Alice Sebold - The Lovely Bones

Pros: Not as depressing as you must think it is.
Cons: Is jumbled at times, but still easy to follow with careful reading.

"I could not have what I wanted most: Mr. Harvey dead and me living. Heaven wasn't perfect. But I came to believe that if I watched closely, and desired, I might change the lives of those I loved on Earth." From: The Lovely Bones ...

Pros: Well written, engaging premise, well developed characters
Cons: Minor gaps in the supernatural parts of the story

Every so often, in a book, a movie, a TV show, you hear a character proclaim that they “speak for the dead”. That it is their job to advocate for those whose lives are lost. Usually the character making this declaration is a detective – someone who ...

Pros: Completely original, very touching.
Cons: A little too much filler at times.

Have you ever read a book that changes the way you look at something in life? I mean...really chang ...

Pros: Unusual perspective told from the voice of the murdered girl.
Cons: Just one scene I felt was out of place.

When I finally picked up and read the jacket of this book, I knew immediately that I wanted to purchase it. (Usually I don't "buy" many books, choosing rather to borrow them from the library or from friends or even purchase them at our used ...

Pros: point-of-view, characters, flashbacks, and uniqueness
Cons: none

I like to let books choose me, instead of me choosing them. So when The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold came out in 2002 and people couldn’t be quiet about it, I tried to ignore everyone telling me, “You’ve absolutely got to read this book!” About ...

Pros: Moving story, some well written characters, beautiful descriptions.
Cons: Slow paced

I had heard that Alice Sebold's novel, The Lovely Bones was a book NOT to miss. I had heard that this book is a rare occurrence, a first novel that is above all the rest. I had heard that this book is different, unique, and well written. I...

Pros: Best book that I've read in ages. Go buy it, already!
Cons: Not a thing. My recommendation for Alice Sebold's debut novel is without reservation.

This summer hasn’t been the best for me in terms of summer reading. I kicked things off with the interesting and slightly stomach turning (but not sufficiently disturbing to convince me to shun beef) Fast Food Nation, then moved on to Melanie Rae...

Pros: beautifully written, with a unique point of view
Cons: one part seems straight out of the movie "Ghost"

What if, after your death, you could watch people on earth? Could you handle seeing your loved ones mourn?..Could you take seeing their lives go on without you? If you could customize heaven, what would your heaven be like?

...

Pros: An original, well written story.
Cons: The fact that the main character was murdered can be disturbing

"My name was Salmon, like the fish; first name, Susie. I was fourteen when I was murdered on December 6, 1973."

So begins Alice Sebold's best selling novel, The Lovely Bones. After reading a few reviews and being told in a...

Pros: A stunning, heartbreaking, beautiful debut novel
Cons: the hype surrounding it.

It was a strange experience for me to be reading a current number one bestseller - and a "summer hit" no less - but curiosity eventually got the best of me (of course it helped that my wife had quickly read through the book and loved it) and I broke...

Pros: Engaging and emotional experience
Cons: A few under-developed characters, a segue into fantasy which felt a little out-of-place

The Lovely Bones is about the most horrible of tragedies: a young girl raped and murdered. S ...

Pros: Mystery, ghost story and great storytelling; part tragedy and part comedy with fantasy
Cons: None

A new novelist gives voice to the voiceless and innocent little girls who got attacked and murdered. It's high time that one who knows their pain speaks on their behalf and that of their grieving parents.

What to do about around-the-clock...

Pros: Interestesting concept, quick read
Cons: Poorly written, uneven

Lovely Bones was very interesting in many different facets. For one, it was a different take on, what could have been, a very ill-told, mundane story, but given the unique narrative style, it offered something special for the reader. An inside ...

Pros: Characters, story-lines, perspective
Cons: A few spots  have too much detail

Susie Salmon was a young girl, living in a nice suburban neighborhood. She tells us the story of when she was raped and murdered. Of course, such a story must be told from the Afterlife, as the narrator is, well, dead. The story has two main emphases: ...

Pros: Original story, endearing characters, well written
Cons: Unoriginal scenes, less than fulfilling ending

I'm a firm believer that the opening lines of a novel are crucial in the success of catching the reader's attention. This novel does succeed. "My name was Salmon, like the fish; first name, Susie. I was fourteen when I was murdered on December 6, ...

