Rating: 
Summary: Over-hyped
Review: I have just completed this book and it was a major disappointment. I am still trying to understand all the hype for this novel.The beginning of the book holds a lot of promise but any interest in the characters dies about a third of the way through. I had to force myself to finish the last 30 pages. Don't waste your money on this piece of fluff.
Rating: 
Summary: Superb read
Review: I usually choose mystery and courtroom books as my genre. I read a review of the Lovely Bones and decided to give this book a try. It was written beautifully and the story was compelling. The character were extremely well developed and the depiction of the growth of Susie's friends and family over the years was terrific. I have recommended this book to everyone I know.
Rating:
Summary: Creative idea with problematic execution
Review: This book received a lot of pre-publication hype. I was intrigued by the description of the plotline. Upon reading the novel, I am still convinced that the underlying story was extremely creative, but Sebold's storytelling was lackluster and full of opportunities that she allowed to pass her by. Susie (Salmon, like the fish) is brutally raped and murdered by her neighbor, Mr. Harvey in the first chapter. Susie then narrates her tale from heaven, which is portrayed as a bleak, lonely place. The heaven described by Sebold centers around material possessions, but Susie lacks the ability to interact for any extended period of time with her fellow deceased loved ones. Nevertheless, Susie watches in isolation as her family, schoolmates, friends, and murderer react in the period following her murder. Her parents' marriage falls apart, her sister becomes tough and prematurely mature, and a classmate she hardly knew becomes obsessed with her, having felt Susie leave Earth as she ascended to heaven. Meanwhile, Mr. Harvey successfully hides her body and eludes suspicion by everyone except Susie's father. Because Susie is separated from her family by Heaven, her description of events lacks an emotional quality and too often, her narration seems detached and heavy-handed. For the most part, the characters are uncompelling, including Susie herself. Perhaps the most compelling character is Mr. Harvey. The author alludes to his violent, brief childhood but does not follow through. The character of Susie's mother comes off as selfish, cold, and completely unsympathetic. Her affair with a police officer investigating her case is also problematic. The officer's loneliness following his wife's suicide is also referenced but again quickly dropped. What creativity for Ms. Sebold to come up with the idea of the narrator following her family on Earth following her murder. However, this book suffered from the author's self-indulgence and indecision. Initially, the book seems to want to focus on the emotions of Susie's family. Later, it seems to focus on the suspicion of and hunt for Susie's killer. Either way, incredible loose ends are left hanging at the end of the book. I felt unsatisfied with the resolution of Mr. Harvey and with the resolution of Susies' parents' relationship. Like many much-hyped books, this was a disappointment. It was especially disappointing because it could have been so good.
Rating:
Summary: Simply Phenomenal!
Review: I read this book over a month ago and simply can't get it out of my mind. This book crosses genres and my 21-year-old daughter loved it as much as as I did. It takes something really special to make a book about the rape and murder of a teenage girl into an ultimately uplifting story. Highly recommended.
Rating:
Summary: I actually cried
Review: and I never cry while reading books. The writing is so heartbreakingly beautiful, and the subject so distressing. At times I had to stop and take a rest, the emotions were so strong. Sebold is an incredible writer, and has written us a world we can all feel at home in, and yet wish we had the power to change the past. Her heroine grows and matures (quite a feat for a dead girl) and we love her. Her family also grows and matures, as seen through her eyes. The unique perspective is what holds this together for me- she observes everyone, and has the background to make us understand their motives, and how it affects her. And, unlike many concept books, the narrator from Heaven concept does not wear thin, and she has written a great ending that fits the story perfectly. Rather nice in this day of [poor] endings. This could easily be a chick book (and will probably be a chick flick soon enough), but it isn't. My father and husband both were enthralled by this book.
Rating:
Summary: Moving and magical
Review: What a beautiful book! Thanks to Alice Sebold for this achingly brilliant portrayal of what loss takes away and gives back to the people around us.
Rating: 
Summary: Good despite a few flaws
Review: Since each week seems to bring another tragic news story of an abducted and murdered teenage girl, you couldn't ask for a novel on a more current topic. Beyond the book's timeliness, however, is an absorbing and compelling story that I found I enjoyed more than I was expecting for a first-time novel. The book has its faults, of course, but overall it's a creditable effort, and except for a few purple prose passages I could have done without, it's a well written, suspenseful, and moving story.
Rating:
Summary: Bible Thumpers
Review: Dontcha just love it when Bible Thumpers weigh in with their 'oh so mighty opinions'? It's a work of fiction, not a book on Theology. Lighten up and go open the Bible if you want that kind of story.
Rating:
Summary: A compelling read
Review: This book is a gem. Though I devoured each word as if it would somehow explain loss, death, the power of the mind and the connection between people, ultimately no higher meaning was given. The truth is discovered within the characters and whatever the reader comes away with is personal and precious. The writer expects, demands rather, that the reader work and come to conclusions on her own. I was disappointed and felt unfulfilled at the end, that all the ties were not tied neater, until I understood that that was the point. The writer provides the reader with the characters and the story so similar to life: nothing is easily explained, there are no pretty satin bows with which to tie things up. This tragic story finds a way to transcend it's horror by telling simple truths about life and relationships; a child's murder is juxtaposed with the telling of her first awkward kiss. Ultimately, the characters are real and unforgetable and that, to me, is the mark of a great book.
Rating: 
Summary: Not a book about God or Heaven
Review: To me, that best describes this book. I, unlike most others, picked up the book, read the inside jacket and figured it sounded good. I must have missed all the media hype!! To me, this book was about lost relationships and regrets. Hopefully this won't sound corny but it made me think of what legacy I'd like to leave behind to those who love me and what I would like to accomplish before its over. I found the book long winded and a bit contrived while trying hard to be original. I put it down and picked it up several times. I didn't find it hard hitting or emotional until the last few chapters. I cried hard as I finished the book. But I really didn't expect that kind of response from me early or even mid-way through the book. The parts where she's in Heaven... well... I wasn't impressed. But overall I gave it 3 stars because of the ending.
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