Rating: 
Summary: A HUGE disappointment
Review: The Lovely Bones was a huge disappointment and I am embarrassed to have fallen for the pre-release hype that led me to purchase it. The narrative is contrived; I groaned aloud at several passages. For example: "Hers contained a desire beyond sweetness and attention, it fed a longing, beginning to flower green and yellow into a crocuslike lust, the soft petals opening into her awkward adolescence." Enough said.
Rating: 
Summary: A beautiful book.
Review: This may be the best book you'll read this year; perhaps the best book of 2002. Alice Sebold tells a chilling story without histrionics or sensationalism, and her self-discipline makes the story all the more poignant. If you want a first-hand experience with what writing should be, treat yourself to The Lovely Bones.
Rating: 
Summary: Disappointing
Review: I really wanted to like 'The Lovely Bones', but I honestly don't know how this book managed to get the rave reviews that it did. I was very disappointed. The concept is interesting, but hardly groundbreaking: Murdered girl's spirit watches as her family slowly comes to terms with her death, and people hunt for her killer. Hmm - haven't we seen this plot before, in the film 'Ghost'? I also seem to remember reading Narinder Dhami's 'Angel Face' some years back, which dealt with a similar theme. (I thoroughly recommend 'Angel Face', by the way. It's for young adults, but it's an excellent read.) Nevertheless, the opening chapters of 'The Lovely Bones' are promising. The initial portrayal of a family trying to assimilate the news that their daughter has been killed is very believable, as are the efforts on the part of the murderer to disguise his tracks. The actions of the police officers are also believably frustrating, as they come painstakingly close to solving the mystery - only to be misled once again. I also liked the depiction of the small town which formed the backdrop for the 'earth' part of the story. Sebold really demonstrated the way in which an entire town can be rocked by the death of one child. The reports of the murders of the ten-year-old Soham school-girls were still fresh in my mind as I read this book, adding extra poignancy to the text. So, when does it go wrong? Well, for starters, I was never really satisfied by the depiction of heaven. Unfortunately, heaven is a theological construct and to place it in a less-religious context raises awkward questions. Sebold never explains what heaven is for, whom it is for, why the characters do what they do, etc. If this was a comedic novel (as Angel Face is), none of this would matter. However, because the book is serious, the questions really should be addressed properly. Instead, the reader is delivered the childish notion of heaven as being a place which is accessible to almost everyone; a place where wishes come true. It's all right, but the concept itself could have been explored more.
Perhaps more importantly, about halfway through the book the narrative begins to lose its way. The characters become less and less credible. The plot becomes far-fetched to the point of being ridiculous. A great writer can invite their reader to take great leaps of imagination and can make it seem as though nothing is out of the ordinary. Sebold can do this to a certain extent, but details let the writing down.
Would a father, for example, truly encourage his second daughter to break into the house of the man whom he suspects of murdering his first daughter? Would it not go against every paternal instinct in his body? And although I understand that 90% of parents split up after the murder of a child, I cannot believe that Susie's mother would have an affair with the detective assigned to the case. Rather, I cannot believe that the detective would have an affair with Susie's mother. Even small-town officers, I am sure, are trained to cope with the emotions of a distraught parent. It's just not credible. Similarly, the character of Ruth also rings hollow. Another reviewer on here notes that she turns into a Sixth-Sense-style, 'I-See-Dead-People' kind of figure, and I have to say that I agree with this analysis. A lot of work needs to be taken to flesh out that sort of character, and I'm not sure that enough was.
My biggest single problem with the plot, however, was Susie's leap into Ruth's body. First of all, it was a borrowing from numerous other stories including 'Ghost', and even the 'Point Horror' novels. Secondly, there was nothing in the narrative which led up to the event. In other words it was a poorly-executed cliché, seemingly contrived in order to allow Susie to have sex. Which leads me to: Susie's Sex Scene. Now, let's just think about this for a minute.
Susie died in the 1970s at the age of 14. It is now eight years later, but ultimately she hasn't aged. *She is still 14*. By the time she dies she has shared a single kiss with Ray, and her one sexual encounter has been the brutal rape she endured before her murder. This is her first experience back in a human body, and it's also her first time in a woman's body, rather than the girl's body she is used to. Nor is she is expecting the transition from the spiritual to the physical world. On top of all this, the body she enters isn't even her own. Meanwhile, Ray, hanging out with his friend Ruth, suddenly discovers that Ruth is actually his long-dead friend Susie, who's popped down from heaven to say hello. They say hello...and then immediately proceed to have sex, which is perfect and mindblowing; complete with all the adult emotions of a perfectly-balanced, well-adjusted couple. At no point does Ray ask Susie about her murderer, and Susie makes no attempt to reveal the truth about her death. It is here that the novel loses its last shred of credibility. The final chapter redeems the book to a certain extent. Haunting passages draw the novel to a close, and Sebold ties up the loose ends quite nicely. Mr. Harvey is also taken care of, at last! It's such a shame that this novel falls apart so badly in the middle (for this reader, at least). The opening chapters had me hooked, but unfortunately they could not sustain the entire book. Disappointing.
Rating:
Summary: Highly Satisfying
Review: "Lovely Bones" is very poignant story, somewhere between Sebold's "Lucky" and Rikki Lee Travolta's "My Fractured Life." As fiction it creates a vivid alternative reality. Yet the characters stay true to reality and faithful to Sebold's nonfiction writing style. Not a pick me up book, but one of great value.
