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The Lovely Bones

A Novel

By Alice Sebold

(611)

| Hardcover | 9780316666343

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Book Description

When we first meet 14-year-old Susie Salmon, she is already in heaven. This was before milk carton photos and public service announcements, she tells us; back in 1973, when Susie mysteriously disappeared, people still believed these things didnt happen. In the sweet, untroubled voice of a precociousContinue

When we first meet 14-year-old Susie Salmon, she is already in heaven. This was before milk carton photos and public service announcements, she tells us; back in 1973, when Susie mysteriously disappeared, people still believed these things didnt happen. In the sweet, untroubled voice of a precocious teenage girl, Susie relates the awful events of her death, and her own adjustment to the strange new place she finds herself. (It looks a lot like her school playground, with the good kind of swingset.) With love, longing, and a growing understanding, Susie watches her family as they cope with their griefher father embarks on a search for the killer, her sister undertakes a feat of amazing daring, her little brother builds a fort in her honorand begin the difficult process of healing. In the hands of a brilliant new novelist, and through the eyes of her winning young heroine, this story of seemingly unbearable tragedy is transformed into a suspenseful, touching, even funny novel about family, memory, love, heaven, and living.

Critics

  • 'The Lovely Bones' by Alice Sebold

    In a nutshell, I liked this book very much. I was convinced that I'd find it cloying and sentimental but I was surprised to find that it was far from this. There's no doubt that it was sad but like William Trevor's very excellent The Story of Lucy Ga ... (read full critics)

    readingmatters published on Mon, 27 Sep 2010

  • An eternity of sweet nothings

    The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold Picador £12.99, pp328 The conversation comes round twice a year, like an equinox, and always, for some reason, in the middle of Countdown. 'All of us down at Oldsocks and Wittering are very excited about this new nove ... (read full critics)

    guardian.co.uk published on Sat, 25 Sep 2010

41 Reviews

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  • 7 people find this helpful

    poor

    I found this book to be rather disappointing. I don't have a problem with the concept and never have a problem reading books that seem far fetched. The way the story pans out though I found to be quite irritating. I felt no connection to any of the characters at all and some of the situations in the ... (continue)

    I found this book to be rather disappointing. I don't have a problem with the concept and never have a problem reading books that seem far fetched. The way the story pans out though I found to be quite irritating. I felt no connection to any of the characters at all and some of the situations in the book were just ridiculous. The ending is a case in point. The scenes based in heaven which should be the cornerstone of the book are irritating at best and only go to magnify the general pathetic nature of the characters.

    Is this helpful?

    Rpcutts said on Jul 6, 2008 about the Paperback edition | 1 feedback

  • 3 people find this helpful

    After the heartbreaking first chapter i thought i might struggle with this book. Well written but harrowing.

    The rest of the book then is a lovely infolding of lives and a surprising and satisfying end.

    Simply and directly written, but with real tenderness.

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    Mearso said on Aug 22, 2008 about the Paperback edition | Add your feedback

  • 2 people find this helpful

    Fortunately for Susie (and the reader), she dies at the beginning of the book: that's the only thing really happening in 300 pages of an otherwise super-common (and boring) life

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    Enderad said on Feb 26, 2010 about the Others edition | Add your feedback

  • Not a bad book to pass the time. It has some very interesting moments but it doesn't go too deep into anything. Still, some characters are very interestingly developed.

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    Ricardo Co San said on Feb 4, 2012 about the Others edition | Add your feedback

  • I rarely cried these days, but I cried while reading this book. But again, I don't like its ending. The bad guy should be arrested!

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    Sophie Su said on Aug 4, 2011 about the Others edition | Add your feedback


  • Inside the snow globe on my father's desk, there was a penguin wearing a red-and-white-striped scarf. When I was little my father would pull me into his lap and reach for the snow globe. He would turn it over, letting all the snow collect on the top, then quickly invert it. The two of us watched ... (continue)


    Inside the snow globe on my father's desk, there was a penguin wearing a red-and-white-striped scarf. When I was little my father would pull me into his lap and reach for the snow globe. He would turn it over, letting all the snow collect on the top, then quickly invert it. The two of us watched the snow fall gently around the penguin. The penguin was alone in there, I thought, and I worried for him. When I told my father this, he said, "Don't worry, Susie; he has a nice life. He's trapped in a perfect world."

    Is this helpful?

    Dimitja said on Jul 19, 2011 about the Others edition | Add your feedback

Book Details

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Prices Change currency & sellers

ISBN Edition List Sale Seller
9780316666343 Hardcover $21.99 $15.83 bn.com
-- $9.99 ebooks.com
$21.99 $14.49 The Book Depository
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+ 25 copies tradable: 3 in USA →
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