THE LOVELY BONES is one of the most-talked about books of the year climbing up the charts and hitting number one again and again. The buzz started with publishers and booksellers, and quickly spread to readers. So, for this week's question in a departure

[email protected]
I just finished reading The Lovely Bones. A few people had told me I would have trouble getting through it, and I must admit I was a little nervous about reading it because of their remarks.

I thought this book was good. The disturbing part (obviously) was Susie's gruesome murder in the first chapter. I liked the author's thoughts and ideas on Heaven. The way that Susie was able to go to the gazebo and watch over all of them was awesome. The idea that she could keep an eye on her family was terrific. And how she was able to appear to them from time to time was great. The way she "guided" the thoughts of her father and sister to her killer kept you on the edge of your seat--even though he was never caught (though he got his in the end--not soon enough for me!!) And the scenes with Holiday and her Grandfather were heartbreaking.I did have a difficult time with her mother having the little fling with Len and then leaving her grieving family behind to move clear across the country. 

The ending was as happy as it could be. With Lindsey moving on with her new husband and child and Mr. Harvey finally getting what he deserved.

I'm glad I didn't let the talk from other readers lead me away from this book.

[email protected]
Amazing that this question popped up in today's mail. I finally got around to reading The Lovely Bones last night. That's right: I read the entire book in one sitting, gulping it down like a great meal. I don't know if I can exactly apply the term "enjoyable" to it, but it was compulsive reading. Beautiful, big-hearted, gorgeously-rendered. I cared about Susie, the narrator, from the first paragraph and grew to love her, and most of the other characters, by the end of the book. As a writer, I envied Sebold's mastery; as a reader I was grateful to be in such capable hands. Even when the plot grew slack at times or the pacing slowed, I found moments of revelation, sorrow and delight on practically every page.

[email protected]
I loved this book. I especially loved the concept of Heaven in the book. I find the idea of being able to look in on our loved ones still living, and having guides into Heaven very comforting. I thought Sebold's handling of the family and friends left behind, and the emotions and struggles they went through, to ring very true. This book made me cry in a few places, both from sadness and from the tenderness of the characters and their emotions.

[email protected]
I thoroughly enjoyed this novel, but must echo a lot of comments made by other readers that the ending left something to be desired - and not so much the ending as much as one single chapter (the only one that, in my mind, was unbelievable). Without giving anything away, the "out of body experience" chapter...

On the other hand, I could not put this book down and I must say that I have never read anything like it. It was very, very sad and very poignant; I very seldom literally cry while reading a book, but I did with this one. I loved most everything about the book - the concept of "your" heaven and the ability of those that die to see those left on earth, especially.

I have recommended this book to so many friends.

[email protected]
I enjoyed the book, but I wouldn't have read past the first 40 (approx.) pages if I hadn't gotten a "pep talk" from one of my friends that had already read it, because I found the beginning very hard to get through due to the fact that it's a recounting of her murder, and I thought, why do I want to read this depressing and unsettling story? After that, though, I really enjoyed it, and even found it uplifting.

[email protected]
I had no interest in reading The Lovely Bones, but the number of "wow, what a fantastic book" reviews convinced me that I needed to. Based on that, after reading it, I have come to the conclusion that I am the only one that doesn't think it's that great a book. I read a LOT and it takes a special book to get me excited. The Lovely Bones is not it. It's OK, but nothing great. I'd probably rate it as average.

[email protected]
I thought this was one of the best I have read in quite awhile. Plan to re-read it every ten years or so, if I am still around

[email protected]
I have just finished The Lovely Bones. I read it for my book group that meets next Tuesday. I am somewhat puzzled about the great publicity the book received. I found it to be mediocre at best, rather juvenile. I came away asking four questions. 1) If you personally knew a family that had suffered such a tragedy, would you recommend they read this? 2) Is there a prescient somewhere in literature for a story like this? 3) What is the reaction of the Religious Right to this story? 4) For what age group was this written? This is not a book that I would recommend to other readers.

[email protected]
After I read The Lovely Bones for the first time, I turned around and read it for the second time. It is hard to put into words, but the book is amazing! I had gotten it out of the library, and then had to go buy my own copy. I also read Lucky, her true story. Alice is a woman of great strength. Everyone should read this book.

