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<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/536.The_Lovely_Bones?utm_medium=api&amp;utm_source=blog_review" style="float: left; padding-right: 20px"><img alt="The Lovely Bones" border="0" src="http://s3.amazonaws.com/photo.goodreads.com/books/1156980627m/536.jpg" /></a> <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/536.The_Lovely_Bones?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_review">The Lovely Bones</a> by <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/316.Alice_Sebold">Alice Sebold</a> 
 <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/18379514?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_review"><h3>My review</h3></a>
 rating: 3 of 5 stars In the novel, The Lovely Bones, by Alice Sebold, a young girl, named Susie Salmon, is raped and murdered. This fictitious work was inspired by Sebold’s own horrific rape experience. Throughout the book, the author explores the themes of loss of innocence, letting go, loss/grief, familial ties, and isolation. This reader found the book to be both poignant and distressing.
 	The protagonist, Susie Salmon, is a fourteen year old girl who is lured into a cave dug into the ground by George Harvey, a man who lives in her neighborhood. While down there, Harvey traps her and then brutally attacks, rapes, and kills her. She then goes to Heaven where she is stuck watching the lives of others still on Earth as they grow and develop. Susie’s sister, Lindsey, is eleven when Susie dies. After her death, Lindsey tries to contain all of her emotions and hide her vulnerability. Susie, forced to watch this from above, is saddened that no one on earth knows how to comfort her little sister. Buckley, Susie’s little brother, serves as a replacement for his dead sister, and eventually becomes resentful of his parents. Abigail, Susie’s mother, deals with the grief by running away from all things that remind her of Susie. Unlike her mother, however, Susie’s father, Jack, obsesses about Susie’s death; he keeps all things that remind him of Susie near, and uses her brother, Buckley, as a means of recreating Susie. When Jack finally realizes that Harvey was responsible for the death of his daughter, he unsuccessfully adopts the tasks of a vigilante. Justice is eventually served. 
 	The beginning of the book is upsetting. Although the rape scene isn’t graphic, its existence is distressing. The situational change, switching between Susie being attacked and her family acting normally, adds to the reader’s sense of disgust. Later in the book, viewing the family as they try to regain their former selves, the poignancy of the situation is magnified. The book was an enjoyable read, until the penultimate chapter. Previous to this chapter, a reader with religious views could easily have accepted the events of the novel as reality. At this point, however, the plot begins to resemble that of a science-fiction novel. It redeems itself later when it switches back to its original genre, and the ending is just as emotionally moving as the rest of the book. 
 	Throughout the book, Sebold raises many issues that she obviously feels strongly about. Rape is a major issue in the novel. Sebold, having experienced the brutality of rape, uses this novel as a means to spread awareness. Sebold also indirectly comments on grief, showing how each member of Susie’s family copes. Her disdain for their methods is evident and that same contempt is evoked in the reader. Jack’s role, as a quasi-vigilante, is also frowned upon. His lack of success is what demonstrates Sebold’s negative opinion on his actions. She may, in actuality, not dissent Jack’s actions, but rather believe in karma that would reciprocate negative actions to those deserving in the end.
 	The novel, The Lovely Bones, is thematically similar to John Grisham’s A Time to Kill. In both of these books, the father of a raped girl seeks justice for crimes against his daughter. In A Time to Kill, the father of the young, raped girl, shoots the men responsible and spends the rest of the novel in prison. Unlike Sebold, Grisham supports the father’s actions and reveres him in the novel. 
 	 
 	In The Lovely Bones, Sebold explores the themes of grief and death, while telling the tale of rape and of a family in crisis, from the perspective of a girl stuck in Heaven. The New Yorker calls it “A stunning Triumph.” The New York Times says it’s "Deeply affecting… A keenly observed portrait of familial love and how it endures and changes over time." Sebold’s powerful novel is one that deeply affects its readers and teaches lessons on grief. 
 
