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Summary: One of my all-time favorite novels
Review: This well-crafted, tightly written story deals with a terrifying subject -- child rape and murder -- without the gratuitous gore that stains the plots of so many other "serial killer" tales. The clever use of the protagonist's omniscient voice paints the plot in strokes that are both broad and minute, and each set piece is entirely believable. The murdered Susie views the actions, emotions and thoughts of her devoted father, her remote mother, her comical and alcoholic grandmother, her beloved siblings and even her deranged killer, showing us how they react to the end of her life on earth as THEY know it. Though Susie's in heaven, she continues to grow spiritually...an interesting observation and a point I've often pondered on myself. I loved this book and thank the author for bringing the story to life.
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Summary: Be Prepared to Lose Sleep
Review: This is one of the best fiction books I have read in years. Alice Sebold captures the reader's attention from the second sentence, "I was 14 when I died," and never lets go. The story is intruiging, a new twist on an old plot. As you watch Suzie watching her loved one's lives from heaven, you feel all her emotions. The entire time, one thought races through your mind...what will happen next? When will the pain for everyone end? Only to find out maybe it never does, which is the essence of this novel. One of the most touching scenes in when Suzie's dog, Holliday, joins her in heaven, and even those with the shakiest of faiths will be moved. I started this book on Wednesday at 6:00 pm and was finished with it by 10 am Friday. A must read for anyone.
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Summary: The View from Heaven
Review: This book is not so much about murder as it is about grief. The narrator is a 14 year old girl in heaven looking down upon her family as they all go through the grieving process in different ways. This is a beautifully written novel that explores the so many different emotions that come with tragedy - anger, sadness and confusion. I don't want to give anything away - just know it's not your average murder mystery. The book is currently making it's way through my friends & family and each have enjoyed it a great deal.
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Summary: WOW - A Spellbinding of Family, Hope and Redemption
Review: Captivated by critical praise and a supernatural plot, I was a bit skeptical that any book could live up to its structural and pop culture status. "The Lovely Bones" met and exceeded all of my expectations and then some. Sebold brings forth a spectrum of emotions that are both difficult to express and yet thrilling to any reader who's experienced sheer joy from the written page. Our heroine, a heaven-bound adolescent is ripped away(literally and figuratively) from earth and its bounty of family, friends and real life pleasures. Looking down from above, with newfound wisdom and more than a few regrets, the narrator steers us through a web of self-dicovery, within her self, her family, and even, within us - her audience. Sebold manages to weave a bold mosaic of sorrow and joy, disaster and bliss, with words that simply take your breath away so that you find yourself re-reading passages just to be enveloped in their magical truth again and again. This is simple yet important prose...at once whimsical and deep. It's the sort of book that makes you think twice about the choices we have, the ones we make, and the ones we might later regret not choosing. My only wish is that Hollywood leave this novel alone and refrain from attempting to replicate its sincere qualities on-screen. No screenplay, or director, or acting ensemble could supplant the power of "the Bones'" narrative. Destined to become a perennial favorite, the "Lovely Bones" is best left to the senses and the imagination that captivates readers in unique, individual ways. Buy it, share it, cherish it!
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Summary: Simply Beautiful
Review: As I read the last chapters of this novel, I heard music playing in my head--the kind of music that springs from hope and promises new beginnings. By showing us life from death's perspective, Alice Sebold gives new meaning to what we consider to be everyday moments. I highly recommend this book to anyone who has suffered an unexplainable loss.
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Summary: Good Beginning
Review: Despite the unattractive packaging and cheap paper that make this book look and feel like a Young Adult novel, "The Lovely Bones" is a very interesting debut novel. The book begins immediately with a violent and disturbing act. From this, we get the unique point of view of the victim looking down from Heaven on the people whom her murder has affacted: her family, her friends, acquaintances and even the killer himself. While this sounds like the stuff of saccharine drama, it works ... for a while. The book is not schmaltzy, but sad and enlightening. It is interesting to watch the characters grow and change in the aftermath of the murder, even moreso since they are being observed the entire time. The book tends to run a bit long in the end, and suffers from a few supernatural twists that ruin the gravity of the situation and the reality of life on Earth (despite our narrator's heavenly vantage point), but despite that, "The Lovely Bones" is a book worth reading.
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Summary: Dear Me, How Can Anyone Not Like This Book?
Review: I do not know why some readers berate Alice Sebold and "The Lovely Bones". What does it take? I would think it would be quite riveting for all, especially those who have ever lost a loved one. The way Alice Sebold presented the entire book within the framework of a fantasy, beginning in heaven, is wonderful. It reminds me of the well known Christmas fiction movie "It's A Wonderful Life" by Frank Capra, and the lesser known postmodern nonfiction book "West Point..." by Norman Thomas Remick. If you enjoy "Heavenly" presentations of wonderful stories like these, you should certainly find that Alice Sebold's "The Lovely Bones" is heavenly.
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Summary: The Lovely Bones
Review: I usually don't read novels, especially first novels, but I decided to read The Lovely Bones after glancing online at the first chapter. I was not disappointed. While it is not without flaw, it is an interesting, moving story written by an author who knows grammar, sentence structure, and who has a unique style. The plot engages the reader almost immediately; and the reader is not wont to be disappointed with the subtle suspense that is carried forward to the end of the poignant tale. You're missing a real treat if you pass by this one.
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Summary: One of the most interesting books I've read in quite a while
Review: I had a love/hate relationship with this book because I couldn't put it down, even when I had important things to do! This is not really an intellectual novel, but everyone needs to read some fluffy books sometimes. This is a very unique book told from the perspective of a murdered teenage girl who watches the aftermath of her disappearance unfold from beyond the grave. The story itself is riveting, but the way the book is written makes it even better. I came across portions of the book that were so beautifully written, I had to read them again. Sure, parts of the book are a little out there, but it definitely makes you think about what happens when we die. If you are looking for a "guilty pleasure" read that is out-of-the-ordinary, choose this book.
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Summary: Entrancing book
Review: This may be the best book I've read this year. The author's approach is so very unusual. Having the dead girl narrate gives a whole new meaning to "third-person omniscient." The book is riveting, touching, and I would recommend it to anyone. People with young daughters will especially be moved by it.
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