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What are readers saying about The Lovely Bones?
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A Reader posted a review at 2010-01-15 01:15:47.
(Language: English)
  
What you have here is an opening with tremendous promise, heart-rending prose (so I can be sappy with the best of 'em, sue me), and the hint of a psychological thriller being developed meticulously.Unfortunately, all the hints and potential in the world can't provide their payoff without serious additional work by the author, and I was left feeling frankly taken-in upon reading the closing lines. I will admit to being something of a plot 'snob'; I prefer things to be left untidy if literal solutions are going to feel tacky, and that's precisely how the latter quarter of this book felt to me: as though author had given up on an aesthetically pleasing work and was aiming for something akin to an ending appropriate for a B film. Anyhow, its a page turner without a doubt; it will keep you glued and profoundly moved at its best. The 'Twilight' crowd will most likely love the path the latter portion of the book takes, in fact, I believe that may have been some of the thinking in terms of marketing etc. Read it and form your own opinion (lol, the ultimate in cop-outs). 
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A Reader posted a review at 2007-11-21 02:43:25.
(Language: English)
THE LOVELY BONES annoyed me, partly because it has received such rave reviews and then wasnt any good, and partly because it's style is very amature. if sebold deliberately wrote like a child then what she achieved was sloppy at best. the way in which the words read really irritate me! and it's a shame because the concept of the story (girl watching family from heaven) is quite interesting and had so much potential. it took ages for me to get into the story. it begins in dramatic fashion and then slows significantly. when i got to the 200-page mark it started to improve and i was able to read more than just ten pages at a time (the limit of my annoyance), but then near the end it took a ridiculous, unbelieveable and completely illogical turn that simply made me angry. brought back emotions about a book i hadnt felt since reading bronte's JANE EYRE, but that requires a whole other entry! i am looking forward to getting THE LOVELY BONES out into the world so that others can read it, as i'm interested to know what they think of this strange little story, and to discover if it really is just me who doesnt seem to like this book.
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A Reader posted a review at 2009-04-19 12:14:06.
(Language: English)
There are millions of children missing in the world and so this book dealt with a very difficult topic that many parents never want to face. In this story, Susie Salmon is brutally raped and murdered and watches her family, friends and even some unexpected visitors from her school deal with her departure. Susie narrates from what the author portrays as heaven and watches her parent’s marriage falls apart, her sister fall in love, and even observes her killer taking more innocent victims. Although a grim issue, each character had a special connection to Susie and you couldn’t help but see how her presence greatly affected them in so many ways. The author has a symbolic way of showing change and inspiring the reader and I liked how certain concepts were written in a way that acknowledges spirituality and the idea of the afterlife. It was not just a traditional religious view of heaven where Susie was and hell where her killer should be. Once you finish the book, the initial focus on whether the killer was found and justice served doesn’t seem to matter. It’s all about how life really can go on and instead of a lifetime of tears of sorrow, there can be tears of joy again.
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A Reader posted a review at 2010-02-23 03:32:11.
(Language: English)
Lovely Bones, now also in Cinemas (Feb 2010) directed by Peter Jackson I think. Enjoyed the first half more than the second, which is rather disturbing as the first half is full of grief and pain. But the second half gave in to sentimentality for me. Honestly, I think it could have done with editing. Liked how Sebold resisted the most contrived conclusions regarding the character of Harvey although (beware: spoiler) having him killed in such a freakish occurrence as poetic justice left me a bit flat. Nice poetic language and some really sweet imagery, esp. the scenes in Heaven, but maybe too many characters. The reader's attention is spread quite thinly among so many people that there was somehow not enough time to invest emotionally in any of them. As with so many books, it is frequently mentioned how beautiful the women are, which started to grate slightly, as did the fact Lyndsey seems to have very few flaws or difficulties (bar the bereavement) considering she is an adolescent. Despite these criticisms it was a very accessible and at times moving read.
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A Reader posted a review at 2009-01-08 07:10:52.
