Rating:  Summary: A Story of Survival - Incredible. Review: In this thought-provoking, chilling memoir, Alice Sebold recounts the events of her rape and the aftermath of that tragedy. While strong enough to go through with the trial and conviction of her attacker, Sebold's emotional state was deeply affected for many years after. Her memoir follows the events that occurred after her rape and the things she attempted in order to escape her pain.Sebold captures this period in her life with great intensity and literary skill. Not only does the reader become informed of the actual events of the rape and the events following it, but we get a look into Sebold's home life and her personality before the night that would change everything. This story isn't just about a college girl's rape and her survival story. It's a story about her life: her family, her friends, her childhood. Sebold explains how when she was younger all she wanted was to be hugged by her parents, but she would settle for something as simple as a touch because she was offered nothing more (and sometimes not even that luxury). It's about growing up in a dysfunctional family and getting through it. It's about surviving not only bad experiences in life, but surviving and coping with continuing bad situations. A great read - highly recommended to anyone.
Rating:  Summary: A Must Read! Review: A must read for clinical psychologists and students interested in the sexual abuse topic.
Rating:  Summary: A Real Book, A Real Story Review: <br />"Lucky" is one of those books that get under your skin, both emotionally and physically. I was drawn to it, both from the aspect of what the author went through, the ordeal that played again and again in her mind. But, I was also drawn in by the courage of this wonderful author. She gives us her soul in the words of this book. Tells us her life, which could not have been easy, but will in the end lend inspiration to others. <br />I would have to say "Lucky" is as great a book as that of "Nightmares Echo" by Katlyn Stewart or "A Paper Life" by Tatum O'Neil
Rating:  Summary: A Male's Perspective Review: Straight away, let me mention that I also read The Lovely Bones; my opinion of that book was that it was contrived; after the first 60 pages it didn't really work for me. Now this book: Very Impressive! This is a tough story to tell and the author did a great job. The voice is authentic and the details make it real, and I learned alot: i.e. how men accused of rape usually beat the rap. (I didn't know this; thought in fact the opposite was true!) Hang on through the entire book. The beginning is violent and intense -- and you may want to turn away or put it down -- don't! Keep reading. You heart will go out to this young woman, as my heart did. Keep reading, even through the later sections, the trial which, for me, was toughest part because it almost reads like a court transcription. Now the kicker. Right when you think the book is over and you think the protagonist (or the author) is a "winner" -- pow! -- flashforward to the East Village years later. Here you'll see how although she managed to convict her rapist, she hasn't managed to put the entire event behind her. This is not a Hollywood ending. The protagonist/author experiences an aftershock of fear and self-loathing that she is unable to control, that pursues her even into another city, even years later; she can't seem to escape it. This epilogue is what really made me love this book. Life goes on, yes -- but misfortune sometimes takes a huge chunk of our spirit. And yet you must still go on! This book is a tribute to a true survivor, a book about real life; it now has a permanent place in my library. I recommend it strongly for those of you not afraid of entering the darkness, even for a moment; sometimes you need to enter the darkness in order to appreciate the light. I feel as if this book will stay with me a long time -- now that's great art! Along with this memoir, another book I'd like to recommend -- a much lighter, funnier book ('cause we all need to laugh too, my God) -- is The Losers' Club: Complete Restored Edition by Richard Perez. Quite sweet and haunting, too; a comedy with a soul.
Rating:  Summary: A Lucky Pick, A Great Read! Review: After reading Lovely Bones, it seemed nearly impossible to have another moving emotional book such as that by the same author, but after reading Lucky I was truly amazed. Lucky begins with the tragic event of rape that Alice Sebold encounters and continues into her struggle afterwards. The detail that Sebold reaches through this novel allows the reader to get somewhat of an understanding of this traumatic experience and difficult journey she began after rape. After reading this book the perspective on society takes a different outlook because Lucky allows the reader to realize how hard society is on people because of what people have heard. Lucky goes further into detail of events that occur after her rape, even with such a difficult subject. Sebold does an amazing job with expressing her emotions and experiences through her long struggle.
Rating:  Summary: Hard To Put Down Review: Through a devastating rape and the ordeal to follow comes a courageous read from a fantastic author. Alice Seabold, best known for her novel, "Lovely Bones" has served us well with this telling memoir of painful emotions and difficult occurances that led her to the point of coming full circle.
As of late, I have been in bed rest due to a broken knee and have had the pleasure of reading some of the most riveting books I could have only imagined.
"Lucky" is one of thos books as well as Nightmares Echo, A Paper Life and Running With Scissors. Each are courageous reads with powerful healing journeys.
