Rating: 
Summary: Haunting novel
Review: Perceptive and haunting novel, narrated from the omnipotent vantage point of Heaven. Thought-provoking and appropriate for a wide range of ages, since it can be interpreted on many different levels. This story warrants a reread, because the nuances are more apparent the second time around.
Stretches the readers' imagination to the limits. Would adapt well to a screenplay.
Arlene Millman
author of BOOMERANG - A MIRACLE TRILOGY
Rating:
Summary: beautiful
Review: I was astounded at Alice sebolds objective writing skills when reading this book. The subject matter should provoke unease and distaste, with the thought of a young girl raped and murdered. However, it is written without to much sentimentality, no dweling on the event, but rather, how the girl was feeling towards the breakdown of her family, and her friends. At no point does she portray hatred or bitterness from the main character. The book could do with tightening up in some places, but for a first novel it is a highly inspirational, thought-provoking book that makes you stop and take stock of your own life. I had to have a cuddle afterwards!!!
Rating:
Summary: Would give this book more then 5 stars if I could!
Review: I loved this book. I also have, "Lucky" by Alice Sebold which was a good book, but hard to read due to the subject matter.The Lovely Bones is my new favorite book. I loved the writing, the story, and the way Alice made heaven. It wasn't too far-fetched for my tastes. I will admit that there was one thing out of the whole book that I wasn't sure needed to be in there (but perhaps it did) and was pretty far-fetched. Other then that... I had trouble putting the book down and read it very quickly. I was sad when I finished it... I hated to turn the last page; I wanted more! The character developement was wonderful, the story was amazing and why couldn't things happen this way? Wonderful book, you won't regret buying it.
Rating: 
Summary: A family suffers
Review: Lovely Bones, in my opinion, is not the story of Susie Salmon. Rather, it seems to me that the author is trying to tell a bigger story, incorporating all of Susie's family. (The title itself refers to the larger framework of what holds the family together.) In attempting to tell a story of this scope, however, I think Sebold took on too much. For myself and many of the other readers, the book lost its claim on us once we got beyond its initial impact. Is our focus the strain that threatens her parent's marriage? What about Susie's sister? her wacky but well-meaning grandmother? Sebold would have done well to either limit the number of characters we follow, or limit the length of time in which we follow them. Lindsey, Susie's sister, is a very spirited and interesting character at first. By the time we've followed her to college, her character's essence has been so severely diluted that it's almost nonexistent. Within this unsatisfying whole, I did discover some gems such as the idea that, from crisis to crisis, a huband or wife usually has the other to "be strong" for them. The tragedy of a murdered child, however, is a tidal wave that spins them apart even as it comes crashing down on their heads. I enjoyed the simple heaven of crayola colors that Sebold gives us; this certainly seems like heaven through the eyes of a schoolchild. Of course heaven has swings! I also appreciate how Sebold blends eerie possibility into this fictional tale when Susie's young brother, Buckley, sees his sister. Many people have observed something like this! After my mother died, my young nephew would regularly look into the corner of the living room and smile. Unfortunately, I'm afraid Sebold lost control over her story when Susie returns to Earth. To me, the "body-switch" feels false and out-of-synch. For one thing, I can't accept that a girl who had been violated would experience her happiness through sex. Don't let the hype get you! This book may boast an intriguing premise, but it fails to maintain its promise.
Rating:
Summary: Lovely Bones
Review: From the first sentence in Chapter 1 to the last words on page 328, I was glued to this book. The whole story is being told to us by Susie Salmon; a fourteen-year old girl that was raped and murdered. When the story begins Susie is already in heaven. From there she watches her family, made up of her parents and younger sister and brother. She watches her friends go on with their lives. She also watches her killer get away with her murder. Throughout the book Susie describes what happens on earth as life continues wihout her and talks about her heaven.
The great thing about this book is the chapters that keep you literally on the edge of your seat, Sebold did a fantasic job at keeping the reader's attention.
The only negative thing I have to say about this book was the parts of the book that were hard to follow, and I also felt that Chapter 22 was not nessasary and went off of the storyline a little bit. I think this book probably is between four and five stars, but since I couldn't give it that rating I gave it five stars. Overall I felt that this was an excellent book and recommend it for everyone who loves to read.
Rating: 
Summary: Hated this book w/a passion
Review: Read this for a book club and absolutely hated it. The writing was awful, the characters unbelievable and I can't understand its popularity at all.
Rating:
Summary: Wonderful Book!
Review: I just can't say it any better than that - the book was wonderful! I love the perspective of heaven and looking down on the family watching things progress. I love the connection she made in the end and how her boyfriend knew it was her without even speaking...her final touch with the living world. Yes, I thought it was great. Two thumbs up to Alice for this amazing story!!
Rating:
Summary: Strange similarity between this book and new TV show
Review: I am perplexed at the similarities between this book, The Lovely Bones, and a new television show coming out by producer Marti Noxon called Still Life. It has a different circumstance surrounding the dead person's actual death but that's basically the only difference. I wonder if Alice Sebold is being credited in any way... Just Curious
Rating: 
Summary: an excellent book
Review: From the first page I was intrigued by this book. It is so sad, her pain does'nt end when she dies. I don't remember crying through any other book as much as I did with this one.This book will stick in my mind for quite some time. Anyone else really enjoy this book ?
Rating:
Summary: 4+ A Disturbingly different.......Inherently insightful...
Review: tale that flows in a smooth, satisfying rhythm from Sebold's pen. Yes, it starts off with murder and that might throw some off a bit. Susie is 14 and her death is truly at the crux of the everyday lives of those who love her. Her Mom, Dad, brother and sister seem not to be able to bounce back from this tragedy. But this story is told to the reader BY Susie and from Susie's own personal Heaven.
How strange, yet luminously beautiful are her words and thoughts. We are the lucky ones who get to travel beside her as she 'returns' to earth and tries
to guide the people she loves in their search for her killer.
But she also gets to see her family grow in the years that this book covers. Sometimes they grow closer
because of her death and at other times they grow apart as the memory of her is a wedge in all their relationships. Her father has strong convictions as to who the murderer is....her mother denies all and hides away...her sister is lost without her...and her baby brother just doesn't understand and then is resentful. Her maternal grandma, is the staple in all of this. Albeit a little askew in many ways, she is the glue that holds this family together. Susie sees all this from her personal Heaven..and takes us along to see how the family 'matures' and is surprised to discover that she herself has matured as she must do in
order to really leave earth and let go of her family and friends. I think you will enjoy this novel beacuse of the different tack that the author takes in it's telling and in it's evolution.A grand book by Alice Sebold and a softly told tale that will intrigue you and that you will contemplate long after you finish reading it.
| 