(Language: English)
Alice Sebold’s “The Lovely Bones” begins with a compelling premise: the murder of Suzie Salmon, a Pennsylvania teenager who watches from the “Inbetween,” a version of her heaven, over a period of several years as her family, friends, and killer cope and live beyond her death. Unfortunately, the story soon devolves into a soap-operatic series of chapters in which Suzie focuses on the tumultuous but melodramatic developments of her family members’ relationships, whether they are family focused or romantically driven.Sebold’s description of the Inbetween and Suzie’s observations stimulate interest early on, and Suzie’s interactions with her the peripheral characters are initially interesting, as she influences her family members’ and friends’ physical worlds to show them that she is, in some sense, “still here.” However, Sebold begins to limit the characters’ interactions by overusing this device, which quickly becomes tiresome. There’s also a beautiful moment between Abigail and Detective Fenerman in the Salmon kitchen as the two share their feelings of loss and grief at different points in the process. But, this relationship, like others in the book, devolves into something one might expect on prime-time television. Critics might argue that readers who have unexpectedly lost a child or women may identify more with the subject matter of the book. My take is that anyone who does not belong to the former group will be hard-pressed to find this work engaging after the first half or so; The family members’ interactions with the killer are interesting and the last chapter provides appropriate closure for many of the characters, but ultimately, I just wasn’t all that crazy about this one.
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A Reader posted a review at 2009-01-28 02:03:21.
(Language: French)
On est scoctche des les premieres pages, par la description dure et froide d’un viol dans ses moindres details. S’en suit, la vie de l’heroine dépeinte depuis son paradis. L’originalite de l’œuvre reside dans la narration « post-mortem » de Susie. L’heroine est donc omnipresente, elle est temoin des faits et gestes de ses proches comme elle est presente dans l’esprit de chacun d’eux. Elle suit la vie des siens comme si elle etait presente à leurs cotes. C’est un roman bien écrit, emouvant car il nous fait reflechir a comment faire face à la mort. Mais decevant sur certains points, notamment l’accent trop prononce au début sur l’enquete, qui pourrait nous laisser penser à un Roman policier (ce qui, d’ailleurs m’allait tres bien) mais qui s’effiloche au fil des pages pour se transformer en roman tout court. D’ou ma deception lorsque l’auteur ne place que quelques lignes a la fin du livre quant au devenir du violeur, (qu’on avait presque oublie !!). Roman qui ne valait pas tant d’eloges, à mon humble avis.
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A Reader posted a review at 2009-03-13 08:14:37.
(Language: English)
This was a very dark book for my tastes - and I am not complaining, reading the back of it would let you see that. Child sex crimes are a very difficult topic for any mother to read, and this was the case here. I struggled to get through the beginning, could barely stand the painfully slow middle, and was shockingly disappointed in the flattened ending. I suppose what I will say is that this novel delivers what so many modern novels do - and I believe that is why it was a popular book among many youth. They do not seem to crave or need as much fluff and happy ending stuff as I feel I do. The writing was definitely well done, as writing first person child would have to be one of the most difficult angles to choose. The honesty of what happens in these families was also very real. It just wasn't enough for me. This is a dark book. I am not sure why it got the reviews it did. It has the edge of your seat qualities, but they are overdone so much so that you find yourself skimming through thick mesh of script to get to the "important" parts. It isn't the kind of book that makes you not want to miss a single word, it is the kind of book where you just want to read the ending. I guess because it is written in first person from the child's perspective, it is a "young" book. My 19 year old niece loved it.
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Valeria posted a review at 2010-01-18 12:53:40.
