The Lovely Bones

Rating:
Summary: A HUGE disappointment
Review: The Lovely Bones was a huge disappointment and I am embarrassed to have fallen for the pre-release hype that led me to purchase it. The narrative is contrived; I groaned aloud at several passages. For example: "Hers contained a desire beyond sweetness and attention, it fed a longing, beginning to flower green and yellow into a crocuslike lust, the soft petals opening into her awkward adolescence." Enough said.

Rating:
Summary: A beautiful book.
Review: This may be the best book you'll read this year; perhaps the best book of 2002. Alice Sebold tells a chilling story without histrionics or sensationalism, and her self-discipline makes the story all the more poignant. If you want a first-hand experience with what writing should be, treat yourself to The Lovely Bones.

Rating:
Summary: Beautifully, and Frankly, Written Novel
Review: Loved it. Unpredictable and honest. The reactions of the characters to Susie's death were real. Susie herself was a realistic and honest narrator. The author captures human emotion and makes these characters and the chaos surrounding them so believeable that you'll find yourself thinking about the novel's events as non-fiction. I cried more than I'd like to admit and plan on re-reading it soon.

Rating:
Summary: Don't believe the hype
Review: I bought the hardcover edition of this book before a flight (my first mistake). If I hadn't been stuck on a plane for several hours, I would probably never have finished it. While the first three chapters are moving, they are not particularly well written. Instead they rely on a kind of emotional shock value. It's difficult to decide whether Sebold's unsophisticated style is meant to reflect the youth of her narrator or if it's simply the inability to produce anything more mature. While the characters of Susie and the her father are probably the most realistic, there isn't enough character development to make the reader feel invested in what happens to any of them. The plot becomes increasingly convoluted as the book wears on. The gritty violence and realism of the first half of the book don't mesh with the spiritual interpretations and fantastic leanings in the second half. The only interest I had in the book was to see if Susie's murder is solved. There's a reason this book was on all the bestseller lists--it's a simple read with no plot depth or value, which seems to be important to a book's success in modern America. Some people have claimed that I just "don't get it"--if "getting it" means enjoying simplistic and contrived books, then I'd rather not get it. If you're desperate to read this book, do yourself a favor--buy paperback. Don't waste $20+ like I did!

Rating:
Summary: The Lovely Book
Review: I was reminded of Mitch Albom's book THE FIVE PEOPLE YOU MEET IN HEAVEN . . . but only for a moment, for after the idea of someone talking to you from heaven and/or the idea that we'll all "figure it out," the similarities end there. THE LOVELY BONES begins with Susie Salmon in heaven. She was walking home from school through the cornfield on December 6,1973. She is raped and murdered by Mr. Harvey in the cornfield. Mr. Harvey covers his tracks by dumping the body into a sinkhole. When she is leaving earth to go into heaven the last human that she touches is Ruth Connors, and this has some significance which is explained in the book. The Salmon family receives news of the disappearance from detective Len Fenerman. Mr. Salmon suspects that Mr. Harvey murdered his daughter and becomes obsessed with finding clues that link Mr. Harvey to the murder. Lindsey Salmon (the sister) becomes sheltered from the world, because everyone sees Susie in her. She, as everyone else in the family, are in a constant state of turmoil and upset. Mrs. Salmon begins to have affair with detective Len Fenerman. As Susie's mother leaves the family and finds solace with other men, Lindsey refuses to acknowledge the reality of what's happened to keep herself from falling apart. In addition,her father becomes obsessed with finding her killer. I realized, now even more after reading this book, how much I appreciate my family. The sacrifices they make, though sometimes insignificant, shows how much love they can give. Susie's family never let her go because she was a part of their love, something that can never be erased. Because this love still existed, Susie was unable to let go of Earth and accept her heaven. She witnessed her family grow apart only to realize their love will force them back together. It becomes a learning experience from heaven to earth. Overall, this was a wonderful, yet disturbing read. Would also recommend another great work of fiction titled "The Bark of the Dogwood." it's funny, disturbing, and ultimately uplifting. But you should read LOVELY BONES first.

Rating:
Summary: Highly Satisfying
Review: "Lovely Bones" is very poignant story, somewhere between Sebold's "Lucky" and Rikki Lee Travolta's "My Fractured Life." As fiction it creates a vivid alternative reality. Yet the characters stay true to reality and faithful to Sebold's nonfiction writing style. Not a pick me up book, but one of great value.

Rating:
Summary: Can't put it down...
Review: Although somewhat morbid in that it is about ghosts and rapists, it was overall a great read. It's what most people want - to be given the chance to communicate with, or watch over, your family and friends after you die. I loved the book, couldn't put it down...it's a must read.

Rating:
Summary: Captivating.
Review: Sebold's novel is a haunting tale of a young girl who is raped and murdered just a few feet away from her own home. The author does an excellent job of depicting the horrors of the girl's experience - but the true story lies in the girl's family as they cope with their loss and attempt to move on with their lives. While Susie, the young girl, watches her family from heaven, the reader also watches the family in the same sort of detached manner. Years pass, her siblings and friends grow up and form relationships, experiencing the things that she never got to experience herself. It is a novel of broken dreams, of second-chances, and even about hope. Recommended to anyone with a heart.