Pros: Well written, interesting subject, believable characters
Cons: The middle drags too much, the end is rushed. Good effort but uneven.

Okay I got some very good criticism/feedback so I've updated this review a bit to be more readable. First of all, as a bestseller, this novel has a surprisingly macabre theme. In the first few pages, the narrator, a young teen, is raped and murdered ...

Pros: A wonderfully written novel
Cons: None

The Lovely Bones has received much attention. The basis of the novel sounds utterly depressing. A book, about a murdered 14 year old, told from heaven. Well, it's not a morbid book. Sure, it's sad in some parts, but then so is life.

...

Pros: the first few pages of the book
Cons: too lengthy, lacking in substance

It all began about eight months ago. As I walked around entranced by the sights and smells of my local Barnes and Noble, I came across a book. However, this was no ordinary book, it was THE book. You know THE book. It is that rare gem of a book that i ...

Pros: The tone of the narrator, the plot, the closure.
Cons: The length; descriptions run a little too long.

This book was excellent. Sebold tiptoed around all the fine lines and balanced her writing in just the right places to create a perfect equilibirum of reality and "fantasy," as some might call it. The Lovely Bones is set in the 1970s and is ...

Pros: This book has kept my mind wondering. Slightly depressing but wonderful!
Cons: I had to focus hard to really understand this book.

I bought this book on a website called cheapbooks.com for thirty one cents. Being a poor college student you learn to use any resources that are available to you. Two years ago my English teacher recommended this book to me; I read two thirds of the ...

Pros: Interesting theme, engaging characters (some).
Cons: Plot holes, loose ends, quickly wrapped-up ending, amateurish.

The Lovely Bones is the tale of a family, the Salmons, torn asunder after the brutal murder of their eldest daughter, Suzie, in 1973. In a peculiar, yet intriguing twist, it is Suzie herself who narrates the story from that which she has termed the ...

Pros: Beautifully written,a unique perspective,I just loved it.
Cons: Her "Ghost" type experience was a little odd, as well as the heaven idea.

In Alice Sebold's premiere novel she invites us to take a different perspective on life after tragedy.
This novel is written from the victim's perspective, watching from heaven above as she sees her family grieve, her killer hide his tracks, and the...

Pros: I actually bought a hardback and wasn't disappointed!
Cons: None that I can think of...

I read so much that I am loath to part with the money involved in buying a hardback. I can buy three or four paperbacks for the price of one hard bound book. But this time I'm glad I did.

The story is told from the point-of-view of a...

Pros: Awesome, unique style, very vivid, a completely engrossing story.
Cons: Contains a couple of elements inappropriate for younger readers.

This story is about 14-year-old Susie Salmon. Susie gets good grades in school, she kissed Ray Singh by the lockers (but don't tell!), and one winter evening on her way home from school, she is brutally murdered. This story is not about Susie's life. ...

Pros: Strong beginning and a heartfelt ending.
Cons: A weak and middling second act that loses it's way.

In Alice Sebold's "The Lovley Bones" fourteen year old Susie Salmon is raped and murdered by a neighbor before the first chapter ends. The terrible after effects of her disappearance on her family will echo throughout the years and form the heart of the ...

Pros: Vivid, touching, humorous
Cons: Loses a little something 3/4 of the way in.

I work at Barnes and Noble. Hence I am privy to the lastest and greatest releases in fiction one of which is Alice Sebold's The Lovely Bones. The book was an instant bestseller. It was rather bizarre actually. It seemed to surface out of nowhere...

Pros: Richly detailed, well written story. The kind of book you can't put down.
Cons: I didn't get enough sleep until I was done reading :)

After having read the review of this book in Time magazine, I knew I had to read the novel! Written by Alice Sebold, a woman who herself had lived through being assaulted when she was a young woman, this book gives you a glimpse into the mind of a...

Pros: A compelling read
Cons: May offend true believers' sensibilites

Alice Sebold's acclaimed novel, which is a Good Morning America Read This! selection and popular book club pick, is stunning in its simplicity. The main character, Susie Salmon, speaks with a voice of clarity and authenticity that makes her immediately...

Pros: Compelling, captivates your attention, poetic.
Cons: A few chapters are slow, with buried important information.

