The Lovely Bones

The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold is one of the most powerful books I have ever read. I am not one for reading about death, ghosts, anything in the slightest bit scary or frightening, and when I heard about this book I did not think it would be for me. But, I read the first page of this book and was hooked, I finished it 5 hours later and I can honestly say it has changed the way I think about heaven, life after death and the ability to move on when somebody you love dies. It is a thought provoking, tear jerking fictional story of Susie Salmon, murdered at a young and tender age, who narrates the story of her afterlife (for want of a better word) in "her Heaven" and her family's path through life without her. I did not put this book down from the moment I started it, I read alot of books and have never been so hooked on anything before. The idea is so original, you will not have read anything like it. The emotional ride that Susie and author Alice Sebold take you on is a real rollercoaster, you will cry tears of sadness and joy, feel anger and fear, love the story and possibly hate it too. If you have children you will cuddle them extra hard on a night. If ever you have lost someone close then read this book. Alice Sebold is not attempting to make you believe in anything, this is not a religious book, or a story to be afraid of (even if you have lost a child yourself), it is simply a fictional novel, of the way things could possibly be. The whole story centres around a sad event, a brutal murder of someone young and vulnerable, but this is not a dark book, it will make you cry, and make you happy. Susie is a strong character, easy to like and easy to understand, someone most people can relate to. I can honestly say this book will stay with me forever, I loved reading it, and am very happy to recommend it to everyone. Happy reading!

I must admit that strangers starred at me as tears flowed while I read the book on the train on my way home. I have never read such a captivating book, I simply just had to finish it in one day. Till date this is Alice Sebold's only fiction novel that I know of, the other is non-fiction and is called 'Lucky'. In it holds the key to why she could write and transmit to us a nightmare horror, for she too was raped on her way home.I cried for the main character, Susie, because she was frozen in a child like body, while watching her sister and brother grow up, the end of her parent's marriage and eventually her mother's transformation. In 'Lucky' you will read how the author's own mother battled with alcohol and personality problems. Both books are entwined, I think, one true, the other make believe, both the author's attempt to deal with ghosts of the past as well as the unanswered question, what if she had been murdered that day?

A most unusual novel. To take two subjects so potentially dark and complex - violent murder and the afterlife - and turn them into a narrative of such richness and emotional depth without sinking once into the macabre or depressive is an achievement of some magnitude. The novel works because it is ultimately based on a deep understanding of human behaviour. It captures well the range of feelings suffered by those bereaved and reflects them in Susie's lingering relationship with her family. With an empathy that never strays into the saccharine, Sebold's narrative captures that one reaction we are all guilty of at the loss of a loved one - the burning desire to keep them with us.This is an innovative, evidently deeply autobiographical novel which has the ability to touch us all through that common rite of passage we so often ignore.

This book is simply the most moving book i have ever read.I lived every up & down of the characters, Seabold's sensitive portrayal of such a horrific subject is wonderful, without being overly sentimental I found it ost suprising.The first chapter deals with the death of the main charater Suzie. There is no gratuitous horror- just short sharp facts of a childs murder, this is refreshing & unexpected.Suzie narrates the remainder of the story from her position in heaven & Seabold really has captured the real essence of the way a child thinks.Ive lost count of how many times this book moved me to tears- i just couldnt help it- i empathised with the characters so very very much. But also I laughed too.Put the religious reasoning aside & look at Seabolds version of heaven, how simply beautiful.This book will stay with me forever & I hope you read it & it does the same for you

The Lovely Bones is narrated by Susie, a fourteen year old girl who has been murdered. From heaven, she describes her attack and her family and friends' attempts at dealing with her loss in such a simple, matter-of-fact way that the reader will surely melt into puddles of tears.The author's writing style is friendly, chatty and irresistible; I couldn't put it down until I was finished. It is a very quick read - the kind of book you wish wouldn't end. I loved the first half and cried through it, liked the second half, and understood the ending (but selfishly wish it could have been different).This is a book about a dead child, but it is not at all macabre; it is warm, loving, honest, and hopeful. Those who have lost a loved one may well find comfort by reading The Lovely Bones. I recommend it to those who enjoy insightful, well-written fiction.

