Rating: 
Summary: Can't let go
Review: You must IMMEDIATELY go out and buy the book, "The Lovely Bones," by Alice Sebold. It is haunting, powerful, sad but insatiable. At times, I just had to look away and contemplate. There are parts that I had to stop reading to dry my eyes. The book took me to lonely but unavoidable places which in real life, I can't seem to avoid going some days.
Rating: 
Summary: Hmmmm.
Review: Opinions seem to vary on this book - all the way from one star to five. I'm in the middle. The Lovely Bones held my attention long enough for me to finish it. The writing, in places is weak, but then the person telling the story is a 14 year old and the text reads like a 14 year old might speak. I thought the viewpoint (that of a young girl in heaven) of the main character was different and interesting. Descriptions of heaven were not too clear nor appealing, but how many readers know what heaven is really like? I was confused by the mother's reaction to everything, but admired the father. The little brother, Buckley, is likable, the sister, Lindsey, is not. The likability of this book - more than most - seems to depend on the reader's taste.
Rating: 
Summary: a good read
Review: Though not a masterpiece this book was very interesting. It deals with horrible traumas in a touching and gentle way.
Rating:
Summary: An interesting view of heaven
Review: I just finished reading this book five minutes ago. I started it yesterday morning and spent a snowed-in Cleveland weekend reading. It's an intersting concept. Heaven is what you want it to be. That's what I got out of this book. Granted, Ms. Sebold doesn't claim to be an expert on heaven or the afterlife, but she has an interesting perspective on it. Susie is murdered. You know this by reading the first page of the book. Her family falls apart and each family member reacts differently. I've never had this experience, but I'm told that this is what usually happens. The family is ultimately held together by the stalwart, eccentric Grandma Lynn. The Lovely Bones is an exploration of how the fractured family copes after a horrendous loss as much as it is a view on what the afterlife is like. It has made me wonder what MY heaven would be like. I will read this book again and I will recommend it to others. Don't let the other reviewer's opinions sway you. This is a good book, but it's certainly not the best thing I've ever read. Read it and see for yourself. It is definitely worth your time.
Rating: 
Summary: stomach turning
Review: Oprah would've loved this book. You've got your classic female victim: an innocent young girl. You have your tragedy: an ugly rape and murder scene. You have your female triumph: the victim goes to heaven. You've got your weak, evil or helpless males. And then you have a lot of garbage filling the rest of the pages. The family, which wasn't wrapped that tightly to begin with and we, along with our heroine get to watch. Ick. This is a slobbery, sentimental, poorly written triffle. It should have been called As the Stomach Turns.
Rating:
Summary: A Pleasant Read
Review: Having lost a loved one a few years ago, this book gave me such a comfort. With the main character in heaven, looking down on her family, made the book easy to relate to. It makes you think about life after death and the hardships that have to be overcome to be able to move on.
The author does a good job of narrating this story from the, shall we say, angel's point of view. It is detached in a way that allows the reader to feel their own emotion, but attached in such a way that prohibits the reader from having their own feeling. You want to sympathize, celebrate, and rejoice with the characters as their lives progress.
A great Saturday afternoon book!
Rating: 
Summary: A real page churner
Review: After hearing the touching interview on NPR and reading some of the reviews on Amazon.com, I couldn't wait to get my hands on "The Lovely Bones," dubbed as "destined to become a classic" by one back cover pundit. I knew this was going to be a winner. "I was fourteen when I was murdered on December 6, 1973" reads the second sentence, appropriately sending tingly waves of anticipation and good times down my spine. But that's where the excitement seemed to end. The only enduring feeling from then on - from what I could actually stand to read - was nausea. Indeed I was rather irritated that the author could seriously expect us to buy all that hokey business about the all-loving, sweet and innocent but tragically aggrieved Salmon family. It appears that this contrivance of the human spirit appealed to some readers, but I just felt violated somehow. To go on, I found the story line unmoving, the language awkward and uninspired and the characters hollow and utterly unbelievable. I was hoping, PRAYING that I'd find some element of real sincerity in this book, but I was serially disappointed. The magic of "The Lovely Bones" is that it has all the trappings of a classic novel, but a closer read reveals nothing more that snake oil and bunkum. You'd be better spending your money on a tootsie roll.
Rating:
Summary: Disregard The 1-Star Ratings
Review: The book "The Lovely Bones" has to be my absolute favorite novel. This book is such a well-written story, it allows the reader to see from a new perspective -- the dead. My opinion is near professional, an avid reader, a journalist, a student, and an aspiring author. You should take my advice, along with most of the world's advice in going out and buying this book, and of course, reading it!
Rating:
Summary: this was a strange book
Review: I am impressed that this book is so popular. It must be a reflection of the state of being in this country. I gave it to my daughter first who thought it was wierd and skimmed through it. I continued reading hoping that things would tidy up in the end and they never did. It was a stretch for me to believe all the characters and some I just couldn't. I would not recommend it.
Rating:
Summary: Amazing
Review: It's hard for me to find time to read a book. I either just don't have the time or I don't try hard to find the time. With Lovely Bones I made the time. This book to me was haunting, sencere, sweet and just amazing all at the sametime. I am now passing it on to the rest of the lovely ladies in my family. I only wish to see more of Susie in her wonderful Heaven. I just may read it all over again when it comes back to me. No, I will.
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