Rating: 
Summary: Could not put this down
Review: I really enjoyed this book. I'm not much of a fiction reader, but I was not able to put this book down. I highly reccommend it!
Rating: 
Summary: Shallow and disappointing
Review: If this book had not been chosen for my book club reading, I would have abandoned it in the first third of the book. I'm sorry I wasted my time finishing it. It is a shallow tale with shallow characters, none of whom are appealing. There is too much wonderful literature out there to be spending time on this novel.
Rating: 
Summary: Fantastic beginning
Review: The book starts out as an exciting murder mystery, but ends like a V.C. Andrews book. Sebold is skilled at developing characters, but about half way through the book the plot starts to get out of hand and it is impossible to continue to suspend disbelief. The reader can't help but be conscious of the writing instead of captured by it. For example, the characters in Susie's heaven are barely described at all. However, we're told that Susie's roommate, has nicknamed herself "Holly" from "Breakfast at Tiffany's", but we're never told why or what her real name was and we do not know how Holly died. There is no Christmas in heaven and very little joy or peace. When a member of her family dies, Susie isn't given a chance to meet up with this family member because this person is too busy visiting with their favourite dead celebrities. Give me a break - a family member would definitely be more interested in meeting up with their 14-year old murdered relative than Hollywood's dead. Heaven isn't a happy place and seems to be a waiting place -- although what she is waiting for is never touched on. Susie doesn't seem interested in forming any bonds with her friends in heaven. This is unrealistic, as you'd think she would want to make friends and form new bonds and perhaps figure out a little bit more about the meaning of life. Also, Susie's "final performance" at the end is troubling and very unbelievable. If Susie was given a chance to return to earth, I would think she'd want to confront her murderer or find a way to give her grieving family some comfort instead of what does comes about. While the premise of the book was interesting, I found it to be too syrupy and unrealistic. It goes so so so wrong that I can't even pinpoint what exactly happened that sidetracked the great beginning. Did Sebold just get carried away? I thought there might be a great ending to make up for the odd way the story develops, but there wasn't. It just got even more strange to the point of silliness.
Rating:
Summary: Another reluctant reader, won over.
Review: The Lovely Bones reminds me of an "I see dead people. . ." version of something Anne Tyler would write. Although the subject is disturbing, it is approached gently. Alice Sebold writes a compelling story with a compassionate take on "what happens after" & alongside.
Rating: 
Summary: The Lovely Bones "life after death in Heaven and on Earth"
Review: "My name was Salmon, like the fish; first name, Susie. I was fourteen when I was murdered on December 6, 1973." This disturbing, yet summarizing quote appears in Alice Sebold's fictional drama, The Lovely Bones. The book from beginning to end is full of horrific tragedy, sorrow, suspense, and hope all at once. Sebold uses the gruesome death of the protagonist, Susie, to allow the reader to open their eyes to every aspect involved with not only murder, but death itself. The author achieves this purpose by allowing Susie to tell the story from her perspective in Heaven. Not only is the reader informed of the victims past, but also is shown how her family and friends are able to live their lives in the years following her murder. The most disturbing aspect of the book,is that the reader enters the diluted mind of her killer, and sees just how sick and twisted some people can be. The story begins by describing the hideous details of Susie's murder by her neighbor Mr. Harvey, the antagonist. Although Mr. Harvey's character leads the reader to be utterly disgusted throughout the book, he works well in the story. This fact is evident because he shows the true nature of a serial-killer, which is something most people are defiantly unable to relate to or even imagine. After the first chapter the reader enters two different world's, Heaven and Earth, and also into the lives of other many diverse and interesting characters. Throughout the story there is a constant need and longing by the family of the victim, especially her father, to locate Susie's body and killer, who he suspects is Mr. Harvey. The book is able to show how Susie's sister and friends mature after her death, something Susie realizes she will never be able to experience. Overall it is a touching account of how some people are able to cope, and how others' are permanently scarred after the death of a loved one. "In the drawing a thick blue line separated the air and ground...an In-between, where Heaven's horizon met Earth's." This image is how one reading this book should perceive the setting of the story. Susie is 14 when she is murdered in a small town in 1973, and the book describes the