Rating: 
Summary: I could not put it down..
Review: I hesitated to read this book. I had heard it was about death. But a murder? And the story told by the murdered girl? This book was very upsetting, but I couldn't stop reading it. I think alot of people have some sort of idea what their heaven may be, so I was glad to read what heaven may be like from someone else's perspective. I think the book was nicely written. It's just the whole subject was very emotional and upsetting to read.
Rating: 
Summary: Hyped up drivel
Review: I looked into this book when it was first released and I had absolutely no desire to read it but after months and months of seeing it on the best sellers list I had to see what was suppose to be so great about it so I borrowed a copy from a friend. And before you even read it I will tell you what is so great about it - nothing. A good read is not something you struggle through. A good read is something that allows you to move from page to page without even thinking about. This book was a pointless struggle. It could have ended 6 or 8 chapter early and you would have had a better read but no you are forced to go on and still end up with nothing. The only thing that kept me going was the idea that it had to get better but it didn't. This book explained nothing of why we are watching this family and why they can never seem to pull their heads out. I do not recommend this book as a purchase or a borrow but if you feel the need to read it don't buy it find someone who wants to get rid of it.
Rating: 
Summary: Tear-inducer
Review: My mother-in-law recommended this book to me, and at first I could not BELIEVE it. The first chapter is absolutely HORRIFYING. The story is, of course, about a murdered (and raped) young girl. The other reviewers are right, it starts off with a bang and ends with a whimper, but I did read it in three days and it did give me nightmares, so the author certainly did touch me on some level. I found I had a bit of trouble remembering some of the extended characters, who were thrown in by name every fifty pages or so. I would recommend this book, but only for the strong at heart. It didn't leave me overly happy, although I think the author wanted that to happen, in the end.
Rating: 
Summary: A Great Read
Review: No, this book is not great literature... but not all novels have to be of epic scope and majestic language to be extremely enjoyable. I loved the story and the point of view of this novel, and it was just right for a weekend on the couch kind of read. It was sentimental to the extreme in some parts, but... I didn't expect it to be anything else.
Rating: 
Summary: Am I the only one?
Review: After all the hype, the strategic placement in book stores, and the lovely cover, my expectations were pretty high for this book. What a disappointment. Boring. Unbelievable. Characters (like the sister) whose motivations are unclear and whose actions are unexplained. An interesting premise (watching from self-created "heaven")that just doesn't gel. I never got the desired sympathy for the Mom, and never figured out why the Dad put up with her crud. Not a bad first novel... but am I the only one who doesn't get it?
Rating:
Summary: The Lovely Bones
Review: I could have put this book down at any moment of the first 100 pages. It did pick up after that. If you are "afraid" to read it because of the gore...there is none. Things are hinted but not really stated out. It is not sit on the edge of your seat exciting but it does hold your interest. For a part of the book I had the feeling it was going to turn into a Stephen King novel but that never happened. Kind of a let down. My book club met on this book and the biggest discussion out of it was about heaven/hell/after life and what we believe in and why.
Rating:
Summary: Lovely Bones
Review: Lovely Bones is a wonderful book of heart wrentching compassion that is beautifully told by Alice Sevold.
The story is basically a look into the past when in 1973 a young girl is raped and murdered. It tells of her fathers drive to capture the killer and of her families effort to move forward with their life after this horrible incident.
Even if your not the whole "horror" book type, you should read this book, it's unlike any of the books you'll ever read!
Rating:
Summary: Introspective look at life...and death
Review: Due to the storyline, I find it somewhat difficult to review this book without giving anything away. I will say that this book proved to be a veritable dichotomy of unrelenting euphoria intertwined with an inexplicable cryptic moroseness. Difficult to explain, yet when you read it you will understand. Quite unlike any other book I've read in a while. The characterization by Alice Sebold is superb as she engenders a genuine empathy for our amiable protagonist Susie along with an equally ineluctable disdain for the antagonist Mr. Harvey. The entire book I found myself seeking justice for the tragic transgression committed - only to be somewhat let down at the anticlimactic conclusion. Overall, The Lovely Bones proves to be a unique page-turner that you can't put down. I liken it to a poor man's To Kill a Mockingbird - but that's still high praise, nonetheless.
Rating:
Summary: No Classic, But A Good Beginning
Review: Forget the publisher's hype. This is a good first novel with an interesting premise, and some fine spans of writing, but no classic. It would, in fact, be a much better read if many of the "and so time marches on" passages were edited out, leaving us with a page-turner of a novelette. Many of the characters are one-dimensional, and a disturbingly Dickens-like "God Bless Us Everyone" echo is included at the end of a (now mandatory?) happy ending. That's right--Susan Salmon sounds like poor Tiny Tim at the very end of the book. Deus ex machina is alive and well since its rehabilitation in The Color Purple. Not to worry, however, because I'm sure this will be a selling point for the folks at Dreamworks Studios. The same folks who gave us technicolor heaven for gladiators and a final chance for a robot to find lost love in "AI" would find everyone (somehow) finding their way back for a final get-together and photo shoot at the Salmon's no problem at all. May I suggest Robin Williams for the quirky murderer, who "gets his" in a way that is sure to draw whistles and hurrahs (and scattered laughter?) from the ladies in the audience? Another disturbing point: Susan comes back from the dead to take over the body of poet Ruth and then proceeds to make love with her first flame, but the whole scene strikes one as morally ambiguous as there was no explicit "permission" given by Ruth for the ghost to gratify herself at the expense of the living body of her former classmate. This is all, once again, part and parcel of the rush for a happy ending. Besides these obvious flaws, there are beautifully written passages in this book that almost brought me to tears. The author really does give us a convincing picture of the anguish and confusion that families feel when they have lost a loved one to violence. There is something so sad, so poignant in the things that Susan says as she looks back from her "heaven" at the people she knew and loved as they go about the task of salvaging their lives. The author has genuine insight into these disturbing matters. Those "authentic" sections earn this book its four stars, in my opinion, and not the flawed workmanship.
Rating:
Summary: entertaining, but...
Review: I would have preferred that the narrative device of having a murder and rape victim tell her own story not have been used. To me, it felt like a gimmick and detracted from the truly interesting exploration of the effect of this horror on those left behind. Ms. Sebold's treatment of the family and community members and the dynamics between them rings true to me. The insertion of this 'magical' element strikes a false note.
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