(Language: English)
As an atheist, at first I thought I would not enjoy this book because I do not believe in heaven. I found this book very interesting and uplifting. I think it is even more interesting to see how other readers reacted to it, feeling it was sad and depressing. Although I felt like crying at several moments (I particularly loved the moment in which Susie and Holiday are reunited), my overall feeling at the end was hopeful. My take on the whole heaven thing and how to deal with the loss of a loved one is that the living need to live a purposeful and happy life, spreading their love and friendship around them, making other people happy as well. Doing this is the true way to honor the dead and make their lives purposeful as well. I read this book a month after my grandfather passed away. In the first days after my grandfather's death, I felt angry and disappointed because he would never get to see me getting my Master's degree. Then this anger was changed into inspiration to work even harder to make sure that I live by his philosophy of hard work and honor.
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A Reader posted a review at 2009-04-14 07:53:22.
(Language: English)
I really liked the perspective that the story is told from - that of a dead character. It is impressive that although we know what happened from the very start, the author is still able to create suspense and really engage the reader in wanting the guilty to be found. The book really pushed some boundaries in an intereesting way - hummm, how am I supposed to feel about that? I was most impressed with the emotion evoked with the tragic characters for whom life became a futile experience because of their inability to get beyond the original tragedy. Dying with these characters, slowly, as pages turned, was devestating. That said, it did also provoke the idea that life is about choices. Even when dealt a bad hand, one must choose to find ways to make life meaningful, to find the positive that is always there even in the most tragic of experiences. The one thing I didn't like so much was the storyline about the existance of souls. I also found the lack of emotion in the characters observing life from heaven to be incomplete and not as well thought out as I'd have liked. Overall this was a worthwhile read but also very heavy. My next read will have to be light-hearted, to get me out of the emotional funk this one has brilliantly managed to get me into.
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A Reader posted a review at 2008-01-14 05:46:40.
(Language: English)
I thought this was shite. The first half was easy enough to read and then I started getting bored. Sebold was rehashing the same old poignant lines, anything that was an obviously pretty piece of prose, was rementioned time and time again. Spoilers ahead, for anyone who really wants to torture themselves with this trash. The ending was nauseating, falling to earth into a body to have sex with some guy who we didn't really care about, for no reason? Was it supposed to be a tear-jerker moment because I felt like throwing the book against the wall. What of the random coincidences, Samuel and Lindsey pulling off the road in the rain, running to the abandoned shack, then running all the way home, only to OMG find out at the conclusion that Ruth's dad owns the house! What about Hal, what's the point? Grandma's gimp? What's the POINT with any of these shitty side-line stories and characters. I hope everyone who reads this book, whose hearts are uplifted by Susie and her dog rolling around in heaven together, never write any novels of their own. Spare us. Sebold ... just ... UGH.
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A Reader posted a review at 2009-08-10 07:47:41.
(Language: English)
At the risk of sounding like Tevye in Fiddler on the Roof, on one hand, I could not put this book down. I finished it in less than 24 hours which is quite a feat considering I have four young children. On the other hand, I was irritated at much of the silliness of the book. One one hand, I think Sebold was brilliant in making the narrator omniscient because she was dead and could see everyone and what they were doing. On the other hand, it bothered me and kinda creeped me out a bit that she was almost omniscient - how did she know what everyone was thinking? On one hand, I was kept in suspense with the search for her killer! On the other hand, it came to a rather anti-climatic end. I found it rather depressing (and as I said above, a bit creepy) that Susie's life in heaven revolves around watching everyone on earth. Spoiler alert! I found it ridiculous and a weak plot point when she all of a sudden is able to come back to earth for a brief time. I found it to be even more ridiculous what she chose to do with that time on earth. I thought the book started out strong but slowly weakens as the story progresses. I am interested in to see the movie when it comes out in December.
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jimtown posted a review at 2009-10-03 07:05:38.
