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    The Lovely Bones
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    The Lovely Bones
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    The Lovely Bones
    Ebook224 pages1 hour

    The Lovely Bones

    By Alice Sebold

    3.5/5

    ()

    Currently unavailable

    Currently unavailable

    About this ebook

    Susie Salmon is just like any other young girl. She wants to be beautiful, adores her charm bracelet and has a crush on a boy from school. There's one big difference though – Susie is dead.

    Now she can only observe while her family manage their grief in their different ways. Her father, Jack is obsessed with identifying the killer. Her mother, Abigail is desperate to create a different life for herself. And her sister, Lindsay is discovering the opposite sex with experiences that Susie will never know. Susie is desperate to help them and there might be a way of reaching them…

    Alice Sebold's novel The Lovely Bones is a unique coming-of-age tale that captured the hearts of readers throughout the world. Award-winning playwright Bryony Lavery has adapted it for this unforgettable play about life after loss.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherOberon Books
    Release dateNov 17, 2018
    ISBN9781786826701
    Unavailable
    The Lovely Bones
    Author

    Alice Sebold

    Alice Sebold is the author of the bestselling novels The Lovely Bones and The Almost Moon, and the memoir Lucky. She lives in California.

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    Reviews for The Lovely Bones

    3.5/5

    11,923 ratings541 reviews

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    • 4/5
      Good, and easy enough read, but extremely depressing.
    • 4/5
      Beautifully written, this story creates a window into the intimate details of one young girl's family and friends from the perspective of her place in heaven. You will eel as if you know all the characters, as if you are part of their lives, when you read this book. The story is exquisitely stirring. The predominant emotion is sadness, but the reader is lead to see that life not only goes on; happiness can still be achieved even after tragedy.
    • 4/5
      It takes a lot to read this book, however it is very good. It is intensely graphic. But takes you through a girl telling her story of her death and how it is to be in her heaven. In a sense it is a wonderfully detailed story about heaven and how one could imagine it and watching her family on earth. Very good read. However took me longer to read due the graphic nature yet kept me intrigued.
    • 4/5
      This is definitely a middle school book, for those who's parents won't mind them reading. I don't know if this can be a required read, but it should be in any library as an option.
    • 3/5
      I enjoyed 'The Lovely Bones'; it was well written in an interesting, innovative style. It was thought-provoking, but not excessively so. It was a good plane-trip or beach read. It might not be a book that I would jump to read again, but I liked it.
    • 5/5
      I read this book long after it was published, initially thinking that it was going to be a gruesome murder story. Was I ever surprised. I've read it several time since buying it and shared it with my shrink and grief counselor to let him know which one in the family I most identified with. This could have easily been a maudlin, depressing downer, but Sebold's injecting the spiritual lifted this truly original story to joyful heights. If you've never experienced the death of someone you loved more than yourself, you might not burrow as deeply into this book as others. But it will stick, and you'll pick it up again sometime.
    • 5/5
      Oh I had to pluck up courage to read this book but I am so glad I did. As everyone knows it is written from the perspective of a child who has been murdered and it sat on my bookshelf for years whilst I wondered why on earth I had bought it. Susie Salmon speaks from the in-between (before she goes to her heaven) and tells how she sees her family and friends and how she wants to relate to them before she can move on as she doesn't want to leave them. So it is the life of the friends and family after she has left them. So beautifully written. I couldn't put this book down. Challenging and reaffirming.
    • 4/5
      I really liked this book! It showed me to not forget about your loved ones that you lost but to move on with your live and keep them in it just as a memory. I also like how the family of the victim always knows who the murder is. I would recommend this book but be prepared to be a little creeped out.
    • 5/5
      The book starts as a very uncomfortable story but quickly moves into what happens to a family that loses a child. Throughout the story Alice spins us through a perfect family that experiences a horrible tragedy and how they overcome. The book is just excellently written and keeps you picking it up.
    • 2/5
      The book started out wonderfully. I could hardly put it down. Actually, the entire book was a page turner, although in the end it was more because I was hoping that the ending that I wanted would be right around the corner. It never was.Its not a problem that books don't end the way you expect them. Sometimes it can be a wonderful surprize. And who wants to guess the endings to all the books they read anyway? But it was more that the ending of this book was deeply unsatisfying.First of all, her vision of "heaven" was not heaven at all, but rather some sort of purgatory. I can handle differences in theology from my own, after all, this is a fictional novel rather than a discussion on a Biblical Heaven. But she still seems unhappy there. How can that be heaven?Spoiler alert, so please do not continue reading unless you've already read it or don't mind knowing the ending.Having her come into her friend's body to have sex seemed totally out of sorts. It didn't make sense at all. Wouldn't she have wanted to tell her family that it is ok? To live their lives and not fall apart? Also, in so many ways, she seemed stuck as a little girl, that she didn't age in heaven. For example, she would play on swingsets in heaven and so forth. A little girl having sex just seemed so wrong.Her father never found out that he was right about the killer, and the killer got away with murder, literally. Him being killed by the icicle was terribly unsatisfying and the connection between that and her sister's prize for "how to get away with murder" was weak. It was not connected at all, but rather a meaningless coincidence.Spoiler over.Over all, I thought that there was a lot of promise in the book, and I think it would have been a much more satisfying read if done another way.
