Rating: 
Summary: A Life Changing Experience
Review: OK...I'm an avid reader and I have loved a lot of books in my time. This story touched me in a way that no other book has. The story is amazing, thought provoking, touching, scary, intellegent and intense. After reading the first chapter (and what a chapter it is)I could not put the book down. One of the professional reviews listed on the cover of the book summed up my feelings exactly. The reviewer stated that he/she "envied" the reader that gets to begin reading this book for the first time because the journey is amazing. I wish I could experience it for the first time again. You won't be sorry.
Rating:
Summary: Touching, haunting, deserves 10 stars!
Review: This is the story of Susie Salmon who is murdered by a serial killer who happens to be a neighbor. The book isn't so much about the murder, but about how adolescent Susie deals with being in Heaven watching her family and about the traumatized family left behind, and how the family deals with their grief. Susie is in "my heaven" which seems to be a heaven where restless spirits go. Her spirit is very restless as she was killed during the bloom of adolescence, before she ever had a chance to grow up and become a woman. She also had very close relationships with both of her younger siblings and had an especially close relationship with the tender father who is most crushed by her death. She watches her family crumbling, unable to deal with their loss and tremendous grief, yet unable to reach out to each other. During the story her family fractures apart and as she watches it happen, she tries to reach out to them. She develops an amazing maturity watching the course of events as years pass. She knows she needs to let her friends and family go, to go live their own lives, to mend their broken hearts, but can't seem to pull herself away. She misses them and life itself so much. This was so well written that you can imagine how the family left behind might feel. You can also picture poor Susie, helpless in Heaven, unable to help and unable to move on. Alice Sebold wrote this book with tremendous skill and the literary symbolism in the story really strikes a cord -- you want to read those passages again and again. I read this book in two days and when I finished it this morning I sobbed ... when a writer can evoke that feeling, you know she's done her job well. This is one of the best books I have ever read and will treasure it always.
Rating: 
Summary: Both lurid and sentimental
Review: I wish that I hadn't been taken in by the hype for this book as I think reading it was mostly a waste of time. I was initially interested because I thought it would provide insight into the grieving process, but it really offers nothing new that previous Oprah-type books haven't already covered. The best work of fiction to deal with grief, in my opinion, is A. S. Byatt's Still Life, the second work in her Francesca tetralogy. There you see the blaming, the rage, the debilitating sorrow that are usually part of the process. This book 's problem is that the family at its core is too conventional and uninteresting. The book begins in a lurid fashion --but at least this section seems heartfelt and powerful. The book then descends into romantic mysticism and sentimentality, but unfortunately these qualities probably account for its popularity. Instead of probing and exploring the reality of death, the book unconsciously is a denial of it at the deepest level. This is why it can't be taken seriously as literature. The book has a young-adult feel; I'm shocked that the author who has experienced a rape in which she almost died hasn't shown more maturity here. She is obviously intelligent and talented, but I think real wisdom has eluded her as the sentiments expressed in the novel seem adolescent. Why is it that the adult women characters in books of this type who are leading unfulfilled lives think that working in a place such as a winery is more fulfilling? Why would a woman abandon her other children at the time they need her the most? Why is there so little sense of the culture of the 70's in this novel? Why are the characters so uninterested in anything but their domestic lives--no politics, no intellectual pursuits? Why are the characters so flat, so lacking in personality? Why are books of this type so popular? There are many novels available that challenge one's preconceived notions and rise above the banal. I suggest Ian McEwan's Atonement for a book that moves you and is intellectually stimulating.
Rating: 
Summary: A book for adolescents
Review: "The Lovely Bones" belongs in a teenage babysitter series. It pulls its punches from the beginning and asks its readers to suspend both belief and intellect. I understand the romantic appeal to the gushy-gushy set, but unless you loved the movie "Beaches," stay away.
Rating:
Summary: SECRETS told is why this book is a best seller....
Review: 49 weeks on the LA Times best selling books for FICTION tells you that talented author, Alice Sebold has crafted a good story that stemmed from a horrendous murder of a 14 year old girl.
