The Lovely Bones

Most depressing book I've ever read. Because I knew something of the story before reading it, I wasn't expecting a Hallmark fantasy. I bought the book because I actually love murder mysteries, especially true ones, and love insightful horror stories, but this just left me cold. It is well-written, but what ever happened to resting in peace? This girl suffers more in death than in her actual murder. The whole dead narrator thing feels like a gimmick. The movie was on last night, and I reluctantly watched it. Although unnecessarily gruesome at times, it was actually better, artistically, in my opinion, than the book, which is something that almost never happens.

I don't want to say this book is good because it literally ripped my heart out and broke it into a million pieces. Never has a book made me cry so hard yet be so enthralled. I couldn't put it down. As much as I don't want someone to experience the pain in this book I believe everyone must read it. The authors writing is so powerful and I never wanted to put it down. It really made me see how important family is and to hold on to every moment no matter how small it is because you never know when it might be your or your loved ones last moment. Grab your tissues cuz you're in for an amazing, sad, suspenseful, horrifying journey through these pages.

I don't know why this book is popular. I bought it thinking it'd be a page turner and am left confused by it's popularity. It was not interesting, lacked plot, and I only finished it because I thought surely it was about to get better if I just kept reading. There were multiple crappy metaphors and the climax of the story is literally the first line of the book. It's all downhill from there. Plot is literally that a 14-year-old girl was murdered then watches her family and friends from heaven. They grow older without excitement and the crime remains unsolved. Boom. End of story. Don't buy this book. Don't even recommend reading it if it's given to you for free.

I don’t know why I put off reading this for so long.. 7 years I think. It was beautiful and brought some light mist to my eyes a couple times. Susie & Dr Singh... ❤️ that was awesome. Also that the reader knows what happened to Susie and although the characters don’t, the author leaves it open for me to imagine that someone did finally tell her story. I thought also the reason Susie felt peace or what she was waiting for was a beautiful surprise! It definitely wasn’t what I thought it would be. I never thought either of what a perfect weapon an icicle is.

I really disliked this book. I expected to love it, or at least like it, but I could not stand it. The first part of the book was actually decent, because the author focused on the murder and the events that occurred during the initial investigation. That part was interesting and kept my attention. But then it seemed like Sebold lost her focus on the story and just started writing random bizarre chapters on the supporting characters that were poorly written and horribly boring. The mid to end chapters were a chore to get through and once I finally got to the end, I was left feeling irritated, cheated, and frustrated with the conclusion. Also, some of the "metaphors" and descriptions she wrote in the later chapters were just awful, I felt like I was reading the ramblings of some hippie-dippy that took too much acid and thought it would be cool to write down all of the disjointed thoughts that entered their mind. Ugh, not a fan and will not ever read another book authored by her.

A book like this would naturally make a reader uneasy - a 14 year old girl is raped, brutally murdered and dismembered. But Alice Sebold has done a terrific job with a sensitive and disturbing topic and delivered a gripping tale of observation of life from the afterlife. If there is anything missing here it is only that we see through Suzie's (the protagonist) eyes but we get little input into her experience beyond life. In death she simply becomes...a reporter. Still, I wanted to read this book because it was a challenge for a writer to confront the issues of the story. I'm glad I read it.

Reading this book after watching the movie adapted from it was enjoyable. I seek these out and am usually rewarded. As I read..reflecting on the changes that were made adds a level of comfort to the read. Highly recommend this book and the movie.

I'd heard a lot about the film, but thought I'd read the book first. A very well written story of a young girl who is murdered and tells her story from 'her heaven'. It's a sad book to read but some great characters who you really get to know. Shows just how much grief involves many people around the person, and how everyone deals with it in different ways. Some brilliant writing/sayings/descriptions. Leaves you hoping that there truly is a heaven.

I saw the Peter Jackson movie first, which was beautifully stylish, and this led me to purchase the book on which it was based. For those who have only seen the film, while it is faithful to the novel in many ways, it also differs significantly in others. Jackson developed some of the characters, particularly Ruth and Holly, quite differently to how they were originally written. There is a stronger element of violence, particularly sexual violence, in the book that was downplayed in the film. The rape of the protagonist is only implied in the film, but described vividly in the book, alongside the violent and deviant nature and feelings of the murderer. The book also explores in far greater detail the change in the relationship between the other family members after the murder. Alice Sebold has a beautiful style of narrative prose that at times conflicts and yet counterpoints effectively the dark subject matter. Some it is perhaps a little schamltzy but is never trite. I liked the film, and reading the book has not changed that, but I like the book better. To write about dark and uncomfortable subject matter and yet to make it into an overall feelgood book should be impossible, yet Alice Sebold's writing style achieves it, tackling a whole range of emotions, both positive and negative, across a very diverse group of characters and yet skilfully leaving one or two quite undeveloped to have some remaining mystery while bring others to redemptive character arcs with neatly tied, even if mildly unsatisfactory, conclusions. Overall, this is a well rounded book, not necessarily easy going reading, but it will invoke a range of emotions in the reader. Just don't expect it to be a novelisation of the film. It is far from that. Treat it separately and enjoy both.

'Because horror on Earth is real and it is every day. It is like a flower or like the sun; it cannot be contained.' _____ Alice SeboldSusie Salmon is 14 years old when she is raped and murdered. From her heaven, she narrates this story. This is a 'coming of age' and 'young adult' genre, which is not usually my genre of choice. However, I very much enjoyed this book which was harrowing and thought provoking in equal measure. This isn't a 'whodunnit' or murder/mystery; we already know who the murderer is. This is more about the strain, changes and impact that Susie's murder has on her family and her friends. In particularly I liked the characters of Grandma Lynne and Ruth. Overall, this book makes for a well-rounded and compelling read.

An intriguing narrative. This picks up many themes of life, relationship and death. How families suffer in grief, brothers and sisters, mothers and fathers. How friends remember. The strains that our reactions to loss put on relationships. The memories, guilts and joys that change us. In places thought provoking scenes of the good and evil of this world. The unconventional narrative from the afterlife had some poetic and visual images of what heaven might be like, it will be perfect and free from sin. But perhaps an over emphasis on the heavenly realm touching the world.

I adored this book. I adored it so much I wanted everyone I knew to read it, so much so that I began to lend it to all my friends and never received it back so looks like I shall be ordering another copy!This book is so well written I couldn't put it down. It sucks you into the story and you really care about the characters, desperate for some justice to be done. No spoilers here but if you haven't read this book yet then you really should.