Following the murder of Susie Salmon, we watch her family cope with their grief and loss. However this is no ordinary crime novel, we follow Susie's family over the years through her eyes as she views them from her heaven. The novel draws you into the characters' world and you feel yourself become part of the family so feeling their loss and frustration as the murderer evades capture. I found this book to be very atmospheric and emotional. I think this book haunts you for a long time and although very different it's atmosphere reminded me of the classic Harper Lee novel "To kill a Mockingbird".

You don't have to believe in heaven to enjoy this excellent book, but you do have to believe in the premise that good writing ( and I include The Lovely Bones in this category ) is more than the sum of its parts. From the opening lines, you know that this book presents a unique perspective. I am an atheist, but confronted by the statement "My name was Salmon, like the fish, first name, Susie. I was fourteen when I was murdered on December 6, 1973. My murderer was a man from our neighbourhood" I was hooked, and willingly suspending all disbelief. I immediately stepped over the threshold into seeing the world from Susie Salmon's Heaven. Yes this book is occasionally sentimental, but I was carried through those few moments by the engaging literary style and the writer's empathy for her characters. The majority of the book is profoundly moving and the moments when it slips are miniscule by comparison with the times when it soars.If you want a good read that will move you to tears and pull you along at the rapid speed of a thriller; if you want a well crafted portrait of a grieving family, coming to terms with loss and getting on with their individual lives; if you want a book that is essentially life affirming, then you must read The Lovely Bones.So don't believe the bad reviews

This is a beautiful novel. Once in a while a really special first novel emerges and this is one such novel.From the first page when the narrator reveals herself to be dead; brutally raped and murdered as a school girl, the reader knows that this is something quite different and compelling. This is a book that is virtually impossible to put down and it stays with you when you're not reading it. You will search out time to read it.Alice Sebold's novel works on may levels. At the simplest level there is a thriller within the novel in the shape of 'Will the murderer be caught?'At the heart of the book is the tale of a family living their lives after the murder of their daughter/ sister and how this changes everyone's story. This is where Sebold excells. The descriptions of the love and friendship between a father and child are beautifully well observed and painfully moving. As is the account of what it means for a parent to lose this.The Lovely Bones is also a tribute to women and children who have experienced violence.Sebold covers so much ground here and even manages to tell the story of Susie Salmon's murderer.You may think that this is a heavy book, but nothing could be further from the truth. The prose is deft and clipt. At the same time the description of Susie's heaven is beautifully poetic.This is a book full of light and hope. Susie Salmon will emerge as one of modern literatures favourite characters and her story will stay with you long after the last page is read.Read Lucky and you will learn how and why Alice Sebold created such a wonderful generous world from a tragic beginning.Read and enjoy.

I choose this book without having read any reviews at all. I am so pleased that my speculative choice resulted in one of the most satisfying, moving, life-affirming reads of my life.Death, and particularly death of children, is a taboo subject, yet Alice Sebold allows the reader to face the finality of a young girl's murder with honesty. I was hooked from the opening line and read and re-read this book, because it resonated with me so deeply. All the characters affected by Susie Salmon's murder are realistic, and their grief is palpable and affecting.Yes, this is a book that will move most to tears but my tears felt flushed with a sense of the redemption offered by the final chapters of the book. Cry heartily and know that death is final but only for those who sadly pass away. Those left behind can rebuild their lives and that's a positive message for us all. Thank you, Alice.

This is one of the most heart wrenching books I've come across in a very long time. I know some readers would argue that the somewhat far-fetched idea of having a main character narrating from Heaven is not a good one, yet I personally found the concept new and refreshing. I hasten to add I am an atheist. The Lovely Bones is the gritty portrayal of grief and the struggle of a family coping with loss, and it is the fact that Susie Salmon is both the murdered party AND the narrator which gives the novel its original flavour. Beware of this novel if you are afraid of a good cry - I was reading it on the bus on my way to work with a large tear wobbling on the end of my nose. Despite the sentimentalities of the story, and the perhaps unbelievable setting and ending, the book still fails to disappoint and it is beautifully written. The key to enjoying this is to read with an open mind. What makes The Lovely Bones work is that it deals with a very prickly and disturbing subject matter in a sensitive way. My only tiny complaint is that if I had been Susie, I would have been a bit more angry with the man who took my life. Like all novels, this cannot please all its readers, but whether you enjoy this book or not the haunting story will stay with you for a long time.