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On her way home from school on a snowy December day in 1973, 14-year-old Susie Salmon ("like the fish") is lured into a makeshift underground den in a cornfield and brutally raped and murdered, the latest victim of a serial killer--the man she knew as her neighbor, Mr. Harvey.
Alice Sebold's haunting and heartbreaking debut novel, The Lovely Bones, unfolds from heaven, where "life is a perpetual yesterday" and where Susie narrates and keeps watch over her grieving family and friends, as well as her brazen killer and the sad detective working on her case. As Sebold fashions it, everyone has his or her own version of heaven. Susie's resembles the athletic fields and landscape of a suburban high school: a heaven of her "simplest dreams," where "there were no teachers.... We never had to go inside except for art class.... The boys did not pinch our backsides or tell us we smelled; our textbooks were Seventeen and Glamour and Vogue."

The Lovely Bones works as an odd yet affecting coming-of-age story. Susie struggles to accept her death while still clinging to the lost world of the living, following her family's dramas over the years like an episode of My So-Called Afterlife. Her family disintegrates in their grief: her father becomes determined to find her killer, her mother withdraws, her little brother Buckley attempts to make sense of the new hole in his family, and her younger sister Lindsey moves through the milestone events of her teenage and young adult years with Susie riding spiritual shotgun. Random acts and missed opportunities run throughout the book--Susie recalls her sole kiss with a boy on Earth as "like an accident--a beautiful gasoline rainbow." Though sentimental at times, The Lovely Bones is a moving exploration of loss and mourning that ultimately puts its faith in the living and that is made even more powerful by a cast of convincing characters. Sebold orchestrates a big finish, and though things tend to wrap up a little too well for everyone in the end, one can only imagine (or hope) that heaven is indeed a place filled with such happy endings. --Brad Thomas Parsons

I loved this book! Both lovely and heartbreaking at the same time. A fascinating take on what heaven might be like. Susie Salmon will haunt me for a long time.

Thanks to Kylieoz for sending this book to me. It will get priority status on my TBR list and I'm looking forward to reading it. Thank you for the lovely postcard!

"The Lovely Bones" is the story of Susie Salmon, who is murdered when she's only 14 years old. After her death, she watches over her family from heaven, as they struggle to come to terms with her death, and she watches her murderer, as he carries on with his life. Just as much as they try and cling onto memories from her, she clings onto the life she had with them.

I developed a venomous hate for Mr Harvey, who murdered Suzy. At the same time, I had tremendous compassion for her dad, who seemed to struggle most with Susie's death. Is was brilliant to read how her family members each coped with her absence in different ways, just as we do when we lose someone. I also enjoyed Susie's version of heaven, where heavens differs for everyone that experiences it.

I enjoyed the book, even though it's based on a dark theme and is quite sad, and would easily recommend it to anyone.

I received this book from Kylieoz, and she mentioned, "I'd be happy for you to pass it on to someone, none of my books have made it out of Australia yet so will be exciting to see it travel." Well, travel it will - this book from Australia made its' way to Britain, and is now off to America. The book is going to hfitz5051, who was the 6th Tiara RABCK winner!

I read this book as part of a bookring. I loved it! I'm already trying to think of who else would enjoy this book, to continue it on it's journey.

I gave this book to my mom to read.

I'm visiting my mom and she is finished with this book. I'm taking it back home with me to pass on to someone else. She loved the book but said next time give her one that won't make her cry so much.

RELEASE NOTES:

Sent to the winner of 7th Tiara Sweepstakes. Congrats!

Received this book as winner of the 7th Tiara Sweepstakes. Thanks. Sounds like a good, if sad, read.