(Language: English)
This isn't a book, it's an experience. It takes every parent's worst nightmare and rather than expound on the horror, it's offers a sense of peace, a glimmer of hope. In this extraordinary story we follow Susie Salmon as she watches over her earthly family. Susie was lured and murdered at age 14. The book could be morbid and sad, but it really wasn't. Neither is it childish or sappy. It offers an idea of what heaven might be like and goes even a little further in getting the reader to think. There is little anger in Susie's story, rather just a passive watchfulness as her younger sister grows up, falls in love, her parents drift apart, her little brother learns the truth and her killer moves on. It isn't until the dramatic ending that Susie takes a more active part. The things this book made me think about was not so much Susie's version of heaven, but of the watching over phenomenon. I'm sure we've all imagined it at one time or another. Wondering if our grandparents or parents are watching over us. Susie shows what that would be like long term. Does it ever get old...watching the day to day activities here on earth?
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A Reader posted a review at 2007-11-27 12:21:57.
(Language: English)
Alice Sebold has a very soft, delicate style of writing that I've never quite seen from anyone before. And though it's delicate, it doesn't skirt around tough subjects, which is an essential thing, because the entire book is made up of tough subjects. Rape and murder. Death and the grief that comes with it. What heaven is really like. Usually I find books like this overly sentimental. I mean, the book is written by someone looking down on her loved ones from heaven! Come on! I wanted to hate it. I went into it expecting to hate it. But I didn't. I was enthralled by it. It was very real, and very - I hate to say this because I sound like a creative writing teacher - but the emotions of the character were shown in their actions, not told and dwelled upon in melodramatic words. That's what made all the difference. I had a few criticisms, like the narrator doesn't sound thirteen - but then I remembered she's in heaven, and learning things up there that would make her sound wiser. Or that she inhabited a classmate's body for a while in order to make love to an old crush, and that's just bizarre, and out of the blue - but as it happened, that scene was, in my opinion, the most well-written scene in the book, so I have to excuse it. Any criticism I can come up with I can almost immediately refute. So, well done. I wouldn't call this a groundbreaking work, I don't expect it to be remembered in a century's time, but it's enjoyable and enchanting.
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A Reader posted a review at 2007-11-21 12:04:35.
(Language: English)
Eh...had an interesting concept, but fizzled. I purchased the book after reading an editorial review. I thought it had a novel concept, no pun intended (the protagonist of the story already being deceased). After an interesting first ten or so pages, the book became extremely difficult to read, it seemed to never end, it had no mystery what so ever even though we know who her murder is, except maybe with her mother leaving her father from what appeared to be some sort of post-traumatic stress issue (i'm not a psychologist or anything). The one interesting character was her younger sister who seemed to be superfluously praised with all of her wunderkind attributes, who by the way, as intelligent and emotionally connected to her sister as she was, didn't hesitate for a second when losing her virginity at a very young age, considering the horrific tragedy that had befallen her older sister. Even the murderer wasn't well written. I mean the reader should really grow to hat this guy, but nothing. I just couldn't get emotionally interested in any of the characters nor the plot. The whole time I felt like a newscaster was telling me about what went on in this family, who just experienced a traumatic event. Ultimately, it's a primitively written book about a young girl who tragically dies, and lives vicariously through her sister, and observes the inevitable break-up and make-up of her family. After finally finishing the book (like a month later!) I came to the conclusion that the author had written an excellent poem at one point or another and then thought to herself "hey, I can take this poem, stretch it to three hundred some pages, give it an endearing title, and make some money." Overall, it's a waste of time. Not much of a plot, no mystery, and any male reader will need relentless convincing from a female counterpart to finish it. (Oh my goodness, what has been implied here?) In My Humble Opinion
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Sampada posted a review at 2010-01-12 02:19:58.