Rating:
Summary: I almost fell asleep
Review: This book is the very reason I avoid 'popular' novels. I had heard so much good about it, that I rushed out to get it and started reading it on the way home.
I admit, the few few chapters were really good, and I liked the writting style, then it started to get slow, and slower and started to drag on.
I usually finish a book in a few days, and this one took me a month. There was no reason to read it, cause it was boring, and I didn't like the characters.
Not to mention the horrible ending.
Rating:
Summary: Thanks for Giving It Away!
Review: Just a note to all you appreciated book reviewers. Thanks. I like to read to find out whether or not that books have been enjoyed by others, before venturing into a new book. To all of those that know how to write a review thanks. To those of you that told me that Mr. Harvey does not get punished for his crimes ( and other parts of the ending which would be the point of someone wanting to read it) no thanks. After reading the first few pages, I will admit I was captivated. Now, I will skip to another book, and search for some helpful reviews!
Rating:
Summary: Sensational and unique story of suffering and redemption
Review: We all know the general story by now, so rehashing it won't help much. I simply want to comment on the content and the concept.
I found Sebold's narrative clean and refreshing. There were very, very few attempts at flowery language, and she told her story straightforward with bare hints at metaphor. We weren't assaulted with a bevy of "big" words used merely to impress the reader; rather, she spoke to us clearly, much as a fourteen-year-old girl would. How invigorating to see an author - especially a first time author - not try to impress us with their remarkable and extensive vocabulary (or at least their sensational ability at thumbing through a thesaurus).
Regarding the concept: I don't know why in the world it took me so long to read this book. When I saw it in hardcover, and read the very first paragraph, I was inexorably and inexplicably linked to the book. I knew that I had to read it, but chose not to until just now. Who knows why? I've been researching Teen and Young Adult literature for the past year and a half, so perhaps I was afraid to break the rhythm. Whatever it was, I'm glad that I finally picked this up.
I'm unaware of any other book to tell a story from this unique point of view. First time writers are told not to end a first person book or story where the main character dies at the end, so instead Sebold started with her character already dead. That's absolutely brilliant.
I was on a plane while reading the majority of this book, and there were times that I really had to fight to hold back from crying. Sebold's management of the family's immediate reactions, and the reactions as the family managed to struggle through their various degrees of acceptance was beautifully told, especially the plight of the father. He was a tortured, misunderstood (perhaps even by himself) character who brought so much life onto every page he appeared, even though he was in a downward spiral that was part of the reason his wife finally left him and found her way working in a winery.
The idea of a person having their own special heaven was just wonderful. Sebold could easily have written about heaven as most people envision it, but she created something slightly different, believable, and refreshing.
There were a few scenes that I questioned, and had problems with, but they were minor, and to divulge them would be giving away some crucial plot points. Even though there are over two thousand reviews of this marvelous book, I'm sure there are many people that haven't read it yet, so I don't want to ruin anything for them.
Enjoy this rare treat. It's equal is not likely to come around any time soon.
Rating:
Summary: Unique; A major novel
Review: The first time I heard about "The Lovely Bones," someone else I knew was reading it. She described it as very powerful, at times disturbing, but an excellent book. I was interested... for about two seconds. When I finally came across the novel on a shelf at my local bookstore, I remembered how much my friend had enjoyed it. I read the entire book on a plane ride to Hawaii, never pausing. It was great. I can honestly say that I have never read anything like it before. Alice Sebold has created something magical here, something I will be glad to reread every once in a while. So naturally, I am surprised to see that a few people disliked it so much. My only advice would be to read it yourself. Don't let someone else decide for you. I'm pretty sure you won't be disappointed with this one.
Rating:
Summary: AWESOME!!!!!!
Review: This book is very captivating it made me never want to put it down. I started reading it for my english class at school but I found myself reading it every chance I got. The story of the young girls murder made me sad because just think that stuff like that really happens in our world today.One thing I liked about this book is the detail. The books descriptiveness made the book seem to me like a movie instead of an actual book itself.
All in all this book is an awesome read. Im on my second time reading it which tells you how awesome I truly think the book is. I would reccomend anyone to read this book. It made me very emotional and see how cruel the world can be.
Rating: 
Summary: I don't get it!
Review: I really don't understand the popularity of this book. I am about 4/5ths of the way through it and I don't know if I can make myself finish it.
Let me start with everything that I liked about the book. The author is clearly brilliant and literary. I loved her writing style, her way with words, and her command of the English language. Her characterizations were excellent and quite descriptive. And I liked the concept. So why does it feel as though I'm studying for a physics exam while I'm plowing through the end of this book?
Many parts of the book are just plain old boring. The story could easily have been condensed into a much shorter novel. I also find Susie's affect to be really strange and not credible. Some other posters here have described her as being wistful at times or matter-of-fact. To me, she seemed to have no affect at all until more than halfway through the book.
I have just reached certain scenes which seem highly implausible and I am tired of reading the book. I belong to a book club and have been forcing myself for months to read one book after another that I have not liked. A part of me is rebelling against that now and shouting, "Why finish it if you don't have to?"
Well, being the type A personality that I am, I will probably finish it :-) And I do want to know what happens in the end, but this will not be a book that I will recommend to other people to read. That's sad because the author is immensely talented and was brave enough to take on two very serious subjects -- murder and the afterlife. If only she had made her dialogue sharper, added more depth, cut the book by at least 50 --100 pages, I might have really enjoyed this book.
Sigrid Mac
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