The Lovely Bones

by Alice Sebold
The Lovely Bones cover
Good Books rating 3.5
Literary Fiction
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  • ID: 4662
  • Added: 2025-10-21
  • Updated: 2025-10-21
  • ISBN: 9781447275206
  • Publisher: Pan Macmillan
  • Published: 2015-02-01
  • Formats: 2
  • Reviews: 3

The Lovely Bones tells the story of Susie Salmon, a young girl who watches from heaven as her family and friends deal with the aftermath of her murder. As years pass, she observes her loved ones growing up, falling in love, and living the life she was denied. The novel explores themes of loss, healing, and the enduring connections between the living and the dead. Alice Sebold's poignant and haunting narrative weaves together elements of the supernatural with deeply human emotions, creating a unique and unforgettable reading experience.

Reviews
Lovable Literature · 2018-04-24
impactful 3.50

The novel is graphic and powerful, following the life and afterlife of a young girl. It's an emotional journey that leaves a lasting impact on the reader.

The review on Lovable Literature highlights the graphic and powerful nature of the novel, which follows the life and afterlife of a young girl. The emotional journey is intense and leaves a lasting impact on the reader. The reviewer appreciates the author's ability to create a compelling narrative that is both heartbreaking and hopeful. The book's unique perspective and emotional depth make it a standout, though it may not be suitable for all readers due to its heavy subject matter.

Quick quotes

    The novel contains an incredibly graphic and powerful storyline as it follows the life and afterlife of a young girl who is raped, murdered and later

    The reading is an emotional ride, capable of bringing the reader to tears, anger, hope and love.

    We all want to believe that bad things do not happen to good

London Review of Books · Rebecca Mead · 2002-10-17
remarkable 3.00

The novel aims to be a feel-good story despite its dark themes, which is a remarkable achievement. The writing is engaging and thought-provoking, though some may find the tone unsettling.

Rebecca Mead's review highlights the unique challenge of making a feel-good book out of such grim subject matter. She notes that the novel's success lies in its ability to balance hope and humor with the harsh realities of its plot. The writing is engaging and thought-provoking, though some may find the tone unsettling. Mead appreciates the author's ability to create a compelling narrative that keeps the reader invested, even in the face of such dark themes. However, she also acknowledges that the book's attempt to find light in such darkness might not resonate with everyone.

Quick quotes

    The Lovely Bones aims to be, in the end, a feel-good book about rape, torture and murder, and while such an unlikely achievement is remarkable, it is also, in its way, deeply unsettling.

    Sebold's triumph is in making Susie's voice so immediately compelling that we don't want to let her go, even after she's dead.

    The novel contains an incredibly graphic and powerful storyline as it follows the life and afterlife of a young girl who is raped, murdered and later

The New York Times · 2002-07-14
uplifting 4.00

The book is a paradox of hope and grim reality, with a compelling narrative that avoids being exploitative. The story is both heartbreaking and uplifting, making it a unique read.

The New York Times review emphasizes the paradoxical nature of the book, which manages to be both heartbreaking and uplifting. The narrative is compelling and avoids being exploitative, making it a unique read. The reviewer appreciates the author's ability to find hope in the midst of tragedy, creating a story that is both powerful and sensitive. The book's unique point of view and emotional depth make it a standout, even though it deals with heavy subjects.

Quick quotes

    But there's nothing prurient or exploitative in 'The Lovely Bones.' Susie's story, paradoxically, is one of hope, set against grim reality.

    It is a novel which finds light in the darkest of places, and shows how even when that light seems to be utterly extinguished, it is still there, waiting to be

    We all want to believe that bad things do not happen to good

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