Rating: 
Summary: Excellent--until the very end
Review: Alice Sebold's novel The Lovely Bones opens simply: "I was fourteen when I was murdered December 6, 1973." This ethereal story examines death's impact from an unconventional point of view; Suzie Salmon, the rape and murder victim, narrates. Torn between moving forward or watching over her family and friends, Suzie rests in her personal heaven-the high school she never got to attend, where her "textbooks were Seventeen and Glamour and Vogue."While in heaven, Suzie "lives" vicariously through her younger sister, watches her parent's relationship crumble, guards over her childhood crush ("Our only kiss was like an accident-a beautiful gasoline rainbow"), peers into the life of the all-too human detective assigned to her case, and stalks her murderer. This coming-of-age history is bittersweet until the very end, tracing the lives of those Suzie touched while examining death's effects. Unfortunately, Sebold muddies a strong first novel and leaves the reader with a too-tidy ending, mimicking her protagonist's heaven.
Rating:
Summary: about those touched by loss.....
Review: The Lovely Bones is a story, not about the murder of a young girl, or the tracking down of the murderer, but about everyone that is touched by the murder and how they adapt, grow and continue their lives. It is also about the murdered child, Susie Salmon, coming to terms with leaving her family behind on Earth. The story is told through the eyes of the murdered child as she watches from heaven. Her family is devastated,and begins to fall apart as her parents and siblings cope with the loss. They begin to disconnect from each other as she observes them. As Susie watches, she yearns to intervene somehow, as much as she yearns for a life that was cut short. This was a very emotional story, and the thought of those in Heaven being so close was actually settling to me. When Susie's family thinks of her she can hear their thoughts and that was a good feeling also. This was a very good story, told by a very talented writer. There are a few incidents that I felt took away from this story. One is a scene where Susie interacts with a young man she had been fond of, and some of the scenes that deal with the murderer added a sense of discord to the story. Alice Sebold has written a beautiful story dealing with a horrible situation and has done a sensational job in evoking emotion and thought.
Rating: 
Summary: Written from an intriguing point of view . . .
Review: I found The Lovely Bones to be a welcome break from the usual "murder mystery" point of view. In this book, there is no question of the identity of the killer, and the observations of the victim who has passed on (well, almost) are quite unique. Some readers were disturbed at the victim's description of heaven, but I found it comforting, and enjoyable. I highly recommend the book, and I read it in almost one sitting. Kudos to Alice Sebold!
Rating:
Summary: Author Review
Review: I read this book and was immediatly taken in by the storyline. I found the book difficult to put down because I kept asking myself "What is going to happen next." If you are looking for a "good read" I recommend this title. It is sure to warm the heart and inspire the spirit. ---
John D. Moore
Author of Confusing Love with Obsession
Rating:
Summary: Wonderful Story
Review: This unique story captivates you from the first page. I thought it would be a disgusting book at first, since it's about a little girl who gets murdered, but it's SO MUCH more than that!! The little girl gives you such an interesting vantage point from heaven. You learn to love and relate to her and the family and friends she left behind and what happens to them. It's an incredible story and it gave me such a remarkable feeling of peace after I read it.
Rating:
Summary: Lovely is the right word
Review: This was a great book with a very interesting premise. A pre-teen girl that is brutally murdered and has to deal with the effects on her family and herself. It's has an interesting way of presenting heaven and how she helps her family and friends heal through out this terrible tragedy. The author kept the violence to a minimum and focused on the family. I think that anyone who has lost someone special would like this book and how it shows the victim's spirit alive within the family.
Rating:
Summary: A great read!
Review: This book was great! A book has to be good for me not to lose interest in it before I finish. The characters were believable and I fell into their lives, as if I knew them. However, I thought it would have been more accurate had the writer added some of the emotions that the narrator, Susie Salmon, was feeling after passing into heaven. While the book is caught up in the emotions that the people on Earth are feeling, there is hardly any mention of the narrator's emotional thoughts. Regardless, I believe that it was definitally worth my time! I am sure I will reread it in the future!
Rating:
Summary: One word - Excellent!!
Review: Ignore anyone who took to putting some deeper, negative meaning about society into this book. Just read it and enjoy the wonderful writing of this author! She takes a horrific event and turns it into a heart-warming story that you can't put down. To think that all our loved ones are looking down on us and that there are different Heavens for everyone is AWESOME! Not to mention the karma appearances throughout! Way to go, Alice Sebold! I am looking for more of your books!
Rating:
Summary: It Earns The Hype
Review: I know some people who did not get past the first 70 pages or so, and I can see why: at first there is a seeming dispassion about the narrative voice and the tension builds slowly at first. It gains momentum and pulls you in, however, to the point that you will stay up long past a reasonable bedtime on a weekday night to see it through to the end. And if you are the least bit prone to reacting to a book emotionally, well, you will be reacting. It crosses age and gender barriers in its appeal. It is easy to see why it continues to float on the bestseller list. What slowed me down at first was what I thought was its singular plot line; then I realized that each character forms his/her own subplot and their individual projectiles weave about the story like so many contrails streaking and crossing around the sky. Sebold is to be commended for the risks she takes in an age when few take artistic risks in literary and popular fiction. If some don't like her choices, well tough, she was courageous to try and I like that. Her biggest risk was to find life affirmation amidst the tragedy-a 14-year-old disappears, the victim of rape and a gruesome murder, her body never found-without undercutting the undeniable changes it wreaks in the lives of those left living and the sadness of a life frozen at age 14. The balance she strikes is remarkable.
Rating: 
Summary: Don't hold your breath for the ending
Review: I was truly intrigued by the first half of this book. Alice Sebold is a talented writer. I was interested enought to read the novel all the way through, but was horribly disappointed by the end. I imagine that quite a few people who decide(d) to read this book are victims of brutal crimes themselves. This book will offer solace to those who seek a comforting place for their loved ones to reside in once they leave us. In the end, that's about all it does. It offers a happy ending to those who seek one. I think that the story had great potential. If she had followed through on some of her details a little more fully, it could have been great. The ending was trite ... it would make a terrific "heart warming" film, but it doesn't make for a very satisfying novel. You will be captivated by the first part of the book, bored for most of the middle, and if you like hollywood endings ... satisfied with the finale. I would like to see Ms. Sebold do more with her talent.
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