Rating: 
Summary: Don't see what all the fuss is about.
Review: I am always intrigued by novels that have reviews ranging from "this is the best book I've ever read to this is the worst thing ever". I would place this book somewhere firmly in the middle, certainly not the worst I've read, and most assuredly not the best. The premise is certainly fascinating, when we meet our narrator Susie she is talking to us from heaven after her murder. Susie looks down on her family's ordeal after her murder, and follows the life of her killer as well. I did have some problems with the lack of emotion displayed by Susie. I know she's dead and perhaps that's what happens but dead or alive a narrator needs some feeling,and Susie sure didn't have much. Case in point,about the worst thing she can say about her murderer is "that man has no shame". One would expect a slightly more emotional response when discussing one's killer you would think. Like many other reviewers I did give a groan when Susie inhabits the body of her friend for a romp with her old love (yikes!) So overall not a bad book, I think it could have been better but worth a read if the premise interests you.
Rating: 
Summary: Very moving and sad
Review: I read this book in one sitting, I was so hooked. I wept continuously as I read it. The one character who I felt was unsatisfyingly written was the mother - I never felt as if I got to grips with her. Perhaps that is intentional? No matter. This is an important novel and I would urge everyone to read it.
Rating:
Summary: From One Writer to Another -- Bravo!
Review: Alice Sebold's talent shines through in "The Lovely Bones." Susie's voice is powerful. Her version of heaven allows readers to visualize the journey of our souls in the after-life. The various characters in the story are people we can easily identify with. Each family member dealt with the tragedy differently, and the author did an excellent job detailing their emotions. My only gripe has to do with Susie's reunion with Ray. The technique seemed right out of the movie "Ghost," with Susie in the role of Sam (Patrick Swayze).Bill Lee, author ("Chinese Playground")
Rating: 
Summary: Very good story
Review: This is a great story. Totally different from what I usually read. Held my interest until I finished in 1 day. It's an easy read, spellbinding.
Rating:
Summary: Good little book
Review: Overall I found this book to be a very good read. It was well written, entertaining, engaging, and occasionally thought provoking. While at the very beginning it seems as though it is going to be a bit of a murder mystery, having you wonder if the girl's killer will be caught or not, by the time you get to the end of the book you realize that what you got instead is an in depth picture of a family working to heal the worst of wounds. Where this book succeeds the most is in presenting the characters as real people providing a model of how it might be possible to come to terms with an occurrence which is surely every family's worst nightmare. The only area in which this book didn't quite work for me was in the picture of heaven itself, and the elements where events go from realistic to fantastic. Everyone's picture of the after-life is surely different, so the mileage of others may vary. However, I would have preferred this story avoided blurring the line between life and death. I didn't mind that the narrator was speaking from heaven, but the instances where she becomes apparent in the living world struck me as forced and contrived. It doesn't really add much to the story, and I found that it draws into question the ability of a family to heal such devastation without a little ghostly help. All told though, a good story. Worth the time. Uplifting and enheartening. Good for a distraction and a boost.
Rating:
Summary: Heaven and Earth?
Review: I was first drawn to read this book because of a review that appeared in the Minneapolis Star Tribune. The subject matter piqued my curiousity. And the author's handling of the subject matter gripped me and I found myself thinking about the book while I was at work and I couldn't wait 'til I got home so that I could continue reading. I highly recommend it. It is an easy read, but that does not mean that the book is of light material. It is heavy and deals with a lot of emotions and a lot of issues that come up after a tragedy such as this - the rape and murder of a children - and the apparent injustice that so often prevails. Whether one believes in a life hereafter or not, I think this book sets one to thinking....
Rating:
Summary: Great book!
Review: Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold was a terrific book! I can honestly say that it was very different, which made it so good. Besides the first chapter, where Sebold provides a descriptive view of Suzie Salmon's rape and death, the book is mostly a serious book of love, tragedy, escape, hope and future. I was on my toes near the middle of the book. The suspense factor kicked in when Lindsey Salmon breaks in to her sister's suspected killer's house to steal evidence, only to find him returning home early. I recommend this book to anyone who is sick of the same old novels, and need a nice change of pace.
Rating:
Summary: wonderful
Review: I absolutely loved this book. I got it a few days ago, and was almost jumping with the anticipation of reading it. Sebold does an amazing job of making the book very realistic in it's description of rape, murder, and the aftermath, but still manages to stay whimsical in the words of 14-year old Susie, who is in her heaven. I am not religious and do not believe in heaven, but this possibility seems very probable. I wish that it had ended differently, but that's just the fairy-tale part of me -- in real life, things don't always turn out the way we want, as we are told repeatedly in the book. So true.
Rating: 
Summary: Most Disappointing Book I've Ever Read!
Review: This book starts out extremely interesting and leads you to believe she will be able to help her family through the tough times. The story was extremely disappointing and goes on and on without approaching the real subject. I found the ending aggrevating and not worth my time of the entire read. The publicity this book has had is ridiculous and people who actually read this book in it's entirety I believe would feel the same. This is one book I would recommend not believing in all the hype. I bought it before it became so recommended and am still in awe at the push to sell this book.
Rating:
Summary: Very Worthwhile Read
Review: If you are thinking of getting this book, please do! Its very moving and fun to read. It brings up all kinds of emotions, but greatest of all, it confuses you. How can Susie not be terribly sad? How can she sit and watch her killer get away! Not oh so satisfying in the happy ending department...what you want to happen most doesn't. But very good anyways.
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