Rating: 
Summary: Great Novel
Review: This was by far one of the best books I have ever read. I sat down and started reading it one night, and could not put it down. It was exciting, and full of surprises and suspense.
Rating: 
Summary: Page turner.
Review: This is the first book in a very long time that I have picked up. From the moment I opened it I was caught right up and could hardly put it down-including neglecting my kids! I only answered the really LOUD screams. Funny and sad all at once.
Rating:
Summary: Heartwarming and Beautiful!
Review: This book is a great pick-me-up, a very insightful and uplifting story. The eloquence of the writing style as well as the story itself make it an intriguing experience. I loved every single page, every chapter, every word. I've been feeling fairly depressed lately for various reasons, and this book was exactly what I needed to give me hope and make me feel like someone, anyone, is watching out for me from above. I've read the last chapter 4 times already, and will probably keep reading this book over and over for a very long time. ...
Rating: 
Summary: ugly bones
Review: I will begin by saying that I had no interest in reading this novel, but a friend lent me a copy and suggested that I give it a chance. I was very disappointed that I did not follow my initial inclination. In general, I find that much contemporary fiction is rushed and lacking in genuine character development, and I found Ms. Sebold's novel to be no exception. The descriptions of heaven were annoying as hell (pun intended), and I particularly disliked the scene where she comes back to earth to have sex. In short, the book reads very much like a teen novel that wasn't allowed to be a teen novel because it was too graphic. Nonetheless, it would have been happier as a teen novel, and I would have been happier with it as a teen novel as well as I never would have been induced to give it a read.
Rating: 
Summary: Thought there'd be more to this
Review: After all the hype ('People' deemed it the best novel of last year), I jumped on the 56-person waiting list at the library. I was shocked when I was next after only 3 weeks - after reading this, I see why. The premise, in the hands of an experienced author, really could have been handled well but after the first few chapters, I was just plain bored. I should have felt for these characters yet felt not much of anything - not even for the girl. The whole story was so blase. The characters were not only boring but bored themselves. Where was the passion? The gut wrenching? I should have hated 'Mr. Harvey'; I should have felt the grief of the parents; I should have cried for the girl. Heaven sure sounds like one boring bummer. And the end. What WAS that? I guess she figured she had to get sex in somewhere to sell this and convulated the ending to accomodate it. It amazes me how amateurish the latest best sellers have been. I could have written a book this vanilla. We really need the equivalent of an 'American Idol' Simon to start reviewing books before they are allowed to be mass marketed. I'm just getting so tired of wasting what little eyesight I have on stuff like this.
Rating:
Summary: I couldn't put this book down
Review: I heard Alice Sebold talking about "The Lovely Bones" and her biographical work, "Lucky" on NPR. I was mesmerized by her interview, but thought that I wouldn't want to read a sad story about a child who is raped, murdered, and dismembered. I came across the page previews here on Amazon.com--and I was hooked. I ordered the book and was amazed at the depth of characters and the way she weaves the story about this dead little girl's family. Another reviewer commented about the lack of emotion in the narrator's tone--however, I feel that is important for the narrator to remain detatched. She is describing the network of family and friends, the "lovely bones", that make up the future of her life. The lovely bones are not, as one might think, HER bones, they refer to this framework that is formed by the people who are left behind. In a truly simple and yet compelling way, Ms. Sebold paints a picture of the heartbreak of a father, the anger of the sister, the denial of the mother, and the confusion of the baby brother who just wants to know when Suzie is coming home? The baby brother continues to talk to Suzie--in the story, she doesn't know how, but he can sometimes see and hear her. Alice Sebold describes heaven as a place where people can finish what they need to do before they move on to another place. The description of Suzie's heaven is very simple. Each day she spends there, she expands her reach--but only as she is ready. She is free to observe what happens on earth, or explore what is in her heaven. It is a simple idea, but Ms Sebold defines this heaven in a way that is quite lovely, and it was also quite comforting to me after the emotional description of happened to Suzie in the cornfield. For those who might worry, the most wrenching part of the novel occurs at the beginning--and it is available for preview on Amazon.com If you read these preview pages, I believe that you, too, will want to read this compelling story. This is a book that I will pass on to my sister, mom, and all my girlfriends. It is a book about recovery and growth. God Bless.
Rating:
Summary: Boring Bones is More like It!
Review: The book grabs you in right away and then takes you down a spiral of nothingness. I got sucked in and fell all the way down to the bottom - help!! Somebody get me out. I did finish the book, much to my regret. I kept hoping it would come back and give me a reason for the interest I had in the beginning. Sorry to say it never gave me a hint. Don't waste your time.
Rating:
Summary: Completely captures the reader.
Review: From page one, you won't be able to put this book down. Although a tragic tale, you can't help feeling hopeful in the end. Well worth reading. Eloquently written, suspenseful, and captivating.
Rating:
Summary: Amazing
Review: This book is wonderful! It is a sad and difficult subject, but the way it was written was unique. I have never heard anyone describe the "life" of the dead like this before. Definitely worth reading!
Rating:
Summary: Incredibly lovely .....
Review: I liked this book ever since I had a glimpse of it online, when I started reading the first few pages. I couldn't wait for it to arrive when I ordered it to continue where I left.
I found it very emotional, you laugh, cry (alot). The story isn't exactly about the girl who was murdered Suzie Salmon but about her coming to terms with leaving the family and loved one behind on Earth. As she watches she yearns to intervene between her parents who are falling apart. She hears their thoughts which is a good feeling.
I highly recommednd the book ... it's sure to warm the heart ... incredible story!
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