I'll cut to the chase on why this book is worth your time -- it tells seldom - told secrets about death, Heaven and souls that occupy our world. Places like convalescent homes, hospitals, old theaters and old restaraunts feel so familiar and friendly to the living because our departed family members and good friends still hover over them...not all the time....but Sebold expands on the possibility of what the dearly departed do with all their spare time. It's creativly written with kindness of heart and gentleness of the soul....and it encourages us all to believe in the goodness of angels near and far.
Sebold explains in a comforting way what Heaven will be like for us all on our fateful departure from Earth...
Heaven is unique to each individual - it is the stuff of our simplest dreams...and every Heaven is expandable and you make new friends....FAMILY however, is always family and there can never be additions to it unless it is created on Earth.
There is a lot of sadness surrounding young Susie Salmon's death --- but life goes on --- life goes on ---
and the dead never want us to be saddened by our loss of them.
I think this book could help those who've lost loved ones to violence....its a real winner.
Rating: 
Summary: Dazzles - then fizzles and bombs
Review: This is one of those trendy books that I usually avoid, but my curiousity about how a novel from the perspective of a dead girl could remain on the best seller list for so long caused me to pick it up one day. The first four or five chapters are wonderfully orchestrated to grab the reader, as you truly feel for the victim, Susie Salmon. I felt voyeuristic while reading the beginning chapters, as you are given all the details of what happened to a missing person, the sort of details that are usually withheld from the many news stories that appear on the 6 o'clock news. As the book continues, Susie watches from heaven, and the grieving process of those who were close to her is shown. Sebold skillfully builds suspense and the way she has developed her characters is commendable. However, there are some problems with the story that should have been driven to the Flanagans and dropped in the sink hole before publication. Some examples: 1 - The fish metaphor "Salmon" is a little too much and the repeated reference to it. The name "Susie" itself is a bad choice, but the fact that her last name is a fish and she is dismembered is over the top. 2 - The character of the mother is not believable. Sure, people grieve in different ways, but she'd have to be a sociopath to act in this way and make the decisions she makes without checking herself into a mental hospital 3 - Susie's "final performance" at the end is troubling and also unbelievable. It is perhaps the way a reader would want the climax of the story to be, but I expected more. It isn't realistic and it certainly is disturbing. 4 - The grandmother's character needs some work. In fact, all the older female characters are highly flawed and weak, which is disappointing and not typical of older women in my experience. The fact that alcoholism is an addiction and not a quirky characteristic is an example of what I am getting at. Her interest in visiting with Dean Martin taking priority over meeting Susie is also very unbelievable. The book is somewhere between Danielle Steel and a good murder mystery. The fact that I read the entire book tells you that it is interesting enough to hold a person's interest, but there are quite a few key things missing for it to be considered remarkable. Sebold's ability to develop a character is well-done, however, so I would keep an eye on her future works -- and especially if she considers the words of the critics when writing her next work.
Rating:
Summary: Wonderful Novel!!
Review: This is a wonderfully written and suspenseful novel. For me, I found it as a great bedtime reading and a novel I could not put down. The writing style is very stimulating, and a book that you become so absorbed in that when you finish you really feel a connection with the characters. Highly recommended!
Rating:
Summary: A Beautiful But Tragic Tale
Review: "The Lovely Bones" is the kind of book that haunts you even after you stop reading. It deals with very difficult issues, like rape and murder. However, the story rises above the dark subject matter. Although the story doesn't end with sunshines and rainbows, the ending is fitting.
Rating:
Summary: Great premise
Review: The Lovely Bones is not exactly a mystery, for we know "whodunnit" immediately, but it is fascinating to read a story written from the murder victim's perspective. The plot involves the main character watching her family learn how to deal with loss, a community coping with the horror of the crime committed, and how "justice" comes about. I couldn't put it down, but I must recommend this book with caution. There is some sexuality (the main character longs for physical love that she never had a chance to experience) and a bizarre scene where another character is possessed by this dead girl. Without these aspects, the book would be rated 5 stars, in my opinion.
Rating:
Summary: Amazing!
Review: This book is just amazing! It takes you to another dimension. I cried, laughed and was just overcome with emotion.Susie Salmons innocence and love for family and friends will sweep you away. Read the book and decide for yourself, you will not regret it.
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