Rating: 
Summary: Disturbing but engaging
Review: This novel is a very swift and engaging read even thought the transcending topic is terribly disturbing and the rhythum is predictable. The most appealing aspect is in the narrative and the subtleties in the narrative. It depicts the afterlife of a teenager in her own voice who forever processes everyone in her life from her juvenile perspective as she watches them live life for years after her death. Her frustration over not being able to reveal her killer was difficult for me as a reader but the narrative was so well done it was impossible to put the book down.
Not sure any book is worth all this hype but it is a really good read.
Rating: 
Summary: Pain, Heartbreak, Hope, & Love
Review: This book is one of my all time favorites! It's heart breaking yet full time for healing. As your reading it your guided by Susie Salmon who helps you see how her family, friends, and even her killer go through life on after her death and how she explores her new place, that so called "Heaven". Alice Sebold's "The Lovely Bones" is written so wonderfully unique and very enjoying to read that it is now to be made into a motion picture movie and is to be directed by Lynne Ramsay ("Raincatcher" & "Morvern Cellar"). I read the memoir "Lucky" and it was as best as "The Lovely Bones". I can't wait for the movie to come out, so I suggest that you read the book cause it's really no waste of time!
Rating: 
Summary: Eh...
Review: I just finished this book a while ago, after having read it on and off for about a week. Normally, that is far longer than it usually takes me to read a book, so either the book was really bad, or I'm just senile. Neither is true in this case, but I will say, it did disappoint me a bit.We've all read the reviews about this book being simply awe-inspiring, life-changing, lovely. I had seen it in a billion places, screaming to be bought, but initially, the title turned me off. I knew it was going to be sad. I knew it was going to be about death. I knew it was going to be some modern day coming-of-age something. Sigh. I didn't want to read it, but I knew from experience that the books I resist are the ones that seize me. So I gave in. Initially, I gave in at school during lunch, when I saw a friend holding a school copy. I picked it up from her and cracked it open, commenting, "I heard this was supposed to be really good. Is it?" She said it was, and so, propelled by her positivity, I started reading. I really liked it to begin with; it was gripping in a tingly way, and tingly is always a good thing. Of course, lunch ended, and I vowed to drag myself to the library and pick up my own copy. And so I did. I continued reading, and I was fascinated by the concept of heaven presented in the book: a beautiful place, shaped by your whims, comforting the way a fleecy blanket and hot chocolate are. I didn't cry through any of this book, however. Knowing that Susie is dead as the book starts allays some of the fear that it will hurt to discover, but at the same time, something was lacking. To look back on it, I would say plot. Yes, plot. Any good novel needs a strong plot. This is why, as much as I hate the book looking back at it, She's Come Undone was a GOOD piece of coming-of-age literature. It hooked me like a fish, a pathetic, flopping fish who didn't want to enjoy the book but did, and was completely drained after finishing the thing in two days flat. The Lovely Bones just didn't seem to do that. The jacket boasts of Susie's heaven, but we never really get to experience it as much as we'd like. For a book that touches upon one of the greatest mysteries of life, being torn away from her heaven to watch the tortured lives of the people back on Earth gets dry, fast. There comes a point where all the characters seem to just embark on completely separate journeys, and none of them really mesh with each other anymore. Yes, they still live together, yes, they still communicate with each other, but that integral stickiness of the relationships just seems to get weaker as the book progresses. Whatever this book was trying to become- I don't even know yet- stops, and is replaced by short commentaries on the lives of the people Susie once knew, dictated by Susie. It's hard to describe what it is the book is lacking. It has bits of everything, but really contains all of nothing. It has a plot in the beginning, but soon drops it to delve into separate lives punctuated by semi-interesting occurences. It has character development, but soon the character development manifests itself into boring events that could be classified as schizoid mannerisms that aren't captivating at ALL. And yeah, it does have themes, like the afterlife and death and family and so on, but rather than being richly interwoven into the story, they seem sad and diluted, stretched out to max potential before the arc of story comes crashing back down. I feel bad to be squishing under my shoe a book that struggles to be brillant, especially when it's about death, and when it tries to make it heartfelt. Naturally, a death is going to affect a family. Sebold does a good job of capturing this in the first third of the book, when the murder was still fresh, but soon it literally becomes what it feels like: a chronicle of lives. Merely lives. That's it. And despite the REALLY weird, unexpected psuedo-ending, it feels like it never really began.
Rating:
Summary: Beauty out of horror
Review: This book was a gift from my husband - one I would not have chosen because it centres around the murder of a child, every parent's most feared nightmare. This was indeed a gift, a gift of softly lyrical beauty, taking us through the fear and horror of Susie's dying to the peace and reconciliation of a uniquely imaginative conception of the after-life. I loved the interplay of Susie's choice of her own heaven, her close observation of her family and friends' journey through their grief and the ultimate resolution of the search for the murderer and his final punishment. This is a unique story which is both moving and elegantly crafted. I await Alice Sebold's next novel with eager anticipation.