Rating:
Summary: Disappointing
Review: I really wanted to like 'The Lovely Bones', but I honestly don't know how this book managed to get the rave reviews that it did. I was very disappointed.

The concept is interesting, but hardly groundbreaking: Murdered girl's spirit watches as her family slowly comes to terms with her death, and people hunt for her killer. Hmm - haven't we seen this plot before, in the film 'Ghost'? I also seem to remember reading Narinder Dhami's 'Angel Face' some years back, which dealt with a similar theme. (I thoroughly recommend 'Angel Face', by the way. It's for young adults, but it's an excellent read.)

Nevertheless, the opening chapters of 'The Lovely Bones' are promising. The initial portrayal of a family trying to assimilate the news that their daughter has been killed is very believable, as are the efforts on the part of the murderer to disguise his tracks. The actions of the police officers are also believably frustrating, as they come painstakingly close to solving the mystery - only to be misled once again. I also liked the depiction of the small town which formed the backdrop for the 'earth' part of the story. Sebold really demonstrated the way in which an entire town can be rocked by the death of one child. The reports of the murders of the ten-year-old Soham school-girls were still fresh in my mind as I read this book, adding extra poignancy to the text.

So, when does it go wrong? Well, for starters, I was never really satisfied by the depiction of heaven. Unfortunately, heaven is a theological construct and to place it in a less-religious context raises awkward questions. Sebold never explains what heaven is for, whom it is for, why the characters do what they do, etc. If this was a comedic novel (as Angel Face is), none of this would matter. However, because the book is serious, the questions really should be addressed properly. Instead, the reader is delivered the childish notion of heaven as being a place which is accessible to almost everyone; a place where wishes come true. It's all right, but the concept itself could have been explored more.
Perhaps more importantly, about halfway through the book the narrative begins to lose its way. The characters become less and less credible. The plot becomes far-fetched to the point of being ridiculous. A great writer can invite their reader to take great leaps of imagination and can make it seem as though nothing is out of the ordinary. Sebold can do this to a certain extent, but details let the writing down.
Would a father, for example, truly encourage his second daughter to break into the house of the man whom he suspects of murdering his first daughter? Would it not go against every paternal instinct in his body? And although I understand that 90% of parents split up after the murder of a child, I cannot believe that Susie's mother would have an affair with the detective assigned to the case. Rather, I cannot believe that the detective would have an affair with Susie's mother. Even small-town officers, I am sure, are trained to cope with the emotions of a distraught parent. It's just not credible. Similarly, the character of Ruth also rings hollow. Another reviewer on here notes that she turns into a Sixth-Sense-style, 'I-See-Dead-People' kind of figure, and I have to say that I agree with this analysis. A lot of work needs to be taken to flesh out that sort of character, and I'm not sure that enough was.
My biggest single problem with the plot, however, was Susie's leap into Ruth's body. First of all, it was a borrowing from numerous other stories including 'Ghost', and even the 'Point Horror' novels. Secondly, there was nothing in the narrative which led up to the event. In other words it was a poorly-executed cliché, seemingly contrived in order to allow Susie to have sex. Which leads me to: Susie's Sex Scene. Now, let's just think about this for a minute.
Susie died in the 1970s at the age of 14. It is now eight years later, but ultimately she hasn't aged. *She is still 14*. By the time she dies she has shared a single kiss with Ray, and her one sexual encounter has been the brutal rape she endured before her murder. This is her first experience back in a human body, and it's also her first time in a woman's body, rather than the girl's body she is used to. Nor is she is expecting the transition from the spiritual to the physical world. On top of all this, the body she enters isn't even her own. Meanwhile, Ray, hanging out with his friend Ruth, suddenly discovers that Ruth is actually his long-dead friend Susie, who's popped down from heaven to say hello. They say hello...and then immediately proceed to have sex, which is perfect and mindblowing; complete with all the adult emotions of a perfectly-balanced, well-adjusted couple. At no point does Ray ask Susie about her murderer, and Susie makes no attempt to reveal the truth about her death. It is here that the novel loses its last shred of credibility.

The final chapter redeems the book to a certain extent. Haunting passages draw the novel to a close, and Sebold ties up the loose ends quite nicely. Mr. Harvey is also taken care of, at last!

It's such a shame that this novel falls apart so badly in the middle (for this reader, at least). The opening chapters had me hooked, but unfortunately they could not sustain the entire book. Disappointing.

Rating:
Summary: Thanks for Giving It Away!
Review: Just a note to all you appreciated book reviewers. Thanks. I like to read to find out whether or not that books have been enjoyed by others, before venturing into a new book. To all of those that know how to write a review thanks. To those of you that told me that Mr. Harvey does not get punished for his crimes ( and other parts of the ending which would be the point of someone wanting to read it) no thanks. After reading the first few pages, I will admit I was captivated. Now, I will skip to another book, and search for some helpful reviews!