, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Rape, Grief, Stalking, Murder, and Abandonment

Moderate: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Child abuse, Confinement, Fatphobia, Infidelity, Racism, and Sexual content

Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Suicide, and Dementia

elektra_xo's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

Couldn't put it down!!! Very emotional and dark. Love that it has a 'true crime feel' to it. I could read this over and over 

---

Content Warnings

Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Child death, Death, Gore, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual violence, Violence, Kidnapping, Stalking, and Murder

thevoyevoda's review against another edition

dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

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

3.5

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Pedophilia, Sexual violence, and Violence

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. 

---

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

patydenisse's review against another edition

dark sad medium-paced

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

2.0

You think you’ll love the book, but then you keep reading and ask yourself why is this or that on the book, the it gets sooo bad. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Drug use, Infidelity, Pedophilia, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Grief, Murder, Pregnancy, Lesbophobia, and Sexual harassment

It is not for kids, I would even say teens, there’s explicit sexual content

kryolitee's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional slow-paced

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

2.0

I don’t quite know what to say about this book. It was okay, but I didn’t like the writing style. It had me hooked for the first and the last few chapters but I couldn’t tell you what happened in between. In the middle of this book it kind of started to drag, nothing was really happening and I had to force myself to continue reading. 
Overall I would say that this book wasn’t good but it also wasn’t bad. 2 stars. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Child death, Pedophilia, Rape, Grief, and Murder

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Body horror, Blood, Medical content, Kidnapping, and Stalking