While reading The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold, the usual desire to stop reading does not occur. This book has so many different stories, points of view, and emotion going on at once that the reader stays hooked. Usually with so much going on it is easy to get confused or lost but Alice keeps this novel simple but detailed.


There is a good balance between characters and their importance and Sebold captures each emotion of the characters so perfectly, the reader feels as if they are that character. The most interesting point of view is getting to see the murderer’s post murder rituals and reactions. It is something different and usually people focus on how the families of the murdered grieve but seeing how even the murderer has fears after is something new. Even when Alice writes about Susie in heaven, it seems as if she had actually been in heaven because of the way Alice portrays Susie’s emotion of not being able to disconnect from Earth. Sebold brings a whole new perspective to writing with this novel and any reader interested in drama, emotion, or suspense will be guaranteed to love this book. The Lovely Bones is an overall impeccably written book and if you choose to read it you will feel as if you were in Susie’s place.