(Language: English)
Death usually marks the end of a work of fiction; but Alice Sebold’s The Lovely Bones begins with death – the death of the protagonist, no less. Right at the beginning of the book, Susie Salmon introduces herself, and tells us that she’s been killed and is now in heaven. The novel, then, is a look at how Susie’s family copes with her death and how she watches over them, hoping that her killer gets caught. Sebold gives us a detailed description of the after-world, creating specific rules around what heaven means according to her. Sebold’s interpretation of heaven is an interesting one – a place where dead people can create a reality of things they really love. If what you love intersects with what someone else loves, you’ll meet that person in heaven. Although Susie has found herself in heaven, her attachment to her family and her murder means that it will be difficult for her family to move on in the wake of her death too. In spite of the fact that Susie knows this, she hopes that her killer will be recognized and be given his comeuppance. Susie cannot remove herself from her life on Earth, as she lives with the people she is involved in – her family, her first crush, a girl she brushed accidentally while she was leaving Earth, and of course her murderer. There is nothing Susie can do except be a passive observer. Her unique involvement in the story allows the novel to be from the point of view of a first person narrator, as well as third person omniscient narrator. The novel sucks you right from the beginning, with the heart-rendering descriptions of a family trying to cope with the death of a loved one, as well as the dead person’s observations of a life she’s not a part of anymore. The incidents are at once touching and comic – very apt of life itself. Sebold’s tone is quite artful, and she is successful in creating a family that we are bound to feel for. The characters are well drawn out and rarely do we find any shallowness in her portrayals. There are many characters, but Sebold gives almost all of them equal importance. Although a little lengthy, the book is quite a grasping read. I might want to nitpick about the last two chapters, which left me very dissatisfied with the close of the story – it almost felt as if Sebold had no idea what to do with it, and decided to finish it off in a hurry. But that doesn’t mean the rest of the book is not worth it. More than likely, you’ve not read a book with this premise, so I’d recommend you give it a shot. I am really curious about the Peter Jackson film-version of the book to be out soon. I usually don’t recommend books be changed for films, but in this case, I wouldn’t mind if he tweaked the end for the movie audiences.
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A Reader posted a review at 2008-01-20 01:27:08.
(Language: English)
Soo good. Little Suzie Salmon (like the fish...) disappeared after school one day and was brutally murdered by her creep of a neighbor.Her father is instinctively suspicious of the strange man but his accusations are only scorned at by the town and police as there is no evidence supporting his theory. The murder goes unsolved for years and Suzie witnesses it tear at the hearts and relationships of her surviving family. Only a piece of her elbow is found in a cornfield. She narrates the novel and part of her remains on earth with her loved ones in spirit every day. She is creatively suspended in her own peice of heaven where she meets others and can only look on patiently and await the necessary closure of her death for herself and loved ones on earth. She lingers in the minds of many who's lives were impacted by the loss of the little girl. The deceased Suzie remains with them, however, and watches with a bit of envy as her sister and friends grow up to greet the oncoming years that were so violently snatched away from her. They are granted the opportunity to fully live experiences that she can only dream of and observe from afar. The book resembles a suspenseful murder mystery. It keeps the anxious reader hoping that her family and friends can solve the mystery and catch the man who continues to commit perverted random crimes leaving his young dead hidden away and those still living with painful wounds to mend.
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A Reader posted a review at 2009-04-24 08:08:27.
(Language: English)
INCREDIBLE book... One of my absolute favorites. This is my 2nd time reading this book and, even knowing what was going to happen the 2nd time through, it hit me with the same force as the first time. This is the story of Suzie Salmon's death and the after-effects for her family, her friends, and also herself. It is one of the most beautifully written books I've ever read. Very unique, it took me on a journey much different than any I've ever experienced. This book lives and breathes, and it's spirit lingers with you long after you've read the last page. Unforgettable... This is one that leaves an impression. Highly, highly recommended...but be advised, although there are infusions of joy and hope, it is incredibly sad. It will grab you where it hurts and then twist and pull relentlessly - but isn't that the daily reality of someone who's lost a child, a sister, a loved one, especially one so young? As a reader, you really experience what these people go through and in that aspect I found it was emotionally honest. Death is a bitter pill to swallow, and Sebold gives it to you straight and doesn't sugar coat it. But even so, all the emotion is buffered a little because, for me, the book maintained a dreamlike quality throughout its entirety. When I first read this book a few years ago, I was excited to discover that there was a movie in production, but I was a little worried about how some of the material would be interpreted into film. I finally saw the trailer for the movie a couple of weeks ago, and so far it looks like they've done an excellent job. I dont get out to the movie theater much, but this is one I will definitely be watching on the big screen.