Rating:
Summary: Brilliant Book
Review: I loved the book THE LOVELY BONES by Alice Sebold. With a realistic setting of a small town and a contrasting unrealistic version of heaven, the book keeps you hooked until the last pages. In the beginning, you find out that Susie Salmon is raped and then killed by her neighbor, Mr. Harvey. All throughout the book you go through the struggles of the family and friends of Susie, including her first love, Ray. But while you're learning of the struggles, you're also seeing Susie looking down on her family from "heaven" and making comments on their lives. I suggest this book to young adults because there are some parts that might be hard for younger children to understand. Some people might find the story goes on and on since it takes place over many years but overall, I thought it was easy to finish. Alice Sebold, the author of the book, has been credited much for her writings. I first heard about her through an article in People magazine. I'm a writer myself and her style seemed a lot like mine. It was flowing and easy to follow. And above all, it made sense. I recommend this book to anyone who wants to read a fantastic book!
Rating:
Summary: THE LOVELY BONES
Review: This book is breathtakingly beautiful in it's conception and writing. It is one of the best books that I have ever read. Alice Seybold connects with both the living and the dead to bring a poignant story of a young girl slain before she could ever experience the joys of life completely. Yet it doesn't bring you down the way that some books do about such grim subjects. It is uplifting and hopeful despite the sad situtation of the lead character Susie. Highly recommended.
Rating:
Summary: Not For Mothers
Review: This book is captivating from the start. Alice Sebold's descriptions of Susie Salmon's life allows the reader to dive into the book and become part of it. The journey Susie takes through this book gives insight to Sebold's ideas. Personal heavens and lost emotions are a couple of the main themes. I wouldn't recomend this book for mothers because of the tragic death of Susie. In fact I won't let my own mother read it.
Rating: 
Summary: Very slow
Review: You know, I didn't care for this book very much at all. The beginning of the book really got to me and stayed with me for awhile as the author painted a very vivid picture of the murder. However, after that it just seemed to drag on forever. I also felt a bit let down by the fate of the murderer. I know that not every villian needs to "get his" in order to satisfy me but it just seemed to be a very anti-climatic end. A well written book but I wouldn't recommend it.
Rating:
Summary: a book review on "The Lovely Bones"- JoAnn S.
Review: Lovely Bones, written by Alice Sebold, was truly a good book. It is a good coming of age story. The main character, Susie, is already in heaven, having been murdered by some one in her neighborhood. From heaven she watches her family live on and closely watches the man who raped and killed her. This book was a good learning experience because it goes through the problems and how people cope when something this tragic happens to a family. The description that is in this book makes the characters feel so real and you hope for the best for the family and you wish the killer would get what he deserves. Although this book has some disturbing issues about rape, murder, mourning and dealing with the gap left by Susie it is still full of hope and happiness. It shows that even though a loved one might be gone, you can still go on living without them like they would want you to. You will walk away from this book with a new understanding on how different people respond in different ways to the same tragic event.
Rating:
Summary: The Lovel Bones is a Must Read!
Review: On her way home from school one day, Suzie Salmon is brutally raped and murdered. The following days, weeks, months, and even years, she watches her family as they deal with her death while she's in her heaven. Her determined father tries to solve the murder, her mom tries to keep her marriage together, Suzie's sister is dealing with her death but must go on with her life as a teenage girl and finds a new love, her boyfriend deals with his emotions, and her little brother tries to grasp the concept of the word gone. Suzie also watches as her murderer goes on living while she can't be with her family anymore. Now in heaven Suzie learns she can't do everything she wants to, and has to adjust to her new surroundings. How will everyone deal with her death? What will happen to her murderer? Read this magnificent novel to find out!
The Lovely Bones is a great novel by Alice Sebold. It deals with many emotions and it is told in the first person point of view by a teenage girl, which many can relate to. Many times you feel like you are really there, and think it is happening to you, not the character. There is never a boring point in the book and you are always kept interested with learning new things. If the amount of pages seems too long for what you usually read, don't worry, you won't want to put it down. The author was also raped and due to this unfortunate event, she brought so much feeling and emotion into some of the scenes.
This has become one of my favorite books. I recommend it to anyone that loves dramas, romances, and mysteries; there's something in it for people of all ages. There was nothing I didn't like. You can learn so much from reading this book. I learned to live every day, as if it were your last and that your family is very important. This is a must-read for everyone! By: Brianna F.
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