 <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/list/679972?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_review">View all my reviews.</a>

Katie's review
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** spoiler alert ** In the novel, The Lovely Bones, by Alice Sebold, a young girl, named Susie Salmon, is raped and murdered. This fictitious work was inspired by Sebold’s own horrific rape experience. Throughout the book, the author explores the themes of loss of innocence, letting go, loss/grief, familial ties, and isolation. This reader found the book to be both poignant and distressing.
The protagonist, Susie Salmon, is a fourteen year old girl who is lured into a cave dug into the ground by George Harvey, a man who lives in her neighborhood. While down there, Harvey traps her and then brutally attacks, rapes, and kills her. She then goes to Heaven where she is stuck watching the lives of others still on Earth as they grow and develop. Susie’s sister, Lindsey, is eleven when Susie dies. After her death, Lindsey tries to contain all of her emotions and hide her vulnerability. Susie, forced to watch this from above, is saddened that no one on earth knows how to comfort her little sister. Buckley, ...more In the novel, The Lovely Bones, by Alice Sebold, a young girl, named Susie Salmon, is raped and murdered. This fictitious work was inspired by Sebold’s own horrific rape experience. Throughout the book, the author explores the themes of loss of innocence, letting go, loss/grief, familial ties, and isolation. This reader found the book to be both poignant and distressing.
The protagonist, Susie Salmon, is a fourteen year old girl who is lured into a cave dug into the ground by George Harvey, a man who lives in her neighborhood. While down there, Harvey traps her and then brutally attacks, rapes, and kills her. She then goes to Heaven where she is stuck watching the lives of others still on Earth as they grow and develop. Susie’s sister, Lindsey, is eleven when Susie dies. After her death, Lindsey tries to contain all of her emotions and hide her vulnerability. Susie, forced to watch this from above, is saddened that no one on earth knows how to comfort her little sister. Buckley, Susie’s little brother, serves as a replacement for his dead sister, and eventually becomes resentful of his parents. Abigail, Susie’s mother, deals with the grief by running away from all things that remind her of Susie. Unlike her mother, however, Susie’s father, Jack, obsesses about Susie’s death; he keeps all things that remind him of Susie near, and uses her brother, Buckley, as a means of recreating Susie. When Jack finally realizes that Harvey was responsible for the death of his daughter, he unsuccessfully adopts the tasks of a vigilante. Justice is eventually served.
The beginning of the book is upsetting. Although the rape scene isn’t graphic, its existence is distressing. The situational change, switching between Susie being attacked and her family acting normally, adds to the reader’s sense of disgust. Later in the book, viewing the family as they try to regain their former selves, the poignancy of the situation is magnified. The book was an enjoyable read, until the penultimate chapter. Previous to this chapter, a reader with religious views could easily have accepted the events of the novel as reality. At this point, however, the plot begins to resemble that of a science-fiction novel. It redeems itself later when it switches back to its original genre, and the ending is just as emotionally moving as the rest of the book.
Throughout the book, Sebold raises many issues that she obviously feels strongly about. Rape is a major issue in the novel. Sebold, having experienced the brutality of rape, uses this novel as a means to spread awareness. Sebold also indirectly comments on grief, showing how each member of Susie’s family copes. Her disdain for their methods is evident and that same contempt is evoked in the reader. Jack’s role, as a quasi-vigilante, is also frowned upon. His lack of success is what demonstrates Sebold’s negative opinion on his actions. She may, in actuality, not dissent Jack’s actions, but rather believe in karma that would reciprocate negative actions to those deserving in the end.
The novel, The Lovely Bones, is thematically similar to John Grisham’s A Time to Kill. In both of these books, the father of a raped girl seeks justice for crimes against his daughter. In A Time to Kill, the father of the young, raped girl, shoots the men responsible and spends the rest of the novel in prison. Unlike Sebold, Grisham supports the father’s actions and reveres him in the novel.

In The Lovely Bones, Sebold explores the themes of grief and death, while telling the tale of rape and of a family in crisis, from the perspective of a girl stuck in Heaven. The New Yorker calls it “A stunning Triumph.” The New York Times says it’s "Deeply affecting… A keenly observed portrait of familial love and how it endures and changes over time." Sebold’s powerful novel is one that deeply affects its readers and teaches lessons on grief.
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