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Summary: one of the best books I have ever read
Review: ... ok... so I admit that the beginning was moving a little slow but I stuck it out and read the whole book and it turned out to be a great book! It 's a definate page turner. I just couldn't put it down. I took it everywhere with me!
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Summary: The best book I've never read
Review: This book is totally sweet. I've never heard about it until five minutes ago, but a good friend of mine just told me about it, and he says it's totally sweet. He hasn't read it either, but he's going to buy if for some reason, even though it isn't about ninjas, and he only reads books about ninjas. So you know how good this book must be.
They don't publish books about ninjas much because the government is being totally authoritarian in its ninja cover-up. Ninja authors are being persecuted by both night and day, but that's okay, because they're totally sweet and they can handle it.
But I malspeak, bebother, and confusticate myself. Buy this book, and you might not only have a good read about the nature of the human spirit (since that's what a lot of good books are about), but you also might meet a ninja in the book store who is also buying it.
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Summary: A blend of prose and poetry results in a moving tale
Review: I read this book in less than two days. I found it fabulous. The author, Alice Sebold's, strength in storytelling lies in her intricate weaving of the story's facts with poetic similies and methaphors. Her words spun a web of remembrance of being a teen and wistfulness for the lost life of the main character of the book. As a mother, I found myself sometimes in tears as I thought of what had happened to the narrator of this story, who has been murdered. But I did not find it morbid or dark or depressing. The hopefulness of teenagers comes through and brings the story energy and smiles, offsetting the fathomless pain of losing a young child. In the way that *The Hours* by Michael Cunningham is written so powerfully and fluidly, so too is *The Lovely Bones*. The contrast between these two stories, however, is in the movement and pace of Sebold's work which carries the reader along the seemingly unending waves of teen age life. We are given detailed descriptions of Susie and her family's daily life without ever stagnating. I found the ending a bit lacking and was dismayed at the touch of high school girl fantasy which cropped up. But again, it was told so amazingly that I was able to overlook the bit of stumbling of the plot.
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Summary: Truly a Lovely Book.
Review: The Lovely Bones by Alice Seabold is a wonderful book. The best I have read in a long time. Within the first few pages I was already hooked. The authors ability to create a story like this one amazed me. It was amazing. The plot is wonderful and sad at the same time as it was sometimes funny. It follows a love story, a mother lost in her ability to deal with death, a young brother who cant quite understand, a father who is dealing with her death one step at a time, a love interest who misses her and is blamed for her death, and a good friend who is bent on the fact that she passes her near a soccer field. Ane the main character Susie who watches the whole story unfold after her death, in her heaven.
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Summary: Quite a debut novel
Review: How can a book with this premise ring so true? And how can a book with this premise be so hopeful and comforting? I'm not sure how, but I agree with other readers that both happen here in Sebold's book. I kind of tried to avoid the hype, but I'm glad I didn't. I really love the tone and affection the author obviously has for her narrator. It's a great story, a nicely drawn sketch of family, and an odd coming-of-age story (who knew one could come of age in heaven?) that works well. I'm glad this author found her voice and look forward to her next book.
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Summary: Best Book I've Read in 2002!
Review: I loved this book. Told through the eyes of a murdered 14-year-old girl, it is the poignant tale of her death's impact on her family and friends, and the long, painful healing process that follows. The author does a wonderful job relating what could be a very gruesome, morbid and unrelentingly sad story. Although there are many sad passages and heartbreaking moments, Sebold eases these painful passages by weaving in the narrator's memories of happier moments, her observations of the heaven around her, and her ability to live a vicarious earth-bound life through the eyes and thoughts of her loved ones. Sebold captures the perspective of an adolescent girl remarkably well in this novel, and the healing that eventually does happen in her story leaves the reader with a sense of satisfaction and relief. It truly is a lovely story.
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Summary: They always say you find enjoyment where you least expect to
Review: I bought this book on the spur of the moment, attracted by ...my need for some light summer reading for the beach last weekend. Rather than rehash the plot for you, I will just say what I got out of it. I could not have been more surprised at how much I enjoyed it. "Luminous, brilliant, astounding..." are not overstatements. I felt the whole book had a glow to it, and this reader, far from a mushy book lover, not a chick-flick type of girl, fell hard for this book (For the record, I'm a Roddy Doyle, Salman Rushdie, Ian McEwan fan, so this is out of my usual author pool!). I could barely put Lovely Bones down for two days long enough to reapply sunscreen. There are so many thought-provoking angles to this story. The exploration of the different family relationships, the adolescent realtionships and of perceptions of death and heaven made me think, but not in a depressing or morbid sort of way. This is such a wonderfully, beautifully written story that I can't say enough about it. Highly recommended.
Rating: 
Summary: shallow sentimentality
Review: I picked up this novel on a whim in the "summer reading" section at a local bookstore. Books classified in such a way are notoriously cursory; I suppose I got what I asked for. If you're a person who prefers a thought-provoking summer novel (like me) for prolonged interest and/or inspiration, you might want to think twice before paying the money for the hardcover edition. The characters, although easy to sympathize with, are cliche to the point of ridicule. Everyone reacts in such a way that is entirely predictable. Nevertheless, Sebold's depiction of heaven is enthralling, especially the description of various smells. Don't be misled by my criticism; this isn't a bad book if you can stand relatively superficial, typical characterization and plot development.
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Summary: How does this [stuff] get published?
Review: What a ridiculous premise. The writing was competent, but I hope the author learns the art of concept, storyline, and character development next time, instead of wasting her promising abilities on utter silliness. Who agents this kind of incoherent, artless offering? Good grief. Susie Salmon ("like the fish")????? Aye-yi-yi.
Rating: 
Summary: Unique and artfully written
Review: This novel is a breath of fresh air in many respects, especially in its unique point of view. A story told from the perspective of someone who is already dead is quite intriguing indeed. The story is well-paced and beautifully written, although there were times when it was difficult to read. The opening scene, in which Susie is murdered, is disturbing while not overly-graphic, but it was even more difficult, as a reader, to eavesdrop on this family as they fall apart in the wake of this horrific tragedy. The end, I felt, was a bit too pat, but all in all I came away from this novel satisfied. It's a very good read.
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