[email protected]
I think The Lovely Bones is a wonderful, thought-provoking book. I read it through twice in one week. It's an innovative look at life after death. I found it quite plausible that our loved ones may just be able to "see" us from their own heaven, and may hurt just as much as we do in watching the process of our grief over their death. As a high school English teacher, I have suggested that we add The Lovely Bones to our department's curriculum choices.

[email protected]
I have not read The Lovely Bones as of yet. But it is obvious that there is a buzz about this book. I intend to read it because so many others who have read it have had only favorable things to say about it. I may be slightly hesitant to read it because of the violent start or so I'm told, but I do look forward to reading this book soon.

[email protected]
I absolutely devoured The Lovely Bones. I was facinated by the story being told by the victim and her perspective on things. I especially enjoyed her portrayal of heaven. I have always felt our deceased loved ones were right with us, and it was neat to see that portrayed in the book. I have recommended this book to everyone, and anyone who did read it also seemed to enjoy it.

[email protected]
I personally don't see what all the hype is about. I listened to the tape and actually was put off by some of the content. It wasn't my kind of book but maybe that's because I am not a young person. It really didn't hold my interest!

[email protected]
I felt this book was extremely disturbing. Had I realized the content, I would not have read it. I felt compelled to finish the book, but have a hard time recommending it to my readers. I manage a book store and sell this book frequently. I have been told by customers that it makes them feel serene. I always say it disturbed me, but it is a good read.

[email protected]
I just finished The Lovely Bones. It took me two days and I couldn't put it down. The story line was unique in that it was from the perspective of a murdered young girl, viewing earth from heaven. I found it well written, and I would recommend the book to most of my book lover friends. However, I would not recommend it for light reading.

[email protected]
I have a few more pages to read, but I have thoroughly enjoyedThe Lovely Bones, because it is beautifully written from a unique perspective. What an imagination the author has...so creative! I also feel that I know the characters, and I like most of them. I'm not sure about the mother, but I understand that a death such as this can cause a huge divide among family members whether the rift is conscious or not. I love the idea of each person having his/her own little heaven, separate from others' heaven.

[email protected] In my opinion, this book was overrated. I was disappointed. It grabbed you from the beginning only to fizzle out as it went along. I'm probably in the minority, but I think this book has turned out to be the "emperor's clothes."

[email protected]
I started The Lovely Bones with anticipation, and halfway into the book I became disappointed. I don't know. Did it become too much of a teens oriented book? Did I expect the story to revolve more around the serial killer, and what went on in his mind? Don't we all wish to know what drives such a monster without taking away from the victim. I think it revolved to much around the teens, the exterior actions, which we all see when such a terrible act is committed and not enough around the victim/murderer.

[email protected]
I must be the only person in the universe who didn't care for this book. Although some of the writing was very nice, I found the plot too gimmicky. First of all, the whole idea of heaven being what ever you want and changing accordingly was too convenient for the novelist...what a stage. Talk about deus ex machina. Most critics have been able to look past the return to earth part but that was just the straw that broke the camel's back to me. I didn't like the mother having an affair with the police officer, and I couldn't believe a girl, all alone, entering the house of the man she
believes killed and dismembered her sister! Even so, I have to admit that the author was a good enough story teller to keep me reading to find out what happened.

[email protected]
I read The Lovely Bones after hearing a review on public radio. Normally, I don't read books about murders because I just don't like them. Well, I can't say I liked this book either especially since it was a child who was murdered, which has to be a parent's worst nightmare. However, what struck me about this book and actually helped me get through it was Susie's tone of voice--very matter of fact, very calm and soft, very unemotional. It was I who had to feel all the emotions for her--horror-stricken at such a violent death, regret for a shortened life, unbearable sadness for her family desperately trying to cope with her murder, deeply troubled by a murderer never caught, and desperately wanting revenge in the end. It was a heart wringing book, and it has troubled and haunted me.

[email protected]
I think of The Lovely Bones as one of the most memorable books I've ever read. I would rank it up there with The Poisonwood Bible, We Were The Mulvaneys, Black Water, and other books that stay with you. I tell every reader I know not to miss it.

[email protected] When I first read the title of this book, I knew I would not be reading it. Just sounded erie and not my cup of tea. If it wasn't for all the reviews that I read at Word of Mouth, I would have really missed reading this wonderful book. It just moved me a lot. Best book I have read in a long, long time.

[email protected]
The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold is an interesting perspective on violent crime and how the victim's family copes with her loss. It would have been a tad more satisfying if the villian had received a harsh punishment.

