Rating: 
Summary: Disturbingly Beautiful!
Review: 'The Lovely Bones' works as an odd yet affecting coming-of-age story. Susie struggles to accept her death while still clinging to the lost world of the living, following her family's dramas over the years. Her family disintegrates in their grief: her father becomes determined to find her killer, her mother withdraws, her little brother Buckley attempts to make sense of the new hole in his family and her younger sister Lindsey moves through the milestone events of her teenage and young adult years with Susie riding spiritual shotgun. Random acts and missed opportunities run throughout the book - Susie recalls her sole kiss with a boy on earth as "like an accident - a beautiful gasoline rainbow".
Sebold has managed to lighten the gruesome, gritty subject matter in an uplifting way with a lively read, which is often very funny at times; bringing tears of joy as well as sadness; and helping the reader to step back a little, (just like fourteen year old Susie in her heaven), as the tragic, traumatic events unfold in front of us. We struggle with Susie as she struggles. We watch with her as she watches those she loves. She has been snatched from earth, cruelly raped and murdered by the seemingly normal neighbour. Her family are torn asunder in their own private ways following her untimely death. We watch with Susie as she watches her first love Ray, wishing she could kiss him again.
The descriptions of the love and friendship between a parent and child are beautifully constructed and painfully moving. It describes the kind of love that is so strong it almost aches. This is a book that will not fail to touch people on so many levels, those dealing with grief, loss and guilt. A book that is all at once harrowing and stunning, keeping you on a knife-edge throughout.
Its beauty lies in its simplicity; a love story tainted by grief but surmounted by humanity with an ethereal presence.
Sebold offers a comforting picture for anyone that has ever lost someone close, where they are at peace and watch over those they have left behind until they are ready to let go.
Although a fictional piece of work, this was story that had to be told. It speaks volumes and will linger hauntingly with you long after the final page is turned. Susie Salmon deserves to emerge as one of literature's true classic characters as her story has tackled the realistic, chilling horrors of child rape and murder and the loss of a child in a world where this occurs on an hourly basis. Her ordeal is told in such a terrifying yet tender way that it will render you speechless in places, reduce you to tears and chill you to the bone. This is one of the most powerful, thought-provoking and disturbingly beautiful books I have ever read.
Rating: 
Summary: lovely bones is a creative and suspenseful novel
Review: Alice Sebold's book entitled "The Lovely Bones" depicts a young girl named Susie Salmon, who was raped and murdered in 1973 by her neighbor on her way home from school. She struggles to watch her family from heaven live their lives without her in it. She observes as her parents grow apart, her sister deals with the downside of being a "dead girl's sister", and watches her first crush grow up without her. The plot was simple and easy to follow, but very different and creative. Instead of forcing the reader to guess throughout the novel who the killer may be, it is revealed almost immediately. This allows us to concentrate more on Susie's story than worry about who it could have been that killed the poor girl. Throughout the book the strong connection between Susie and her father is evident, and his life is consumed with finding the killer of his little girl. The book is suspenseful at times, and does not drag on with unneeded wordiness. It is relatively short in length, which seems to be just long enough to tell the story. It was more of a simple than challenging read and once again easy to follow. Overall, the book was interesting and more creative than the typical suspenseful murder-type novels, and it was quite enjoyable.
Rating:
Summary: Don't Miss It!
Review: This book is really like no other book I've ever read. If you enjoy reading true crime, you might enjoy this novel. If you are a person who doesn't like reading grisly murder details, this book isn't for you. As a writer, I'd also recommend this book to other writers because of its uniqueness. Due to the graphic scenes of Susie's rape and murder, I recommend this book for ages 16 and up. There is also some light swearing here and there. I put this book off for two years because of the hype that surrounded it. I did the same thing with the Harry Potter books and to this day I'm still on the third book because I'm taking my time and enjoying them. If you are like me and haven't read The Lovely Bones because of the buzz, don't wait much longer. The story is sad; but Susie Salmon's story is urgent. Alice Sebold does a wonderful job of telling a heartbreaking story not only of a death but also about a young life that touched many others. The Lovely Bones is a wonderful book! Another book I'd like to recommend is The Losers Club by Richard Perez, a short little personal novel that got under my skin.
Rating: 
Summary: Excellent first 2/3
Review: The first 2/3 of this book made me excited. Finally an author who can write about rape without sounding contrived or unrealistic. The characters and how they deal with the situation are perfect.
The last 1/3 created a fantasy akin to a soap opera and for me, ruined the book.
Rating:
Summary: A thoughtful Novel
Review: When Susie Salmon walked home from school, she didn't know that it would be her last day here on earth alive. Susie was lured into an underground den and brutally raped and murdered.
Alice Sebold's novel, The Lovely Bones is a traumatic, humorous, suspenseful, and touching novel. I love the way she expresses all of the emotions through her characters. It allowed me to be more in touch with them as I was watching. Each sentence flowed so beautifully that I wanted to continue to read and not close the book. I loved how Sebold had Susie narrate her story from heaven! It gave it a whole new feel for me. It was very interesting, and it fit in well with the story.
The Lovely Bones is a novel that will make you cry, laugh, be angry, but also make you appreciate what you have and the nature around you; such as sunshine, life, family, and friends. Sebold narrates this concept beautifully throughout the book! It has a great finish and almost everyone gets what they want.
Rating:
Summary: Great book to read
Review: I throughly enjoyed reading this book. I hardly ever put it down. A great story!
Rating:
Summary: Masterful Fiction that Reads with Reality
Review: Masterfully written, it reads almost like a memoir (except of course it's not and couldn't be given that the narrator is dead). Very similar in writing to My Fractured Life, especially because it reads so much like a true story. A great follow up to Lucky, and a little easier to read.
Rating:
Summary: The Lovely Bones
Review: This novel is very gripping, and it kept me turning the pages for a few chapters. After maybe the sixth chapter, I couldn't take anymore. If you don't care for sadness and horror this book is not for you. The first two chapters,to me, were nauseating.
Rating:
Summary: Great Book!
Review: This is a great book to read. Along with Leah's Way and the Red Tent, this is the best book I've read in five years. A highly original concept, with excellent writing, this book is meant to be a classic. For once, a book with a lot of hype turned out to be worth it.
Rating:
Summary: The Lovely Bones
Review: The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold is the story of a 14 year old girl named Susie Salmon who was raped and murdered by a neighbor and family friend. Throughout this story Susie is watching her family and friends from Heaven. She has to watch her family suffer and deal with her loss while at the same time she is trying to move on so that her family will do the same. This is a very unusual book but very well written and it made me want to read it for hours at a time. The author's creative twists really make this book one of a kind and the ending is delightful. Overall this book is very well-done and I would definitely recommend it to anybody.
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