Today we’re starting the next book in The Bestseller Code 100 challenge, The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold for Book Beginnings on Fridays.
Book Beginnings is a fun meme hosted at Rose City Reader blog. To participate, share the first sentence or so of a novel you are reading and your thoughts about it. When you are finished, add your URL to the Book Beginnings page at the link above. Hope to see you there!
Alice Sebold’s The Lovely Bones
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Summary: Fourteen-year-old Susie Salmon watches from heaven as events unfold after her rape and murder.
First Sentence:
My name was Salmon, like the fish: first name, Susie. I was fourteen when I was murdered on December 6, 1973.
Discussion:
What a beginning. That first line reveals so much character in just a few words.
Published in 2002, this is one of the older books on our challenge list. It is Alice Sebolt’s debut novel, although she had already published a memoir, Lucky. In the memoir, she revealed she had been raped as a college freshman, which explains the subject matter.
With the violent events that led to Susie’s death, it would seem like this would be in the thriller/suspense/mystery genres, but that doesn’t appear to be the case. It won a Bram Stoker award, which honors horror novels. The story, however, is also about family and relationships. It seems like this novel defies categorization.
There is a 2009 movie based on Lovely Bones. I wonder how well it follows the book. The movie trailer is here.
What do you think? Have you read this novel?
I read and enjoyed this one a few years ago. I wasn’t sure I would like the POV of the girl who had died, but soon found myself totally engaged.
I also loved the movie. Thanks for sharing…and for visiting my blog.
Glad to hear it. That gave me pause, too.
That is quite a beginning! It definitely pulls you in. I’ve heard raves about this one!
The beginning is interesting. I haven’t read this novel but have heard a lot about it.
I remember liking it, and being completely heart broken by it too.
I have wanted to read this book for a while now. It sounds like one that I will really enjoy and I am glad to hear that it is not so much horror, but a genre all its own. 🙂
That beginning definitely hooked me! Hope you have a great weekend! 🙂
I read this when it first came out and it was pretty intense. And really sad. I honestly had completely forgotten about it until this post and that first line…wow. Thanks so much for reminding me of this.