    • 2/5
      I had heard a lot about this book and was keen to read it. Sorry, but it just didn't get there for me. I had to force myself to finish it. An interesting theme but it went nowhere - girl in Heaven watching others get on with their lives down below. Yawn. And as for the inhabit the other girl's body section - to me that was totally out of character (no pun intended) to the feel of the rest of the book. 'Couldn't put it down,' say the reviews. I had to struggle to pick it up.
    • 3/5
      The narrator is the murdered girl speaking from heaven. I found this premise awkward, intrusive, and cutsie. Some characters I found unbelievable. Despite that I thought the description of various people's efforts to deal with the loss of a young girl, well done. Various attempts to portray and explain the serial killer was all so credible.
    • 3/5
      OMG, I've never cried soo much in a book! It was well written, however, incredibly depressing the whole way through.
    • 2/5
      Uh! I am disgusted! How can anyone like this book? The first chapter is basically describing the rape and death of a 14-year-old, and then the rest has no real plot and is just plain boring. I really don't understand why anyone likes this book or why my librarian suggested it.
    • 3/5
      I never really got into this book. I suppose I thought this would be more of a thriller book, with it centered around Susie's father going after the rapist. But it was not. Instead it was Susie watching her family grieve and then movie on... for the whole book. Not very exciting. I don't think it was meant to, but I know what kind of books I like. I like the exciting books. And this just wasn't powerful enough to overcome the lack of excitement or thrill. The first half was much better than the second half. But it's another "classic" book people think you should read. It's under my belt now.
    • 3/5
      I loved the beginning of this book: The first few chapters were great. After that, however, the story drags on and unfortunately never gets any better. I had some trouble getting through the middle part of the book; it was just plain boring. The ending was also a disappointment. There are a few good points, but I don't think I'd recommend this book to anyone.Not the worst book I've ever read, but not the best either.
    • 4/5
      There are times when I thought this book was going to go down the thriller road, but then it came back to a close examination of how Susie's family copes with her disappearance and what happens to her killer. Each of her family members copes in a different way and there are also some friends that Susie follows from her perch in "her heaven". The author states in the introduction that she wondered what happened to those girls she heard about in the 70s who disappeared and this story came from that. There is a sense that this book honors all those who have been murdered. I can't say that I really liked how the story turned out - there was too little emotional resolution for me.
    • 5/5
      I thought this book was going to be hard to get through just by reading the back cover. We know that Susie was murdered and thought it was going to focus on the who did it. The book focused on the relationships of the ones left behind.
    • 3/5
      despair from the get-go. & disturbing 'til the end. did keep me reading it to see where she was going with it. at times thought provoking, she tackles matters i've not given much thought, or others i too am searching answers for. big questions: witnessing life on earth as a celestial being? reeling from the murder of your child? reactions & actions of the family, the community? smaller questions (perhaps more relevant for most of us): undergoing acceptance of the generations that come before us? realising the depth of what family can be? no matter our reactions, some possiblilities for accepting death? i don't really want to read it again. nor another of its kind. just not my thing. the movie should prove dramatic.
    • 4/5
      very slow read
    • 5/5
      The Lovely Bones (Visto do Céu) provavelmente o livro mais chocante, arrepiante, deprimente, e genial - não fantasia e não clássico - que li até hoje. Já não me lembrava de chorar tanto ao ler. Chorar até me latejarem as fontes, doerem os olhos do inchaço, e quase nem me reconhecer ao espelho.Este livro é um daqueles que nos fazer doer o corpo e a alma - e os ossos. De nos fazer desesperar por sermos os únicos que sabemos o que está a acontecer e mesmo assim não podermos saltar para o centro da acção e intervir. Um daqueles livros que nos alteram a visão do mundo, das nossas crenças, daquilo que nos espera para além do além. Um livro que aconselho vivamente.A história é-nos então contada por Susie, uma rapariga que quando mais se fica a conhecer, mais nos vai parecer tão familiar, tão real, podendo levar o leitor a lembrar-se de uma irmã, de uma prima, de uma amiga, de uma vizinha, daquela pessoa cuja foto está afixada nas ruas sob o título de "Desaparecida", ou de nós próprios. Mas Susie foi brutalmente assassinada. A vida abandonou o seu corpo mas a sua alma não consegue fazer o mesmo com as pessoas e os lugares que lhe são mais queridos. Ela vai observar, e relatar eventos passados e presentes da sua família, amigos, conhecidos, e até do seu assassino. E se já é suficientemente penoso sermos testemunhas de um crime para lá de hediondo, que nos é contado pela vítima, ser-nos contado como este acontecimento macabro despedaçou uma família tão parecida com a nossa, é de cortar o coração. Mãe, pai, irmã, irmão, avó, namorado, amigos, professores, vizinhos. Somos constantemente confrontados com a maneira como todos eles arranjaram para lidar com esta perda, e porque é uma realidade à qual ninguém está a salvo, faz-nos pensar, "e se me acontecesse a mim?" Devo dizer, que para além de chocante e arrepiante, e todos as outras coisas que chamei no início, esta é também uma leitura terna e poderosa, repleta de relatos sinceros sobre os laços familiares que nos unem, das amizades que sobrevivem a qualquer coisa, daquilo que se ganha com a perda, daquilo em que não podemos pensar mas que nunca se esquece, daquilo que nos vai doer e alegrar para sempre. 