lives of the characters' from that time to the mid 1980's. Also, during the book, the story constantly switches from the past to the present. This technique used by the author works very well in the story, because it shows the relationships Susie had with her loved ones while she was alive, which proves why she continued to follow their lives. The setting of this story adds so much beauty and depth to the book, by allowing the reader to see the wonders of the Heaven Susie lives in after her death, and how it relates to the Earth her body once occupied. The character's in this story are what make it so out of the ordinary, because deep detailed descriptions are given, of a combination of the good, the bad, and the evil. Susie Salmon is of course the protagonist, and represents all that is pure and sacred in the life of a teenage girl. Mr. Harvey represents the appalling and disturbing aspects of a mentally disturbed human, which unfortunately occupy the world today. Mr. Salmon is Susie's father, and brings about the sorrow in the novel. His character shows how strong and precious the father-daughter bond in life truly should be viewed as. Mrs. Salmon represents the part of everyone that wishes they could be someone else, and after the death of her daughter becomes horribly lonely and confused. Lindsey is Susie's sister, and provides a sense of hope to the story in the way that she is able to grow up into exactly what Susie would have wanted her to. The Lovely Bones is told in 1st person omniscient point-of-view by Susie. Of course Susie encounters an external conflict with Mr. Harvey in the novel when she is murdered, but she also experiences an internal conflict throughout the book. This conflict results from the fact that she cannot decide whether she should let her family go, or continue to watch their lives unfold before her eyes in Heaven. Mr. Salmon also experiences a huge internal conflict, because he is unable to allow the thought of his daughter escape his mind, and in a way feels guilty for not being able to find, and punish her killer. Many literary techniques are used throughout this novel. The most recurring of these techniques are flashbacks. In the story, Susie tells about something that occurred during her life while she was alive, and then all of a sudden the setting is switched back to the present which she is viewing from Heaven. Many beautiful and descriptive similes are used in the story. An example of a simile occurs when Susie describes souls floating from Earth to Heaven being "like snowflakes." The reader is also able to get a sense of just how sick Mr. Harvey is by disconcerting sensory images that are used, such as "the blood I tasted was bitter." The Lovely Bones is an extraordinary book that any teenage girl or women could relate to in some way. Not only does it show how death is life-altering, but also how lives can be restored and that hope should never be lost. Anyone who reads the novel will have more respect for the preciousness of life and family. It also proves that everyone should live each day of their life as if it were their last, because unfortunately tragedy can happen. Overall, this book is suspenseful, well-written, and in many aspects rejuvenates the soul.
Rating:
Summary: The Lovely Bones: Earth as it is in Heaven
Review: "My name was Salmon, like the fish; first name, Susie. I was fourteen when I was murdered on December 6, 1973." Alice Sebold draws the reader into the book right in the first sentence. Action packed, The Lovely Bones will bring tear and laughter upon each new page from the beginning to end. This book to all ages should come as a reality check in teaching that not everyone can be trusted. The language in this book is very easy to read and good for younger teens while at the same time not too easy for more mature readers. The book involves so many different settings with a lot of imagery to attract and fulfill any one. The characters are all completely different and exciting. The characters age differs from Buckley at five to Grandma Lynn in her nineties which brings wonderful diversity to the book. The suspenseful plot throughout the whole book makes the story terrific. One the first sentence has been read, eyes seem to stayed glued to Susie's adventure. Alice Sebold starts off The Lovely Bones with the murder of the protagonist Susie Salmon. George Harvey, the man next door, is Susie's killer. George Harvey is able to keep his serial killer instinct hidden throughout the story. From the time she's killed to the end we learn more about the fourteen-year-old and sit with her in heaven as she watches her loved one's tribulation's on earth. For the most part the reader becomes Susie and shares her hopes and fears. Her father, mother, sister and closest friends each cope with her death differently. George Harvey, the antagonist also watches the family also with no guilt at all. The suspense never goes down a level and by the end of the book strong emotions are created toward each character. The most important part of the story to make it so effective would be the imagery. The amazing details make the book feel more like a movie. Since