My first book review

Lucky by Alice Sebold

Summary: Lucky is the autobiography of Alice Sebold author or Lovely Bones and Almost Moon. The story begins with a very detailed account of the brutal rape and beating Sebold survived during her freshman year in college. The book then chronicles the months and events that followed the attack, from Sebold returning home and feeling alone despite being constantly surrounded by family, her decision to return to the college campus, the day she saw her rapist on the street, and then the trial that ensued. It concludes with a very brief account of her life post trial including a tragedy that befalls her college roommate, her attempt and failure to complete graduate school, a drug addiction, and finally the beginning of her healing process years after her rape.

My Thoughts: First, just let me say that I loved Sebold's Lovely Bones but that I was disappointed in Almost Moon. My feelings on Lucky lay somewhere in between her other two books. It's hard to review this book since it is autobiographical and to say I didn't like it would be like saying I don't like Sebold's life. It was a truly powerful story and she does a good job of conveying her sense of isolation after her attack. I found it useful to read in the sense that I think I have a greater understanding of her other 2 books now and how she developed the characters for each one.


The greatest disappointment I found was in the brief account of her life post trial in which she admits falling into a "lite" drug and alcohol addiction. SPOILER ALERT!!! She was able to survive the rape and the trial that followed without turning to drugs. But when her roommate is raped during their senior year and their friendship dissolved she somehow "fell apart" in my opinion. I was just so disappointed that she had made it so far and then fell off the sober train. I guess I wanted her to make it all the way sober and prove that people can survive horrible events without turning to substance abuse.

Overall, I felt that the story was a little anti climatic and left me disappointed, but I can not pin point the exact cause of my disappointment. I am almost relieved that I have now read all of her books so that I do not have to contemplate taking a chance on reading another one of her novels...because I don't know if I would. If I had to rate the book I'd give it 2 out of 4 stars. It was well written and helped me understand her point of view and how she may have developed characters for her other books.

What's next on the reading list? To the Tower Born  by Robin Maxwell