I was actually asked to read this book by a close friend of mine, who stated that the way it was written is something that I would enjoy; I decided to take her on.

I opened the first page of this book, only to find my favorite prose (now an...

Pros: Very easy to read, completed it in 2 days
Cons: None, highly recommend it

This Book took me somewhere I've never been. When we first begin the read we realize that the main character telling the story is a young girl named Susie Salmon. The one thing different about her from any other book that I have read is that she is no...

Pros: Great storyline, flows beautifully.
Cons: Deals alot with todays headlines about child killing-may hit home.

Today's headlines blare out, announcing another child is missing or worse, murdered. Alice Seybold's novel, The Lovely Bones, deals with exactly this and it will hit home, it will affect you in some way.

The story is about a young teenager...

Pros: Beautiful descriptions, Original idea, Believable Characters
Cons: Ending

I, like many, was captivated by the idea behind "The Lovely Bones". Told from the perspective of a teenage girl who had been murdered, the story is a fascinating look at how people deal with the untimely death of a loved one and how the victim comes to...

Pros: Interesting story line, interesting themes
Cons: Did not like the title, all was not resolved for me in the end

This is a ghost story with a difference. In this her second novel, Alice Sebold tells a moving, tear jerking story from the point of view of a 14 year old murder victim, Susie Salmon. This perspective is not unique and in fact reminded me of the book ...

Pros: The family story and the point of view are fabulously realistic.
Cons: The murder is gruesome and awful to think about

The beauty of this book is the depth of emotion portrayed in the parents who couldn't protect their daughter from rape and murder, the lost feelings of the siblings when the parents exist, but don't take real care of them, the grandmother, who knows that ...

Pros: Beautifully written first novel - heartwarming story
Cons: Wish it could have been longer

Susie Salmon is murdered and narrates her story from her new home in heaven. She describes some events leading up to her death and her feelings of amazement when she realizes that she is dead. Her description of heaven is wonderful - it is whatever you...

Pros: Beautiful storytelling, bittersweet and heartbreaking story of love's devotion and family
Cons: Crying, reading this book on the commuter bus is the risk you take

The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold is a beautifully told story of a horrible crime against a young girl and her journey life after death.

The voice of the victim - the storyteller - Susie Salmon, tells of she history, moves through the present...

Pros: Sebold tells a great story, in a very unique way.
Cons: Not a thing!

I was browsing a bookstore when I happened to come across this book in the new fiction section. I almost didn't pick it up because I thought it was just going to be another typical murder mystery story, but I was was waiting for a friend to meet me, and...

Pros: addictingly good read even for non-readers
Cons: umm--you read it even when you should not (like at work)

I had to force myself to put this book down and go to sleep. It has a desperatness to it as Susie, the 14y/o main charecter watches her family unravel after her rape and murder. I was captivated right along with Susie trying to "will" her family into ...

Pros: Imaginative and unique. Easy read.
Cons: Lack of true emotion makes it feel contrived. Left me with an empty feeling.

Alice Sebold has certainly produced an amazing piece of fiction with Lovely Bones. The story is narrated by a twelve year old murder victim from her heavenly perch. We watch her family go through the healing process and see her killer elude suspicion....

Pros: Interesting characters--sort of
Cons: too many to mention

After experiencing the unmatched media blitz that surrounded this book, I felt compelled to read it. Sadly, I found this book merely *okay*. Sebold's writing style was rather uneven--at times melodramatic, at times succinct and even abrupt. I think...

Pros: Written from a refreshing point of view. Beginning is a page turner.
Cons: None that comes to mind

This is Alice Sebold debut novel that shot onto the New York Times bestseller list.

The novel is written from a refreshing point of view, that of a young girl that was brutally killed and is looking down from heaven. From the first lines ("My...

Pros: original story,readers attention is immediately captured.
Cons: The ending is a little far fetched and disappointing.

This is the best book I have read in ages (and I read alot!)The reader is immediately sucked into the world that Alice Sebold has created. Time is spend enjoyably and flies by while you are reading this book. I came to care for each of the characters,...

Pros: different, original and entertaining
Cons: nothing

Addicting from the start, this book is very hard to put down. Susie Salmon is a regular, teenage girl living in a suburb in 1973. On December 6, when walking home, her crazy neighbor Mr. Harvey lures her into an underground room in a cornfield and ...

