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The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold

The Lovely Bones

by Alice Sebold
  • Critics' Consensus:
  • Readers' Rating:
  • First Published:
  • Jun 1, 2002, 288 pages
  • Paperback:
  • Apr 2004, 352 pages
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Reviews

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There are currently 118 reader reviews for The Lovely Bones
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Taylor

The Lovely Bones
I am no longer afraid to die because this book has changed my mind about the cruel ugly face of death, and replaced it with the song of the birds, beauty, and a smile.
Sami

Amazing
I'm reading this book for the fourth or fifth time and I can't get enough of it. It's one of those stories that mesmerizes and places you there. As you read you feel the way Suzie feels and the emotions are just amazing. This is definitely one of the best books and will be a classic read for sure.
LauraC

An incredible read!
The Lovely Bones was such a mesmorizing book I didn't want it to end. Skirting the borderlands between human reality and the imagined wonders of heaven, I felt I had been introduced to a world both startlingly tangible yet ethereal all the same. Since then, I have been looking for further excursions into the afterworld, but I haven't found much, until now.

Recently I read Gita Nazareth's Forgiving Ararat. This book too explores the interconnections between the land of the living and the land of the dead. As a publicist and a fan of this book, I'm interested to see what parallels are drawn between the two.
~Kaitlyn~

The Lovely Bones
The Lovely Bones made you think about life and how terrible yet wonderful it can be. It also made you realize how important family is. All through the book it kept me interested! I recommend this book to anyone!
Toni (Australia)

The Lovely Bones
Wow! I started this book, and could not put it down. I cried all the way through it, yet marveled at the same time at how the author managed to write in the perspective of someone in heaven. I loved the way she described heaven. I would, and have, recommended this book. I thank the author, Alice Sebold, for taking the time to write this wonderful story for us to enjoy.
Devin

Great Read!
The book was Amazing. I found that the character of Susie was a realistic person. All of the characters in the novel were well developed and their branching stories added depth to the entire account of Susie Salmon.

The Supernatural element was outstanding, involving Heaven and what not... It just gave an even greater meaning to the whole novel.

All in all, just a heartrending story that was super deep.
Stacey

This book was very touching the way she watched her family and friends from her Heaven. It was a coming-of-age story that took place after death for Susie and for her parents and siblings had to in life. It presents a new view of the afterlife. Once her family is back together and done grieving, Susie moves on to live her own life in her Heaven. It brings the dead to life again. It tells how death affects everyone around it, near and far. It makes you really thankful for the life you have. It tells of the long and painstaking process of grieving and that no one will ever get over such a tragic loss but that it is ok to move on with your life. Sebold’s view of the afterlife is very optimistic; she believes that everyone has their own version of Heaven with the things they want, in Susie’s case, a duplex, athletic field, the high school, and no boys.It does have a happy ending, but with the death of Susie’s murderer and her family moving on. It makes you re-think the usual fantasy “happy ending” as something other than, “they all lived happily ever after.” It talks of good and evil living side-by-side in a community with most not knowing. . It is ironic how the author makes you feel as if you are a member of the community where this took place and you can feel the love, loss, happiness, grief and every emotion in between coming from all the characters. It is so touching it does bring tears to your eyes at some points. It makes you realize how terrible life can be, yet still wonderful at the same time. Telling the story from Susie’s view in her heaven is taking a bit of a risk but she does it so well, you’d think many books were written like that.
Amber

The Lovely Bones
This book is so stunning. I cried so hard for Susie, and her family. It is a beautiful book that I highly recommend to everyone.

This will go on my Favorites shelf, and while I recommend it to everyone, I won't loan this copy out, it has to stay with me.

I've always thought my Grandmother who passed when I was a baby looks down on me watching me as I've grown...this book was a comfort!!

As for the monopoly piece... I thought her father moved it to help Buckley understand that Susie wouldn't be coming back for it?

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