The Lovely Bones

By Alice Sebold

Book Overview

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

So begins the story of Susie Salmon, who is adjusting to her new home in heaven, a place that is not at all what she expected, even as she is watching life on earth continue without her -- her friends trading rumors about her disappearance, her killer trying to cover his tracks, her grief-stricken family unraveling. Out of unspeakable tragedy and loss, The Lovely Bones succeeds, miraculously, in building a tale filled with hope, humor, suspense, even joy.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0316168815
• ISBN13: 9780316168816
• Release Date: April 2004
• Publisher: Back Bay Books
• Length: 368 Pages
• Weight: 0.76 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.0" x 5.5" x 8.2"

Customer Reviews

Nice and easy read

Nice and easy read for adults and older kids/teens. Does have some graphic text but it is relevant to the story.

Hard read, but a good one!

It was an emotional read but it was a very good one! I had a hard time putting this down at times.

Excellent book but isn't like the movie

So this isn't like the movie but there is a lot to digest. It goes into a lot and what tears a family a part after what happens especially back then when things didn't happen like that. This is a page turner.. You need to really understand that you are getting into a lot here. If you enjoyed the movie you will most definitely love the book.

Astonishing

From the moment I picked up this book, I could not put it down. It’s a beautiful novel that incorporates a very deep meaning. It will go down as one of my favorite books.

Couldn't put it down!

This is an amazing book! The Lovely Bones is extremely beautiful and heart-wrenching at the same time. Make sure to have a tissue box near by. It’s a story of loss, love and hope. The book is by far better than the movie and vastly different so definitely read before watching. I wouldn’t have thought a story that started so tragically could’ve ended so sweetly, with so many compelling characters’ stories in between.

Wow

I read this in two days.. I could not put it down. But I will say the beginning of this book was very traumatizing to read.. and I just couldn’t stop reading because I want to see if there would be justice.

Sad and powerful story

I only saw the movie, so that's why i decided to purchase the book and for it being only "acceptable" it looks pretty nice.

The Lovely Bones

I read this book my sophomore year of high school. At the time, a friend of mine from camp, whom I had not kept in touch with as much as I wanted to, and his family were killed in a terrible plane crash. It crushed me because this kid was one of those people who gave me hope that there were truly good people. This book is about love and loss and grief and moving on. I’ve found that some books follow similar formats but this is different. The narrator is the young girl who dies in the first sentence. You know who the killer is in the first chapter. The book isn’t about the girl it’s about her looking on to her family as they fall apart, heal, and get put back together. The symbols are great I would recommend reading this book with a guide to get a better understanding of the novel. We’ve all had times in our lives when we feel broken, like things are so bad they can’t possibly get worse. Reading about this family grieving really helped me grieve the loss of my friend and learn how to move on without forgetting them. Finally, above all, this book is the best written book I’ve ever read, along with Frankenstein. I’m very picky when it comes to books, but not only was this a great story but the way Seabold writes is like poetry. It’s a fast read and something I think everyone needs to read.

Boring

Not a fan of this book, the storyline drags and the ending was too abrupt and dissapointing

Beautiful and heartbreaking.

Intense

I hear everywhere, that the beginning of this book is the best but honeslty, I think it's so boring. The whole first 15 chapters seemed as if the book was going no where. But....I stiked to it and it got sooooo much better. It's a very intense book and opens up a lot of doors. Ironicly, one of my schoolmates died while I was finishing this book. It really eases my mind about where she is now. I definatly recommend this book to those who have lost someone in there life. (It's not religious at all).

WOW!!!!

I don't even know where to begin with this book. A friend of mine had been telling me about forever, so I borrowed it from her. Wow! I have never felt so connected to characters in a book. The author makes you feel like you have known these people your whole life. I can't even put into words the emotions you go through reading this book. I reccomend it to everyone now. It was a fast read which was the one thing that disappointed me the most. I actually bought my own copy of this book because its one I will read over and over again.

Amazing Book

I picked up a copy of this book because a lot of people said it was a good read. When I first started it I didn't want to finish it. I thought the whole concept of it being told from heaven was kind of odd and the start of the book made me cry. I pushed on though and soon I couldn't put the book down, I read it in 2 days. It made me look at things in a whole new light and I would suggest this book to anyone!

Hermosa historia

Les confieso que la compre porque me intrigo el resumen que lei pero cuando la recibi y comence a leerla como se dice en ingles "I fell in love with it". La historia es muy conmovedora pero vale la pena leerla siempre y cuando tengas una caja de tissue al lado o te aguantes las ganas de llorar con la historia de esta nina. Ojala no haya un cielo para que asi los muertos no sufran mas viendo lo que hacemos aqui en la tierra los que quedamos.

Very Good!

I thought this was one of the best books that I have ever read! I really enjoyed this book because it was so different. I never put this book down. I would read it again and again. This book is amazing and touching.