Rating: 
Summary: A beautiful novel with an ugly ending
Review: Parts of Alice Sebold's story of murdered 14-year-old Susie Salmon, watching from heaven as her friends and family live out the life she never got to finish, felt so true they took my breath away.The author painted a sad and beautiful picture of Susie's plight. Though Susie is in heaven, where anything she wants is only a wish away, she cannot let go of earth. She feels cheated out of growing up and watches with both love and jealousy as her friends and family experience everything she never will. This portrait of Susie is the truest. The first three-quarters of the novel are so delicately beautiful they practically float. I found myself feeling a deep attachment to this child yanked away from her life in its midst and to her grieving family.
But then the author took a strange, Stephen King-like turn. Sebold started letting Susie and her friends do things that shattered the believability of the world she had, up to that point, so elegantly described. I was so enamored of Susie -- and the world she lived in -- that I felt cheated by this violation of the rules. My eyes stopped gleaming with sad, quiet rapture. Instead, my brow wrinkled as I tried to figure out why the author was trying to destroy the novel I had grown to love. Maybe she was so fond of the characters by the end of the novel that she felt it only fair for everything to work out perfectly, I thought. Maybe she just had no idea how to end her story. Maybe she got very, very tired and didn't care anymore if her book made sense. Until I reached the last fourth of the book, I had sung its praises to everyone who would listen. But suddenly, as the novel disintegrated before my eyes, I felt almost angry. A great injustice was done to Susie. Certainly, we have to see Susie grow up in some way to feel that the novel is complete. But the way the author chose to do it blows the ethereal aura of the novel away like dream fog, and Susie emerges not as an adult, but as a merely fictional creation. Until then, Susie had been real.
Rating: 
Summary: Great Read!
Review: Interesting from the start! Unexpected twists. Not gross but a captivating story that captures the reality of a community, family, and a spirit named Susie as they fit the pieces of their lives together after her mysterious murder.
Rating:
Summary: Literary Brilliance
Review: This book is nothing short of genius. I was amazed at how Sebold's mind works. She is a brilliant and compelling author. Susie Salmon takes us on her journey as she struggles between earth and Inbetween. Her desire to comfort her family in their grief and her yearning to move to her final destination is stirring to read. From the beginning we know who her murderer is and Sebold ALMOST manages to paint a sympathetic portrait of him. Susie's murder is graphic and disturbing, but she relay's her death to us in matter of fact tone. Susie is not consumed with her killer being found although she does cheer when someone stumbles upon a clue. We watch with her as her family members grapple with guilt as they try to move forward. It is only until Susie can let earth go that they will be able to do that.
Rating: 
Summary: phony book
Review: -the premise is a good one-- a book narrated by someone recently passed over -too bad the writer isnt up to the task- this book is contrived and manipulative --- all books manipulate the reader of course-- but brilliant books do it with a certain grace and believablity-- this is a prurient bunch of nonsense- with no real meat to it-- i hated it and couldnt even finish it- dont waste yer time-----
Rating:
Summary: Lovely Bones
Review: I finished this book in one night! That's how good it was. It had an interesting point of view, leading us to wonder HOW and WHEN the mystery will be solved, instead of wondering who did the crime. Susie's emotions to many things are well portrayed and we are able to see others thoughts. This book was one of the best books I have read in a long time. I strongly recomend this book to anyone of any age, oldeer that 12.
Rating: 
Summary: Admit it: it's overhyped
Review: The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold is not a bad book per se, it's just not a good book. The central action revolves around a family trying to heal itself following the murder of one of its daughters. To Sebold's credit, the "heaven" scenes are quite well done (e.g., dogs playing and kids with friends and swingsets) and these, in my opinion, are the most appealing portions of the book. However, this is not enough. The Lovely Bones has the emotional depth of a Judy Blume book, yet somehow has managed to generate enough hype to mask itself in a patina of "serious literature." Hats off to the Publishers, I suppose.
Rating: 
Summary: Very well written, but lacking in certain areas.
Review: This book was written very descriptively. At time though I thought the book was disjointed. There were too many characters expressing their feelings and at times you had to switch gears too fast and move on to the next character. The story of Susie Salmon was very interesting. I felt that towards the end though the book was lacking-almost losing its momentum. I'm glad I read it, but it isn't on my list of favorites!
Rating:
Summary: Astonisingly wonderful
Review: This book took me by surprise. Recommended by a friend, I sat down not expecting to feel such compassion and hate for both people and for life. This book is beautifuly written and at times the harsh reality of the story is hard to handle, but it is so worth the journey it takes you through, I would highly recommend this book to all of my friends and family.
Read the excerpt to get an idea what you're in for, because I find it hard to do this wonderful piece justice.
Rating:
Summary: Original And Thought Provoking
Review: After reading the book description for Lovely Bones, I was afraid it would be depressing, so I put off buying it. But, after reading the customer reviews (some of them positively glowing), I decided to give it a try. The story was sad, but it was also uplifting. As I understand it, the author was raped when she was in college and wrote about that life staggering episode in her memoir, Lucky. Perhaps that is the reason the description of Susie Salmon’s rape and murder was so powerful. After her murder, Susie wanders her version of heaven and keeps watch over those left behind on earth. It is difficult to say more about the tale without giving away the plot. There are parts of the book that drag on a little, but ultimately, it’s the story and the strong characters that pull the reader along. This is an original and thought provoking story. I found myself wondering about loved ones I have lost. Are they watching over me? I sometimes think this is true and it is a comforting thought that Alice Sebold’s story has reinforced.
Rating:
Summary: A Beautiful Book
Review: The Lovely Bones is a beautiful, haunting (literally) book. All the characters are fully realized and believable,including, surprisingly enough, the murderer.
The concept of a murder victim narrating her own story is a little off-putting at first, but soon seems totally natural. Susie is removed and matter-of-fact about her murder, but loves and misses her family and friends, and finds it difficult to let go.
This book is sad and moving and hopeful and, yes, lovely. I do recommend it.
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