5 estrelas.----------------The Lovely Bones, probably the most shocking, chilling, depressing, and brilliant book - not fantasy, not classic - I have ever read. I can’t remember the last time I cried this much while reading. Cried until my face hurt, my poor eyes swell, and could barely recognize myself in the mirror. This is one of those books that makes your body and soul - and bones - hurt. That make us despair because we are the only ones who know what’s happening and yet we can’t jump to the center of the action and intervene. One of those books that can change the way you look at the world, that can give a shake to your beliefs, that can make us wonder what awaits beyond the beyond. A book I highly recommend. This story is told by Susie, a girl that, the more we get to know, the more she will seem familiar, real, and may lead the reader to remember a sister, a cousin, a friend, a neighbor, that person whose picture is posted on the streets under the title “Missing”, or ourselves. But Susie was brutally murdered. The life left her body but her soul can not do the same with the people and the places that are most dear to her. She is going to observe and report events past and present of her family, friends, acquaintances, and even her killer’s. And if it is already too painful to witness a crime beyond hideous - told by the victim - being also told how this macabre event shattered a family so like ours, is heartbreaking. Mother, father, sister, brother, grandmother, boyfriend, friends, teachers, neighbors. We are constantly confronted with how they all managed to cope with their loss, and because it is a reality to which nobody is safe, makes us think, “and if it happen to me?” I must say that in addition to shocking and chilling, and all the other things called at the beginning, this is also a tender and powerful reading, filled with heartfelt stories about the family ties that bind us, about friendships that can survive anything, about what is gained by the loss, about what we can not think because it hurts so much, yet hurts also if we don’t, about what is going to wound us, and rejoice us, forever. 5 stars.
    • 3/5
      I am fairly certain that I did not love this book, but there were aspects that were quite touching and different. I went into the story with a few misconceptions and I think that may have been the reason for a more average rating. First off, this is not a 'who done it' crime novel. This is a story about death: the aftermath, coping, love, hate, heaven and earth. Within a few pages, the main character dies and the rest of the story describes the struggles of the family and how they deal with this tragedy from the perspective of the deceased, from heaven. The authors 'heaven' is unique, as it is whatever you want it to be and different for all. I would recommend this book, but remember this is not a crime thriller. If that is what are you looking for, read something else.
    • 1/5
      Somethings are just too real for me- this book bothered me from the opening chapter. Being a parent, I don't enjoy novels where a child dies. However, I finished the book which was written well. I then gave it back to the giver rather than keeping it in my collection.
    • 3/5
      Not the cheeriest book in the world. A murdered girl watches how friends and family deal with her death and its aftermant from heaven. There were a few patches that fell apart just a bit for me, in particular a scene with the first (and only) boy she kissed late in the book. It was fascinating, however, to see her watch her murderer and his life. But in general, though it started off well, and some scenes were almost devestatingly sad, it didn't seem to retain the same level of tenseness and interest throughout the entire book. I was left a little flat.
    • 4/5
      I resisted reading this book for SO long because I thought it sounded horribly depressing. It isn’t. Sad, yes. Given the subject matter, it can’t help but be sad in parts. But there’s hope there. I found it uplifting.
    • 5/5
      I don't read fiction all that often anymore. But i am so glad that I picked this one up. It really is a very sad story, Seblod does such a wonderful job narrating such a tragic story throught the eyes of a child.
    • 3/5
      I didn't relate to the author's style. After the first few chapters, I found myself just hoping the book would be over. Much as I appreciate the subject matter and the creativity, the book itself didn't grab me as I hoped it would.
    • 4/5
      Really enjoyed this one.
    • 3/5
      After a few chapters of this, I should have known there wouldn’t be very dramatic events associated with the actions of the family. The father’s attempt to entrap the killer, their neighbor Mr. Harvey, is nothing more than a feeble attempt at getting the man to say Susie’s name. He does and somehow Jack is convinced that Mr. Harvey is the killer. There is no evidence though, and the police don’t get anywhere with him. Nothing is really resolved. Things are begun, but never started. It has a weird unfinished quality about it.
    • 5/5
      I've had this one on my bookshelf for a few years now. I started it once before but didn't get into it and put it aside for something else. But this time I couldn't put it down! The story is narrated by 14 year old Susie Salmon from her heaven after she is raped and murdered. It is the story of her last moments on earth, the story of her rapist and killer, and the story of her family as they struggle after her death. It is a haunting story that kept me thinking. Sebold's writing flows easily across the page. I can't recommend it enough!