Pros: An interesting story of how a family moves forward after a child's death.
Cons: Slow in some parts.

A good book the follows a family after one of the daughter's is murdered. It is an interesting study in how the father and mother's relationship changes and how it affects the little sister and brother. How they grow up in the face of this tragedy....

Pros: expertly written, never precious
Cons: It had an end.

This is a really beautiful novel. The story seamlessly wraps around itself to pick up characters where we last left them and takes the reader to the end much too quickly.

It is really hard to approach a much written about subject like death...

Pros: Poignant, beautifully written, consuming, haunting
Cons: If you cry at sad books, you can't read this on in public

Be warned: This book is a real tear-jerker. And it's consuming. Once you start it, you won't be able to put it down.

Alice Sebold has a gift. She writes beautifully and eloquently, and has amazing insight to be able to write a story like...

Pros: Characters you care about, well written
Cons: It took me a week to recover from reading the first chapter....no kidding.

I just finished this book and couldn't pass it on to my friend fast enough! I just wish I had a bookclub group to talk about this with.

When I read the first chapter, I was so moved and horrified that I couldn't pick it back up until I...

Pros: Easy Read!
Cons: The ending jumps too much

I have five children I don't get much of a chance to read anything other than Dr. Suess; but my best friend insisted that I read this book. This book is a very easy read. It had a way of drawing me in just to hear more about little Susie Salmon. Once...

Pros: Great book that will keep you reading long after midnight.
Cons: None--first chapter you made need to take a deep breath, but then it is great.

This book is definitely one of my favorites. I would go to the gym and pedal on the bike just to read this book! I just didn't want to wait until I went to bed. I have talked to others, one lady with a teenage daughter, and yes, the first chapter is ...

Pros: Interesting viewpoint on afterlife
Cons: Not much depth.

This was a quick book to read. Definitely worth it. The story is told from an interesting perspective and makes you think about how you see things in the world. The book is carried on the basic idea and an interesting perspective. I lost interest in...

Pros: Never ending page turning.
Cons: It ended too soon.

Susie is murdered by a serial killer on her way home from school. She emerges to "Her" heaven where all is possible. From her heaven, she is able to watch below her. Her family, her friends, her killer, the police. Her interaction with those of her...

Pros: Beautiful story, thought provoking, deeply moving, great characters.
Cons: None.

A sorrowful and poignant novel that will never be forgotten. It grabbed me from the first page when it opened with the ending of Susie's life by a vicious murderer. For the rest of the novel she retells events from the past with the wisdom of one who sees both past and future. She observes from heaven the lives of those she loves and the one man that ended her life. As the years progress, we watch their lives ebb and flow and observe the effect that her untimely departure has on them, especially her father. The book concluded with something unexpected and quite wondrous. A must read for anyone who enjoys a novel filled with insight on grief. This should be a modern classic!

Pros: unique, suspenseful, well-written, creative
Cons: some parts are a little confusing if you don't read carefully

This book grabbed my attention from the beginning. Lovely Bones is probably the most interesting book I have ever read. It's told from the perspective of a girl who was raped and murdered by her neighbor. The book is about Susie Salmon (the murdered girl) who is killed in the beginning of the book and the rest of the book is about her family going on and living life without her. Everyones relationship is effected by her death, and Susie watches all of this from her viewpoint in heaven. It's unlike any other book I have ever read and I would definitely recommend it for anyone older than 13.

Pros: This book allows you to experience your own emotions and imagine the characters as well.
Cons: There wasn't enough time to really get the familial relationships prior to the abduction.

How do you step out of a family's grief of a tragic event enough to see the real victim? Alice Sebold didn't have a problem with that. She brought both sides together and allowed us to experience grief and hope through the characters she created.

Walk with this family as they rebuild their lives from a shattered mess. Walk with the young victim as she watches over her family.

I wouldn't be opposed to this version of heaven. It is similar to What Dreams May Come, the movie with Robin Williams, in it's philosophy.

Pros: Just about everything in this book. It definately grabs your attention and curiosity!
Cons: Absolutely nothing!!

I bought this book on a whim hoping it would be a good read. After the first few pages I was already hooked and couldn't put it down!! I loved how she narrated the story. Especially what heaven was like. It get us a different perspective of what we may imagine it. The ending was especially awesome. Gosh after I read it I made my boyfriend read it. We read it together. Its just a really awesome book!

