Rating: 
Summary: A disturbing yet engrossing story...
Review: When I saw that Alice Sebold had written a novel, I was eager to read it, as I had previously read her heart-wrenching but still triumphant description of her rape as a student at Syracuse University. I knew that she was an excellent writer, and I knew, unfortunately, that she has first-hand experience with the subject she tackles in the Lovely Bones. But I was surprised by the manner in which she successfully told what is, for many reasons, a difficult, painful story.The Lovely Bones is told from the perspective of Susie Salmon, the victim of a horribly brutal rape and murder at the hands of a neighbor. From heaven, Susie watches over her family and sees the havoc that her death has wreaked on those she loves, just as she sees the life that she so desperately misses and that she can't quite let go of. Her family - mother, father, grandmother, brother, sister - all struggle with the tragedy in different ways, a tragedy compounded by the fact that Susie's body - aside from one part - is never found, nor is her murderer captured, although her father quickly realizes who is responsible. After her death, Susie develops a rather strange relationship with a girl - still living - from her school, and gradually the people whose lives Susie touched are brought together in different ways. To give away any more of the plot or details would, I think, unfairly spoil the book. I would add, too, that this is not a novel for the squeamish, and I found myself often equally engrossed and disturbed. For the most part, Alice Sebold avoids traditional plot devices, although admittedly some events do seem rather predictable and too convenient, and creates a unique vision of heaven that suits Susie and those she meets there. The one major exception, one that seems incongruent with the rest of the book even though it all takes place in a realm outside of everyday life, occurs towards the end and seems more like a scene from a well-known Hollywood movie than an organice part of this story. That said, the Lovely Bones is a terrifically well-told book, even, in some ways, uplifting. I could never shake the shawdow of Susie's death, much in the same way that the characters never do, and I think this is a testament to the strength of Alice Sebold's writing. I am heartened that this book has found such a wide audience, as it is in many ways different from typical best-sellers, and I hope that it leads readers to her previous book, Lucky. The Lovely Bones was, for me, the type of book that I was totally absorbed in for the time I read it, and I would recommend it, with the caveats mentioned above, to anyone looking for an interesting, original, and intelligent novel.
Rating: 
Summary: Heaven fizzles...
Review: The opening scene pulled me right in. What could be more horrific than the rape and murder of a child? In beautiful, seamless prose, Sebold broke my resistance to dealing with anything heavenly. The premise had me marvel at the way the author uses the omniscient point of view so skillfully as the dead girl watches her parents, her sister and little brother trying to come to terms with her absence, to her being murdered when no body is found. It kept me going for the first 200 pages. Then my interest dissipated. There is not enough development in terms of action and plot, and the fast read slows down as the novelty wears off and nothing takes its place. At the end, the father's illness is hardly surprising, and the mother's return is not really a return. She makes little attempt to make up to the little boy she left behind. Maybe that is all too realistic: a sibling of a murdered child not only loses a sibling, but in a way, also the parents when a part of them dies in the trauma. The metaphysical morphosis as the dead girl finally loses her virginity with the boy she once kissed is hardly satisfying, since this is not what Susie seemed to have wanted all along from her heaven. The absence of a resolution to the crime robs the novel from the potential drama and the emotional catharsis it should evoke in the reader as the book ends, that tingling feeling of still being there is missing.
Rating: 
Summary: An Awful Disappointment
Review: After reading many reviews of this book -- and most of them were extremely favorable --, I bought it for myself, shortly after it was published. It was an "interesting" idea and good up until near the ending. Why, oh why, did the author feel the need for the "sex with those on earth" portion? It would have been better had the dead girl turn her back on earth and accept the "heaven" she had been dealt. I gave the book to 3 people and they all agreed that the ending was a dismal failure.
Rating:
Summary: This book is pretty amazing...
Review: I have never read a book that does what this book does- it is incredibly sad and incredibly happy at the exact same time. I do agree with many readers though that the first chapters are better than the end, but the idea that this book puts out is compelling and intriguing that it is impossible not to get something out of this book. After I finished this book I felt ,basically, just content. Not that it wasn't amazing, but it leaves you with a feeling that life, though trying at times, is an amazing and thrilling experience, and that we should enjoy it and appreciate it.
Rating: 
Summary: Disappointed
Review: After having read the hipe and saw the placement of the book on the best sellers list I must say I was highly disappointed after having read the book.
Rating:
Summary: Amazing Read
Review: I read a lot and have never read anything like this. It is simply amazing and touching at the same time. I loved Sebold's idea of heaven. It is so simple, slow-moving and something I can hold onto. Sebold also leaves the possibility that heaven is a process and not a final destination. Always loved that thought. I also love how realistic and different the grief process is for every member of the family. Trust me a true original; do not miss this one.
Rating:
Summary: Thoughtful and compelling
Review: This book grabbed me from page one, and I read it straight through. It's a remarkable look at how each of us affects the lives of others. The book had a couple of flaws but none serious. I most enjoyed how the book showed the different ways each person grieves while not passing judgement on the differences. Lovely Bones portrays the peace and heartache of knowing that while we matter in space and time, when we die, others go on without us, albeit with a piece of us in their hearts. I highly recommend this book.
Rating:
Summary: An excellent book, but definitely not for everyone
Review: A random savage act of violence literally eviscerates 14 year old Suzie (last name Salmon, like the fish) from her family, her friends, and her life in our world. When we first meet her in the opening of The Lovely Bones, she is putting herself back together in her afterlife. As she relates her story to us, she watches her family and friends cope with her disappearance and the aftermath in the days, weeks months and years after, she struggles to make sense of what life and death is. This was not easy to read: its not a romance, she's really dead, the afterlife is where she's at (there's no happy ending for Suzie). In fact, Suzie pointedly says more than once that her afterlife is not everyones, that it is HER mind's imaginings of what her Heaven should be, with junctures of several like-minded individuals. It could have been named the 'Lonely Bones', because its themes are of loss, of loneliness, and ultimately, learning to live with yourself- however you are. It shows how separating life and loneliness is to humans (even to the dead), and how raw it can be as over time, even as you become used to it. Alice Sebold has written a piece of fiction that drew me in, wrapped me up in it, and now, I think I'm probably not going to sleep well for a few days. For what its worth, I think its particularly interesting that I enjoyed and really delved into this book, given that I am atheist, do not believe in an afterlife, and ordinarily chuckle at stories involving "ghosts". This is definitely one of the best books I've read in a long time. The prose is literate, the imagery vivid and the characters are well defined. The story's purpose is finally revealed at the end. Some may find it dissatisfying, not understanding its underlying meaning.
Rating:
Summary: Very moving-slow read
Review: I agree with a previous reviewer with the recent abductions in the news that this a relevant and interesting topic. I recently lost a good friend in a sudden accident, and this book made me reflect on that in a heartwarming way. If you have lost anyone close to you it will be easy to relate to. I also agree that it is a slow read in some chapters, but overall I enjoyed the characters and their journey after a life altering incident.
Rating:
Summary: I loved it!
Review: I really enjoyed this book! It is written from the perspective of a murdered 14 year old girl, not an intellectual adult, so what she thinks and dreams about are appropriate for her age. Susie tells her story as a 14 year old might, going back and forth in time, sharing details important to her. The suspense held my interest, yet details weren't so graphic and horrible to cause me to want to put it down. It's refreshing to find an author who is willing to keep gore and bad language to a bare minimum; there are some of us who prefer not to feel disturbed. I was slightly disappointed that details weren't wrapped up more tidily in the end, but it made sense since Susie finally realized she had to sit back and watch earthly life unfold without her.
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