Rating:  Summary: Lucky Review Review: When Alex Sebold was eighteen, enrolled as college freshman at Syracuse University, she was attacked and raped on the last night of school walking home late at night. She was forced onto the ground in a dark tunnel "among the dead leaves and broken beer bottles." She gives descriptive details of the rape and its immediate aftermath inside the dorm, while at the police station, and at home with her parents. After going to the police she was informed that the same place where she had been raped there had been the murder of a different young woman, and was also raped. Alex Sebold considered herself very lucky. Thus as a writer she decided to share her life altering experience. Changing the names of all characters for privacy, this book was non the less very, very moving.
Alice Sebold not only wrote through this book about how she overcame her rape and was able to survive it. She also gave the her audience a certain amount of knowledge of the real world and the dangers that come along with it. It is an amazingly well written book. A memoir is self-centered descripted work. She wrote in a sense for herself, victims who have encountered the same situation or a very similar situation. I have not read her other book, The Lovely Bones, but after reading this very moving book I am curious of what The Lovely Bones could do to move me like this one did.
Rating:  Summary: A Male's Perspective Review: Straight away, let me mention that I also read The Lovely Bones; my opinion of that book was that it was contrived; after the first 60 pages it didn't really work for me.
Now this book: Very Impressive! This is a tough story to tell and the author did a great job. The voice is authentic and the details make it real, and I learned alot: i.e. how men convicted of rape usually beat the rap. (I didn't know this; thought in fact the opposite was true!) Hang on through the entire book. The beginning is violent and intense -- and you may want to turn away or put it down -- don't! Keep reading. You heart will go out to this young woman, as my heart did. Keep reading, even through the later sections, the trial which, for me, was toughest part because it almost reads like a court transcription.
Now the kicker. Right when you think the book is over and you think the protagonist (or the author) is a "winner" -- pow! -- flashforward to the East Village years later. Here you'll see how although she managed to convict her rapist, she hasn't managed to put the entire event behind her. This is not a Hollywood ending. The protagonist/author experiences an aftershock of fear and self-loathing that she is unable to control, that pursues her even into another city, even years later; she can't seem to escape it. This epilogue is what really made me love this book. Life goes on, yes -- but misfortune sometimes takes a huge chunk of our spirit. And yet you must still go on! This book is a tribute to a true survivor, a book about real life; it now has a permanent place in my library. I recommend it strongly for those of you not afraid of entering the darkness, even for a moment; sometimes you need to enter the darkness in order to appreciate the light. I feel as if this book will stay with me a long time -- now that's great art! Along with this memoir, another book I'd like to recommend -- a much lighter, funnier book ('cause we all need to laugh too, my God) -- is The Losers' Club by Richard Perez. Quite sweet and haunting, too; a comedy with a soul.
Rating:  Summary: Astonishing writing Review: "Lucky" is a stunning, grueling account of the rape Sebold experienced as a college freshman. Sebold spares herself and us no detail in describing the rape and its devastating aftermath on her and everyone she knew. It is an incredibly courageous and honest piece of work, and, in my view, vastly superior to the much-lauded "Lovely Bones," which I thought spun out of control in the second half. Sebold is unsparing of herself and her dysfunctional family, but the one area she leaves unexplored is the end of an important friendship with a college classmate who is also raped, probably in retaliation for Sebold's decision to press charges against her attacker. This is a minor issue in a work that is a must-read.
Rating:  Summary: Very lucky Review: Lucky by Alice Sebold is a very good and emotional book. It is about a girl (Alice) who was an 18 when year old college freshman, attending Syracuse University to study poetry. After a party Alice was walking back to her dorm when she was forced off a park path, pulled into a tunnel and then brutally raped. The rape not only changed Alices life, but the rest of her families life and the people she knew as well. After the rape Alice went to the hospital to get checked out and get evidence if she chose to go to trial. It turned out that Alice had been beat up pretty bad and because of that she decided to go to trial and prove that her rapist, Madison, guilty. Going to trial was not only to make Alice feel safer, but to keep Madison from doing it again. After going through two pre-trials Alice finally got to go to the real trial that would determine if Madison was guilty or not. The trial lasted a few days, and on the last day Alice was asked to testify. She was asked many hard and grousome questions about the rape that she did not want to answer. After the long excruciating pain of the trial Madison was found guilty and was sent to prison.
A few months after the trial Alice began to get her life back on track, but then another devistating event happened in her life. Alices best friend, Lila, was raped. After Lilas rape Alice went into a total meltdown mode and was not able to recover from it for many years.
Lucky is an excellent book. The way Alice Sebold wrote about her rape made you feel like you knew exactly what she was feeling. It is a very grousome book and will make you think about what is going on until the late hours of the night. Lucky is a book that really keeps you interested and wanting to read more. I recommend this book to anyone who likes suspense, and doesn't mind a very detailed, grousome book. It is a must read book!
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