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A Reader posted a review at 2010-06-23 06:00:22.
(Language: English)
I saw the movie before I read the book, which is something I try not to do, and for good reason. The movie only covers the content of the book up until chapter sevenish. I'm guessing. There are 23 chapters in The Lovely Bones. What else is in the book? you might be asking. Shit. That's what. The majority of this novel is 100% unnecessary. I think Peter Jackson did a super awesome job deciding what should be in the film and what shouldn't be. I think Sebold should have consulted Jackson before publishing. She could have easily written a lengthy novel on what Jackson put in the movie - easily. But she didn't. She added a bunch of random, extra crap that made the book DRONE on forever. It was so hard to finish. With that said, the last little bit of the book is my favorite. This book addresses the issue of "closure" which is a huge thing when dealing with death. I liked the perspective that Sebold took on it. The scene with Susie and Ray - wonderful. Onto Sebold's writing style. I'm not a fan and here's why: she spends so much time including adjectives and awkward metaphors that it takes away from the story. Only a few writers can successfully pull off using metaphors of which Sebold is not one. I found this to be annoying while I was reading causing me to become uninterested in the story. I think that the idea behind The Lovely Bones is awesome. It's a touchy issue and not too many authors have addressed - and addressed successfully. Which Sebold has done. My favorite part about this book was the incorporation of the title. You don't find out what the hell she's talking about until the end, but it's quite a treat. The title reference is very small, but powerful. I really, really enjoyed that. Uhmmm, so, yeah. I probably won't read this book again, I like it better as a film. And that is a first.
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A Reader posted a review at 2009-09-29 08:44:36.
(Language: English)
WORSE BOOK EVER - Ashamed I even own it. I am an avid reader, never one to harm my novels. I've often heard that some people become so emotionally tied up with a novel that they end up throwing it across the room at points. I could never understand what would possess them to do such a thing, until I read this novel. I have 1 rule when reading a book, if I've passed page 15, whether I am into it or not, I have to keep going. The Lovely Bones nearly made me claw my eyes out so I would no longer have to read it. I cannot say that I am a fan of the authors tactics. The story line was so unbelievably unrealstic at points. I understand that the author is said to be a rape victim but such a topic is very disturbing to write a novel about. I was so disappointed beyong belief after being told this novel was a popular one. The author gave up all the mystery in the beginning, there was no suspense in it what so ever. The only thing that drove me on towards the finish line was to see how the child predator was to be caught/killed off - when coming to this point in the story, it finally happened. I was so angry that I finally threw the book not caring if I damaged it one bit. If I ever have the chance of meeting Alice Sebold I will be asking for my money back, and if I ever have the honour of meeting her editor, I shall slap them with this book because in no way have they done their job. What on earth was Bay Back Books thinking when they picked up this project...oh, wait a minute, THEY WEREN"T!
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A Reader posted a review at 2007-11-17 01:29:37.
(Language: English)
Susie Salmon (like the fish) gets raped and killed as a child by a neighbor at the beginning of the book. Ascended to her own version of Heaven, she watches and talks to us about her family, her killer and her friends - their thoughts and actions, how they come to terms with this "brutal" event in their life, and how some people never really let go and find different ways to accommodate their daughter/sister/friend's murder in their lives. I classify this as a "womanly" book - the kind you find ladies reading while sun-bathing. There's not much fascination in it for the young male audience because it just deals with a little girls emotions and attachment (and disconnection) - things we don't really identify with much. That said, I might not belong to the right demograph for this book and hence didn't enjoy it much. I was not bored either, there are some really interesting characters and some quite well written passages, but I skipped quite a few lines on every page. This is the sort of story we would admire as a well-made movie, but might not read the book that inspired it - and I say thins not because of the upcoming adaptation but because of how much it reminded me of the movie Little Children. The same disconnected husband, wife (albeit here of the same family), looking for relapse/release elsewhere, the absolutely typical (down to the T) loner child molester/killer, the quite suburb with rustling leaves - this one even has the Mommy of the mommy do a decent "full make-up" stint. On the whole, give it a try if you are sunbathing in a ladies' swim-suit or like to read while you travel. If you are like me, just wait for the movie. Rating --> 2.5 of 5
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A Reader posted a review at 2008-04-12 09:21:17.
