ENGELS

The Lovely Bones is a novel about a girl named Suzy who is brutally murdered and watches her family from heaven. Her sister, Lindsay, uncovers the truth and brings justice. The book explores themes of loss, grief, and justice. The author, Alice Sebald, draws from her own experience with sexual violence to tell the story. Both Suzy and Sebald find healing through writing. The book also discusses the discovery of the perpetrator and the impact of trauma. The Lovely Bones has a unique concept and writing style, but pacing issues and limited character development. It offers a message of hope and resilience. The quote at the beginning highlights that murderers are regular people, not monsters. Overall, the book is worth reading. It is recommended to be around 300 pages for stronger impact. Murderers are not monsters, they are men, and that's the most frightening thing about them. Hello everyone and welcome to this episode of Behind the Covers. My name is Jul Hoebeke and today we'll discuss The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebald. Alright, so, The Lovely Bones is all about this girl named Suzy Salm, who is just 14 when she gets brutally murdered by her neighbor, George Harvey. But, get this, even though she is gone, Suzy is still around, watching her family and friends from up in heaven. Her dad, Jack, is all about getting justice for her, while her mom, Abigail, is just torn apart emotionally. And then there is her brother, Buckley, and sister, Lindsay, who are trying to cope with their grief in their own ways. Now, Suzy, she's not just chilling in heaven, no. She is trying to find ways to help her loved ones deal with what happened and also make peace with her own death. But, you know what's wild? It's Lindsay, her sister, who ends up uncovering the truth about what happened to Suzy and faces off with George Harvey, bringing justice for Suzy and her family. Throughout the story, you've got all these heavy themes going on. Loss, grief, the whole search for justice. The Selman family is going through some serious pain after what happened to Suzy. But, even in the darkest moments, there's still this glimmer of hope and healing shining through. It's like a novel showing this balance between innocence and violence. And in the end, there's this feeling like things might just get better. In this next part of the podcast, we are going to compare three things between the author and the main character, as Alice Sebald was inspired by her own tragic experiences. The first topic is sexual violence. Suzy Selman and the Lovely Bones and Alice Sebald have been through some really rough stuff, especially when it comes to sexual violence. Alice Sebald had a really hard time in college. She was attacked and it messed her up pretty bad. It made her feel scared and messed up in the head. She had to see a therapist and write about what happened to try to feel better. But I'll get back to that in a bit. Now, Suzy Selman, she's a character in a book. But man, does she go through some heavy stuff too. She gets killed when she's young. And it really messes with her head as well. She's stuck in this strange place between life and death, trying to move on but struggling to let go of her old life. She's feeling all kinds of emotions, angry, sad, and she's desperate for justice. Her journey to feel better is all about accepting what happened and finding some peace. Both of them really went through a lot, and it seriously affected their mental and emotional well-being. The second thing I want to talk about is the processing of their trauma. So, Alice Sebald, drawing from her own experience of surviving a terrible ordeal, kind of pours her heart out in lovely words. She tells the story of Suzy Selman, which is kind of like her own way of dealing with her past trauma, while showing us all about grief and healing. As she writes, she's sort of figuring out her own feelings, you know. And at the same time, Suzy Selman, the main character, is going through this whole afterlife thing. Watching her family deal with their sadness and trying to find justice. In the end, she sort of finds peace by accepting her death and moving on from her old life. So, yeah, both Alice Sebald and Suzy Selman find a sort of emotional release and healing through lovely poems, but in their own different ways. The last thing I want to compare is the discovery of the perpetrator. Alice Sebald, after being raped during her college years, actively sought justice by looking for the identification of the perpetrator. Her determination and fight for justice profoundly shaped her life following the traumatic incident. This personal experience influenced her a lot as a writer. In The Lovely Boats, Suzy's murderer is ultimately uncovered through a mix of chance discoveries, clues, and the character's personal determination. The quest for justice is driven by the character's emotions and resolve. Alright, now I'm going to give my opinion about The Lovely Boats. This book really grabs your attention right from the start. The whole concept of a young girl narrating her story from beyond the grave is like nothing you've ever seen. It's super interesting and keeps you hooked from page one. And let's talk about Alice Sebald's writing style. It's something else in comparison with other authors. She has this incredible feeling for describing things in such detail that it feels like you're right there in the story, living alongside the characters. But, like with any good story, there are a few dragbacks as well. Sometimes, especially in the middle parts of the book, the pacing slows down a bit. It's like the story takes a break before picking back up again. And if you're not really into the whole supernatural thing, the whole depiction of heaven might throw you off a bit. It's definitely not your typical read in that sense. Also, let's talk about the characters. While the main ones are pretty well fleshed out, some of the side characters could use a bit more depth. You want to feel connected to them, you know, but sometimes it feels like you're only scratching the surface of who they are. Overall, though, The Lovely Boats is definitely worth your time. It's got a unique story that will keep you thinking long after you've finished it. Plus, it's got some powerful messages about dealing with loss and finding healing in unexpected places. So yeah, it's not perfect, but it's a journey worth taking. In this next part, I would like to briefly score this book. The Lovely Boats is a moving story that I would rate a solid 300 pages. It's all about deep themes like loss and grief throughout the perspective of Susie Selman. Despite its sad moments, the book offers a message of hope and resilience that resonates long after you finish reading. The reason I'm suggesting fewer pages than the original is because the character development is sometimes very limited. And the book starts to feel repetitive. That's why I believe 300 pages would be perfect for this story because the message of the book would be more powerful. To end this podcast, I want to explain the quote from the beginning. Murderers are not monsters. They're men. And that's the most frightening thing about them. It highlights that killers are often regular men, not super bad monsters. It reminds us that crimes can be done by people who seem a lot like us, which can make us really afraid and not trust others much. In this book, that man is of course her neighbor, George Harvey. Thanks for tuning into my podcast about The Lovely Boats. I hope you enjoyed it and stay tuned for our next episode for more engaging discussions. Until next time!