it's talking about a young girl, it's easy to bring back very fond childhood memories. "But on December 6, 1973, it was snowing, and I took a shortcut through the cornfield back from the junior high. It was dark out because the days were shorter in the winter, and I remember now the broken cornstalks made my walk more difficult." This is something everyone can so easily imagine. Coming down off the climax, the book started to drag out and gain too much wordiness. A non-perfect rating was given to the book for this reason. The paragraphs begin to get incredibly long. This section doesn't involve a real setting; it's really Susie talking and brings all the irony and events into place. Although some of the information given in this section is important, it could have been done without and could have been shortened. The plot in The Lovely Bones is very well thought out. After the first sentence what the story is about is revealed. Alice Sebold enters with a fascinating beginning and tells so much in such little pages. Tears are able to form in such little time and from then on out the book stays on your mind. The pace is a very good speed in the beginning. It contains a lot of flashback in the whole story. There is a complete chapter called snapshots dedicated to flashbacks. There is also some great foreshadowing in which ends the story. The characterization is wonderful, and makes for either total love or hate toward each person in the book. The protagonist, Susie Salmon and the antagonist, George Harvey have many internal conflicts throughout the book. Susie watches her father, mother, sister, sisters boyfriend, brother, grandmother, friend, and boyfriend from heaven along with many others. Each character is different and very independent. At the beginning Buckley is at the age of five and by the end he's a mature teenager and not to mention an uncle. Seeing how each character deals with the death in different ways, so there is always someone in the story for comparison. Most characters are completely round and this shows how much of her heart and time Alice Sebold put into this story. The book is such a nail biting thriller. The astounding people and heartfelt story make for an unforgettable past time. Falling in love with this book is not hard to do. Comparing real life to The Lovely Bones is so easy and makes for an understanding on what is real and what people want out of life. Hopes, dreams, and fears lie within everyone and in this little girl so many of those are created and wished for. Like Mrs. Fason said, "I won't be happy till every girl has read this book." Now, more than ever, I agree wholeheartedly.
Rating:
Summary: good but not great
Review: I work at a library and was constantly seeing this checked out. I then saw that it made the New York Times best sellers list, now I don't put much stock into this since my tastes differ greatly from what they say is "good". But I decided to give it a shot and I was not disappointed. It was a captivating story of girl who was rapped and murdered. The beginning was wonderful and kept me turning the pages. The only flaw was that in my opinion there was not a lot of heart wrenching that goes along with such circumstances. Also I found things happened way too smoothly. Still it held my attention and I have to give it that, and it would have still gotten 5 stars from me if it hadn't been for the ending. The ending is what knocked it down; I just ended up scanning over the last few pages for the most part. It seems that it got a little far fetched. Though I do recommend it I would not go so far as to guarantee satisfaction in this read.
Rating:
Summary: I Absolutely Loved It
Review: From the very first page of the book I was captivated until the last. Some scenes in the book are pretty graphic and you may have to stop reading and put it down for a little bit but I guarantee you that you will come right back to it. I highly recommend this book to all my friends and I have yet to hear anyone say that they didn't like it.
Rating:
Summary: Beautiful and Oddly Affecting
Review: This may be the most satisfying novel I've read in ages. Told from the point of view of Susie, the ghost of young murder and rape victim, we see what has become of her family and relive the highlights of her short and innocent life. There were passages in this book that moved me to tears, yet this is no cheesy page-turner, this is a literary novel -- a beautifully written, wonderfully paced rumination of the brevity -- and sometimes -- unfairness of life. Truly a wonderful, unforgetable book! Also recommended: WILL@epicqwest.com by Tom Grimes, The Losers' Club by Richard Perez
Rating:
Summary: Don't let the title scare you
Review: After losing my mom, I was searching everywhere for comfort, in every book imaginable. This was the last book I would've thought could provide a calming, but it did. It was nice to read another person's perspective of the afterlife. I recommend this book to everyone, especially those who have just experienced a loss. The death of child is horrendous, but the author did justice for my peace of mind.
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