(Language: English)
not generally the sort of book i read, but it surprisingly hooked me in. i'm not sure it was exactly good, but i really couldn't put it down, so there's something to be said for that. my main problem with it was that it was just really unsatisfying in some ways... there's no wrapping up of loose ends. i mean really (and there are spoilers ahead, so watch out), the murderer gets away with it? they never find her body!? that was soooooo frusterating, especially since i'm a big fan of things like cold case files and stuff like that (i mean, how great would it have been if he'd gotten caught like 10 years later at the end of the book? that would have made it about a million times better). and although i kind of enjoyed sebold's interpretation of heaven (my very favorite part was when susie's dog died and joined her in heaven), but it was just a little creepy at the end where susie possesses ruth and gets it on with her pre-teen crush. plus, kind of weird, especially seeing as how ruth is a lesbian, she and the boy are buddies, and the main character was the victim of a sex crime. i know ruth had special abilities and all that, but i think fingering the killer would have been a better use of them. also, i really think i have to point out how strikingly similar the opening line of the book is to teen fiction; specifically, it brings to mind THE LAST VAMPIRE by christopher pike. mind you, i haven't read christopher pike since i was 13, but from what i remember that series (told in first person by the last vampire herself) started pretty much exactly the same way. i think he also had a book told in the first person by a dead girl who possessed the body of a friend of hers, so it's not exactly revolutionary. which isn't neccessarily a bad way to start, but a little bit obvious. anyway, it was a strangely entralling book, but i think it might a bit similar to the davinci code, in that it seems really good while you're reading it, but then afterward you realize it actually was sort of less than it should have been.
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A Reader posted a review at 2009-05-05 10:26:34.
(Language: English)
This book is beautifully written, which does help the disturbing subject-matter seem a bit more palatable. The narrator is a 14 year-old girl that is brutally raped and murdered by a serial murderer in the 1970's. She spends most of the novel looking down from heaven upon the family she has left behind. The poignancy of her revelations after she dies makes for an emotional, imaginative journey. I was sorely disappointed by several pieces of the ending, but we can't always be pleased by endings anyhow. It's really hard for me to decide how I feel about this book. The writing is eloquent and well-crafted, but the subject matter is disturbing. The story of a cunning rapist and murderer that preys upon young girls is only made palatable because it is the backdrop for an imaginative tale of fourteen-year-old Susie, who having fallen victim to the serial killer, finds herself in Heaven. I like to read different interpretations of the afterlife, so dwelling there with Susie and watching with her as her family lives and grows, was what kept the pages turning. I was very annoyed by certain parts of the summation, but we can't always be pleased by endings.
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Jennifer posted a review at 2009-11-14 07:10:39.
