From a corner in the library

Book Info

Name: The Lovely Bones
Author: Alice Sebold
Date of publication: September 1st, 2006
Synopsis: "The Lovely Bones is the story of a family devastated by a gruesome murder -- a murder recounted by the teenage victim. Upsetting, you say? Remarkably, first-time novelist Alice Sebold takes this difficult material and delivers a compelling and accomplished exploration of a fractured family's need for peace and closure." [Goodreads.com]

Alright, so I have no idea what happened here... but I liked the movie better than the book. Somebody had told me about the book, and then I found the movie on Netflix, so I watched it! The movie has Stanley Tucci,
so of course it is awesome :) but it also was so weird, like the parts where she is in heaven... So I decided to read the book (which luckily was in the library where I work... how convenient). Anyway, I knew the plot, so I was not expecting any shocking new details (which I did get by the way, but which only manage to ruin the story for me!). But somehow the book was both more terrible and more boring than the movie. Let me explain:
-The story is very sad. I mean, this little girl is killed by this creepy old man, who turns out to be a serial killer... can't get any worse, right? Well, surprise, surprise... it can! The movie shows some really bad, horrible things... but the book is way worse and I don't think it makes the story better (OK, I might be biased because I watched the movie first, but it is terrible). For example, in the book they find an elbow... a freaking elbow!! That is sick! And yes, I know it happens in real life, but still.
-Also, the characters in the movie were so nice and supportive, and when the mom left it was not as harsh... in the book however, everybody was a jerk (OK, I know I have said before that movies sugarcoat things, and that books are always better, but I didn't like that in this case. Once again, I might be biased by the fact that I watched the movie first). Examples! The mother was a bitch!! She cheated on her husband with the freaking police officer/detective! *gasp* I mean, wtf?! And then she left because she couldn't handle the situation... Then Ray, he was an asshole! He was so mean in the book and so perfect in the movie!

You sit in a throne of lies!!!!!

And Ruth was a lesbian... I don't know how that contributed with the story, but OK. I mean, she still made out with Ray, so I guess she was bi...or confused :S so, so confused....
-The heaven is also different in both, and I think that the movie one is better. I just don't know how to explain it, but in the book I could read whole paragraphs without taking anything in... I saw the words, I understood the sentences, but they meant nothing. It was boring at times.
-And the sister,  she was different, I liked both versions of her. But on the book you are able to get to know her better! She was sweet and so mature and her relationship with Samuel is perfect! :P

It is very sad, and the fact that the Alice Sebold, the writer was also raped (and there's a memoir about it... Lucky I'm being followed by memoirs :S) makes it even sadder. I wonder how many of her experience helped shape Susie's personality and thoughts. It has a plot that was new for me, I hadn't read anything like that before. Maybe If I Stay is similar, but not really...
I liked Susie's voice in the book, she was honest and scared and so sweet. I kept imagining the actress' voice when I read the book. She was so pretty, too.
Rating: ★★
Favorite character: Susie, I guess...
Favorite secondary character: Lindsey  
Favorite part: I liked the part when Lindsey goes into Mr. Harvey's house to get evidence. She does it for her father and it is so brave (that was a very tense part during the movie!). And at the end it is what causes Mr. Harvey to leave, which is better than him being there and the police doing nothing!  
Favorite quote: “Murderers are not monsters, they're men. And that's the most frightening thing about them.”
Least favorite character: Mr. Harvey. He's despicable... how many girls did he kill?! And for what?! I was happy when he died :P 
Least favorite part: Well, of course all the first chapter is horrible!!! But also when Susie starts discovering in Heaven all of the girls that Mr. Harvey had killed.

Right in the feels...