Pros: Great characters and plot. Definitely a page turner.
Cons: None that I can think of!

To be honest, I had never heard of Alice Sebold before coming across The Lovely Bones. I read a brief description of the book and I was quite intrigued. After reading this book for the first time, I fell in love with it! I've come to read it a few times and I can not seem to grow tired of it. It throws in so many different emotions and aspects together, but in a good way. Experience the sadness of this girl's death from her families point of view, but also experience the sadness that she experiences from Heaven along with her joy, hatred, fear and other things. It made me laugh, feel the pain, joy, sadness that the characters in the book felt. I would HIGHLY recommend this book to someone that has never read any other books by A. Sebold and to anyone that is looking for something different and interesting.

Pros: Appealing to everyone
Cons: Sadness

In terms of Must Read books, The Lovely Bones is one I highly recommend. Sebold's novel The Lovely Bones is interesting and full of tragedy. It is about Susie, the main character, who is murdered by her neighbor. After her death she narrates her story from heaven. She observes her family circle which has been broken:
The mother leaves the family and falls in love with the inspector who investigates the neighbor, but the father also cannot move beyond the loss of his daughter.

Pros: Very interesting idea for a book.Refreshing perspective!
Cons: Would have liked to have seen more happening to the murderer.

I was initially intrigued by the premise of this book. A murder victim telling her story and that of her family is a great idea for a book!
However, I really would have liked it better if there was more focus on the murderer(less on other characters) and justice served for the victim. I was disappointed with the ending. Aside from the ending, I thought it was a good read.

Pros: Interesting, creative and thought-provoking.
Cons: None.

Even though the subject of murder, is not usually my first choice to read about, this book was different. It's enthralling from beginning to end. The story will linger with you for a long time.

Pros: Page turner
Cons: none

Excellent book. Deal with a violent crime of rape and murder against a 14 year old girl that is told in the very first paragraph. The description of the tragedy is kept to a minimum and the entire book is written with elegance. The story of the aftermath and what heaven is like will keep you turning page after page and be sorry when the story is over. Highly recommend reading this book, but keep some tissues next to you.

Pros: how everything gets you to make an image in your mind
Cons: i have no cons for the book.

The lovely bones is the best book i have ever read.my friend was first reed the book and talked so much about it and made me want to read it but when i went to the library to rent it there was a waiting list on it. I finally got to read the book this year and it was amazing.

the book changes your prospective on things and life on earth and even the after life. For one on my school projects i had to look up a little about the author and she wrote this book from life experience. which makes it even more valuable to know it lets you understand maybe just a little how she felt when she went through a tragedy like this.

What I loved most about this book was how original it was. The way it was set in heaven. and the whole book is Susie watching down on earth. The book is a very touching book and i would recommend reading it. there wasn't really anything i didn't like. it was completely a wonderful book.

Pros: attention grabber
Cons: a little confusing ,but understandable if read carefully.

When I first picked up this novel I thought to myself another boring book to read.But I was wrong ,this novel was very interesting.It caught my attention from the first paragraph when she said Salmon,like the fish:first name Susie.Becuase ,this meant that she didn't like her name very much,much like me so I thought since I have already read the first chapter.Which was about her unfortunate death as she told it from heaven also from what she remembered before and after her death.The only thing I didn't like about this story was that sometimes she was talking about one thing then start on another .But other than that the story was great.

Pros: Not your typical murder mystery.
Cons: Too lengthy and focused too much on the supernatural.

Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold is a touching story that focuses on the difficulties The Salmon family faces after the murder of their older daughter. I've read this book numerous times, and each time it engages me more and more. I loved the book because of the point of view it offers. I loved that it showed the point of view of each character in detail. Although, I believe that Sebold focused too much on the supernatural. Also, I love the book because it's a touching and dark story. It shows that not only does George Harvey end Susie's life, but he ends the whole Salmon family's lives. I loved that the book was unlike anything else I've read before. There were many characters involved in the story line, but I think each character had an appropriate place in the book. It was difficult, at first, to keep track of them all. I wish that Sebold had focused a little bit more on the forensic/mystery side of the murder, instead of the psychological side. Overall, I enjoyed the novel and I enjoyed the perspective it offered.