(Language: English)
Reviewed by Cana Rensberger for TeensReadToo.com THE LOVELY BONES will haunt you. This book tells the story of the most horrific thing a family could ever endure, the murder of a loved one, a child. The child is 14-year-old Susie Salmon. We see the murder through her eyes, after she is killed. Susie narrates her story from heaven, a place like I'd not before imagined. Her heaven begins as her school playground. Slowly it grows to become more. Susie merely longs for something she misses from earth, and it appears, except, of course, the living. Although she can watch her loved ones, know what they are doing, thinking, and feeling, she cannot be with them, or they with her. The book begins with the emotional, frightening, and vividly shown homicide. Through Susie's eyes, we understand how he tricked her. We feel her terror as we realize, with her, what's about to happen. Then the scene moves to another, equally heartbreaking moment, three days later when a neighbor's dog finds a body part. You would think, at this point, that you wouldn't be able to read further, that you'd close the book and never reopen it. But you won't be able to. Like Susie, we want to know her family will be okay. We want to know the killer won't get away with it. The author, Alice Sebold, artfully forces you to read on. Susie watches her friends whisper about her at school. She watches as her younger sister, Lindsey, hardens to stone. Her four-year-old brother, Buckley, is passed from neighbor to neighbor, having sleepovers, told his sister has just gone away for a bit. She listens to the detective, Len, tell her parents the inevitable, that they are now investigating her disappearance as a murder. Her family slowly begins to crumble and Susie can do nothing to help. This sounds like a suffocating, depressing book, but as you read you'll feel encouraged as Susie's family begins to move on, never to forget, but to begin to live life without her. Buckley struggles to understand the meaning of forever. Susie's dad becomes obsessed with proving he's not crazy, that he's certain who killed his daughter. Susie's mom handles the stress by hiding from it. And Lindsey, known as the girl whose sister was murdered, strives to find herself again. She searches for love. And she takes a huge risk to help her dad flush out the killer. The ending is incredibly sweet. Amazing as it may seem, you will feel Susie's joy as she lets go of those she's left behind. For me, the ending wasn't perfect, it left me wanting, but I imagine that was deliberate. Life itself is not perfect. But life has hope. And that's the feeling that will stay with you as you turn the last page. It's a memorable read, not for the faint of heart. Expect to feel. To fear, to cry, and, yes, to laugh. THE LOVELY BONES will touch the very core of your being. Alice Sebold has written beautifully of the ugliest scenario possible. Wow.
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A Reader posted a review at 2007-06-22 09:49:40.
(Language: English)
The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold What happens after you die? There are so many theories and no way to prove any of them. One is just as plausible as the next. This book explores one of these many possibilities. When we meet our main character, 14-year-old Susie Salmon, she is already dead, the victim of a murder, and in heaven. She has to deal with no longer being a part of what was her life, and she is exploring the place in which she now resides – heaven. Throughout the book we learn what she learns as she watches her family and friends from above. The stress of her murder, the dealing with the unknown location of her final resting place, the ongoing speculation on who the murderer is… She watches as her parents’ marriage suffers in the wake of the tragic events that have unfolded. She sees her sister distancing herself from friends and family in an attempt to be strong. And she watches as her baby brother struggles to understand what ‘gone’ means when all he really wants is his sister back. She is witness to her friends going on without her and the boy she liked moving on as well. And she investigates this place called heaven. It looks a lot like the world she left behind with playgrounds and new friends and anything she wants appears, just by thinking about it. It is in this place that she grows up and matures, where she learns to leave her old life behind knowing that they will be ok without her. Truly an inspiring novel, regardless of your belief, or lack thereof, in an afterlife. This story turns a tragic, painful event into one of hope and understanding. I would recommend it to anyone interested in a non-demanding read that touches the heart and makes you believe in all sorts of possibilities.
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A Reader posted a review at 2009-08-25 10:47:03.
(Language: English)
Whenever I read a widely-acclaimed book, I have to admit that I probably expect more than any book can reasonably give. I look for an experience unlike other books I have read, for something that will make the book stand up to its acclaim and stand out in my mind. THE LOVELY BONES is indeed well-written and has a quiet lyricism to it that makes it a cut above a lot of the "best-selling" garbage out there today. The emotions of its characters are real and palpable, and their interactions are much more believable than most of the canned dialogue that's floating around popular literature. The story lopes along from the point of view of 14-year-old murder victim, Susie Salmon. The premise is a novel one, and the voice of the narration is matter-of-fact, giving the reader a better view than might be given by standard first- or third- person storytelling. However, in the end, the book can't deliver what it promises. Many of the resolutions are anticlimactic or disappointing; only a few are pulled off with what the quiet justice that is never found in real life. So reader beware: this book will move you, but it may also leave you disappointed.
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