Rating: 
Summary: Now I remember . . .
Review: I finally broke down and read this book because of all the buzz it generated - after all, "Cold Mountain" generated a lot of buzz, and it was an excellent book. Unfortunately, this book reminded me of why I shy away from books on the best seller lists: They're usually pap. I think I'll go back to avoiding the best seller lists.
Rating: 
Summary: Heaven is in the Eye of the Beholder
Review: "My name was Salmon, like the fish; first name, Susie. I was fourteen when I was murdered on December 6, 1973." So begins Susie's story as she narrates it from her vantage point in heaven and charts the progress of those left behind as they go about the sad task of coping with her brutal murder. It's basically a mystery but it's not the usual whodunnit kind of mystery as we meet her killer early on. Susie's heaven doesn't have angels strumming harps, wispy clouds or St. Peter at the Pearly Gates, however it does have an intake counselor. Susie has her own personal heaven as does everybody else. Susie's heaven looks a lot like her school playground. When Susie had been killed she been in the ninth grade, dreaming of high school. She'd left her thirteen-year-old sister Lindsey behind, along with her four-year-old brother Buckley. She experiences high school as she watches Lindsey grow and she sees Buckley struggle to remember the sister he'd lost. There are plenty of tender moments in this story, tenderly told, however the real story is about how her murder changed the lives of those still living. Susie's mother leaves the family and finds solace with other men, Lindsey refuses to acknowledge the reality of what's happened to keep herself from falling apart and her father becomes obsessed with finding her killer. From my brief description above you might think this would be a difficult book to get through, but it's not. Alice Sebold's brilliant writing holds you captive to her story, making you almost a part of Susie's family as they seek resolution to the horrible tragedy that has affected them all. And I can guarantee you, that if you haven't thought much about an afterlife lately, you will by the time you finish this beautiful story.
Rating: 
Summary: A good read, but not great
Review: The first few chapters were riveting, but the remainder of the book was disappointing. I was looking for closure for the family. When Susie had the opportunity to return to earth and provide that closure, she choose instead to kill her murderer and have sex with her childhood boyfriend. Odd way to end things.
Rating: 
Summary: Page-Turner
Review: Alice Sebold attended Syracuse University in 1981 and University of California Irvine in 1995. She married Glen David Gold in Novermeber 2001. She wrote Lucky published in 1999 and The Lovely Bones in 2002.
The Lovely Bones begins with Susie Salmon in heaven. She was walking home from school through the cornfield on December 6,1973. She is raped and murdered by Mr. Harvey in the cornfield. Mr. Harvey covers his tracks by dumping the body into a sinkhole. When she is leaving earth to go into heaven the last human that she touches is Ruth Connors.
The Salmon family receives news of the disappearance from detective Len Fenerman. Mr. Salmon suspects that Mr. Harvey murdered his daughter. He becomes obsessed with finding clues that link Mr. Harvey to the murde. Lindsey Salmon becomes sheltered from the world, because everyone sees Susie in her. She also doe sthis to be strong fo rthe family. Mrs. Salmon begins to have affair with detective Len Fenerman. After not knowing what to do through the familiy's trouling times she abandons them. Buckely Salmon does not understand the meaning of gone because of his age.
The main characters in The Lovely Bones are Susie Salmon, Mr.Salmon, Lindsey Salmon, and Mr. Harvey. Susie Salmon is the narrator. She is 14 years olf when she is brutally raped and murdered. Mr. Salmon i sher father and believes that he knows who killed her daughter. Lindsey Slamon is Susie's sister and tries to protect her family. She goes into Mr. Harvey's home and steals a picture of where Susie may have been murdered. Mr. Harvey is the murderer and collects objects from the victims for his collection.
The theme of The Lovely Bones is that after death the lives of our loved ones continue. I recommend The Lovely Bones because it is a page-turner. The novel makes you become aware of your surroundings. It also makes how things should be appreciated because you never know when your last breath is. It helped me see how to apprecoate the time that I have with my family because they might be gone the next day. Appreciate the time that I have on earth and live life to its fullest because we never know when we will be gone.
Rating:
Summary: The Lovely Bones
Review: The lovely bones by Alice Sebold was told by a fourteen year old girl from heaven. Susie Salmon was raped and murdered by someone very close to the family. She gets to tell the story explaining how she can see her parents after the big tragedy. Susie salmon was very detailed and overall a great book. Although toward the middle of the book the pace slows down it picks right up an dkeeps you guessing all the way till the end. Its a great book and I would recommend it to everyone. I give this book two thumbs and a toe up! Great indepent reading book.
Rating:
Summary: Grief healed by love.
Review: The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold is told by a fourteen year old girl already in her own heaven. Taken early from earth, Susie Salmon¡¯s life ended before it even began. She watches life going on without her: her family struggling to accept her disappearance, her friends talking about her death, and her killer trying to remain undiscovered. It consists of loss and hope, adjustment and growth, but most of all, grief accepted by love. I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It reached into the depths of my heart as I realized Susie went through hell only to end up in her perfect heaven filled with swing-sets and anything she desired to be surrounded with. Susie¡¯s family reminds me of my own; ready to risk everything to find the one they lost. Determination set in her father¡¯s eyes, he only thought to find the man that killed her little girl. This book cleverly teaches healing through grief filled with humor and love. It captured my full attention as I was transformed into that little girl ripped from life. Her only wish was to be with her family; something I am grateful that I have. Lindsey Salmon locked herself inside her heart when she found out that her big sister couldn¡¯t be found. Her undying love for her sister enabled her to move on and accept the fact that her sister will always be with her. I realized, now even more after reading this book, how much I appreciate my family. The sacrifices they make, though sometimes insignificant, shows how much love they can give. Susie¡¯s family never let her go because she was a part of their love, something that can never be erased. Because this love still existed, Susie was unable to let go of Earth and accept her heaven. She witnessed her family grow apart only to realize their love will force them back together. It becomes a learning experience from heaven to earth.
Rating:
Summary: Lovely story
Review: This is a very enjoyable story although its subject matter is sad. I like the way the author ties everything together, a very nice job writing. The parallel stories work well together and the sad emotions are touched on be not dwelled upon. You recognize the sadness is there but its presentation does not detract from telling the story. Well worth reading.
Rating:
Summary: It's all about the first chapter
Review: The first chapter is so gripping that you have to keep reading. However, the rest of the book falls flat. The Lovely Bones owes much of its success to timing and topicality. When it was first published there were (sadly) a number of similar cases in the news, and I think that inspired more interest in this book. Beyond the first chapter it's fairly dull.
Rating:
Summary: The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold
Review: This book may not be print perfect, there are a few typos and the language structure is sometimes lacking, but I found this book a good read. It begins quite brutally and because the victim is writing from her point of view, 'dead in heaven', the actual rape is quite hard to read through. I found the book a struggle until about the middle, I almost put it down, but I kept on reading and finally finished the book. The ending really gives you something. It's a hard book, not from the point of view of the reading, but the coming to terms! Hope you enjoy this book, I eventually did!
Rating:
Summary: Riveting
Review: The tragedy of death in a family is well-trodden ground. But Sebold's book is so creative and honest in its treatment of horrific events, you're moved to tears even as you find yourself laughing out loud. Sebold writes convincingly about the supernatural, and her talent saves it from being hokey. This is a great book for pleasure reading. It will also make you reflect more deeply on the tenuous threads that hold a family together. All those words you see on the back of books apply here: moving, deep, heartwarming, etc. But don't mistake this book for just another cliche.
| 
