This is my first attempt at writing a real review so don't be too harsh... lol

From the start, The Lovely Bones attracted a rather suprising amount of attention, placing it under a lot of pressure to meet the expectations of its readers. A task which it apparantly managed as it soon topped the bestsellers lists, and earned numerous glowing reviews.

The novel is narrated by 14-year-old rape and murder victim Susie Salmon, who watches her family, friends and murderer live out their lives from her own personalised heaven. She watches how her death affects them, and watches as her death leads to series' of events in their own lives: her father goes crazy with grief, her mother is driven to an affair by the loss of the daughter she never wanted, her sister feels that her entire life will be a comparison to that of her sister's, whilst her brother is too young to comprehend the meaning of death.

Susie soon discovers that heaven is not a perfect place, she relates to us how all she wants is to be "allowed to grow up." a truly heart-wrenching moment as she watches people her own age experience their first kiss, their first love and such experiences that were ripped from her at a young age.

Susie fights for the chance to return just to experience these things that were denied her, which introduces a modern spiritualism to the book. Infact, Sebold has managed to capture well many of our modern fears and excitements.

I found early on in reading this book, that I could not put it down - but realised nearer the end that it was for the wrong reasons. After the initial horrors, the pace of the book soon slows down and left me wondering if it was going to draw to a complete halt. Nonetheless there are some moments, some descriptions, some events that leave you feeling as though you know the family, you are there with them and you too knew Susie Salmon. There are scenes that make your breathe catch in your throat as we await with Susie to see if justice will be wrought unto her murderer and those are the moments that make the entire book worth reading.

That's a lovely summary of the book, Kit. I loved the book, such a heartwrenching story.

I really want to read this book! I might even have a copy of it somewhere at my Mum's house... When the book came out Mum wouldn't let me read it because she thought I was too young.

Thanks for the review. ^^ I'll dig that book up and give it a read.

I'd definatley recomend that you read it Alice, it's a lovely story. One of the only books that made me cry.

Thanks, I was quite worried about it because its the first review i've written... and I would definately recommend it. Personally, I did find it hard to stick with in the middle - but the important thing is that I did, and its not a genre i'd normally read... you need to go through the slower bits to make it to the bits that count... lol