[email protected]
Loved it, loved it, loved it. It wasn't perfect, but as there is a serious lack of originality in fiction these days, Alice Sebold should be applauded for her effort.

[email protected]
I read The Lovely Bones about 2 months ago and still can't get it out of my mind. It was haunting, sad, and hopeful. I was intrigued by the author's impression of what heaven is like; sort of a two tier approach.

[email protected]
I still don't know quite what to think of this book. I think it needed a better editor than the one it had. There were several inconsistencies -- the dead were not supposed to be able to affect life on earth, yet she did, most notably near the end of the book. It wasn't as gruesome as we were left to believe, and I think she had great characters on earth that she really didn't develop fully. This was a book club selection, and we were all asking, what was all the hoo-ha about?

[email protected]
Our book club, The John Galt Book Club, just finished reading and discussing The Lovely Bones. It was extremely hard to stay on task with the discussion. As if reading the book was not horrendous enough for us mothers, we then tried to discuss it. Even when the discussion centered around the view of heaven and religion, we could not get over the fact that this was a 14 year old raped and murdered girl speaking. We all are mothers of teenage girls, and I cannot fathom how this idea came about nor why it is No. 1 on the bestseller list. Haven't we had enough blood and gore in non-fiction?

[email protected]
I'm about 2/3 of the way through this book and,to tell the truth, I'm a little disappointed. I have read so many good reviews but it just wasn't as good as I expected. Maybe it will get better?

[email protected]
The Lovely Bones was a book our book group chose to read and I approached it with some apprehension - an awfully heavy topic for a just beginning book club to tackle! However, it was a great book and left me with a "feel good feeling" It was a good ending without having it all be perfect. One of the best descriptive phrases I've ever encountered was the authors description of the anesthesia "weighting down the four corners of his mind" or something along those lines (sorry - I can't quote exactly, the book is making the loan routes!) Hope to read more from this author soon!

[email protected]
I rather doubt this book would have affected me as much if I had not lost my older sister four months ago. Granted, the circumstances were in no way alike, but it broke my heart all over again. And it gave me comfort too. When I read the last line I just sobbed. Some of the lines in this book were staggering. I loved it. My online reading group did as well.

[email protected]
Well, I'm sure I'm in the minority here, but I didn't care at all for this one. I found it tedious, predictable, and not up to making me believe in the premise at all. I found myself just wanting to get through the thing, and wouldn't even have finished it if I was not reading it for a book group.

[email protected]
I enjoyed the book right up to the end, but then it seemed that the author didn't know how to finish the story.

[email protected]
I enjoyed The Lovely Bones. There seems to be a wide range of opinion on this book. I found it very compelling. We follow Susie Salmon as she finds her way in Heaven, and we see her family dealing with her death in their own way. Sebold writes this story as the victim of a rape in her life (when she was in college), and certain events in this story are a way for Sebold to heal her own wounds. Perhaps not everyone is aware of that, but I sensed a cleansing of Susie's wounds in the way the story unfolds; which in turn has given back to Sebold (Sebold tells her own story in Lucky. For difficult subject matter, I thought Sebold did a wonderful job; and it truly makes me hope that Heaven is how she writes it. The Lovely Bones was my best read of the year.

[email protected]
I was given the book by a firend, with the words "you won't put it down." She was right. Soon after, I saw an article about the author and her life. She said some people would be offended at some parts of the book, especially the last part. She defended herslef by saying the girl was so strong, she just took over her destiny from the author. I liked that! Sorry to say, I couldn't convince anyone in my book group to read it as a group. I think they are missing something. Thanks for the question. I needed a place to put that thought!

[email protected]
The Lovely Bones was a quick read. I found it to be dark, sinister and depressing. The writing and story were interesting, and the author is a talented writer. However, I was disappointed and frustrated with the storyline due to the ineptness of the detective. Also, the fact that the body was never discovered should have been addressed, since she had this spiritual connection with the one girl who was living who could have directed people to find the body. The entire thought of the afterlife is always intriguing and captivating to readers I think, and this particular perspective was almost disturbing in that the victim never seemed to find complete relief or happiness.

[email protected]
I read The Lovely Bones a couple of months ago and really enjoyed it. The author did a wonderful job of building the characters, even the ones you didn't like or that scared you. It made the murderer into a person and you understood how he came to be the person he was. I also enjoyed the perspective of being in heaven and what it would be like. An awesome first book!!!!!