The lovely bones : a novel

Label

The lovely bones : a novel

Title remainder

a novel

Statement of responsibility

Alice Sebold

Creator

• Sebold, Alice

Subject

• Psychological fiction
• Murder victims' families -- Fiction
• Teenage girls -- Crimes against -- Fiction
• Grief -- Fiction

Genre

• Fiction
• Psychological fiction

Language

eng

Summary

Brutally raped and murdered by a deceptively mild-mannered neighbor, Susie begins with a compelling description of her death. During the next ten years, she watches over her family and friends as they struggle to cope with her murder. She observes their disintegrating lives with compassion and occasionally attempts, sometimes successfully, to communicate her love to them. Although the lives of all who knew her well are shaped by her tragic death, eventually her family and friends survive their pain and grief. In this, Susie continues to grow emotionally. She learns that human existence is "the helplessness of being alive, the dark bright pity of being human feeling as you went, groping in corners and opening your arms to light all of it part of navigating the unknown

Subject

• Literary fiction
• Crimes against teenage girls
• Life after death
• Loss (Psychology)
• Rape victims
• Adult books for young adults
• Psychological fiction
• Spirits
• Murder victims
• Heaven
• Teenage girl murder victims
• Grief
• Families of murder victims
• Books to movies

Genre

• Literary fiction
• Adult books for young adults
• Books to movies
• Psychological fiction

Tone

• Bittersweet
• Disturbing
• Moving
• Haunting

Writing style

• Compelling

Character

• Sympathetic
• Complex

Award

• Bram Stoker Award for Best First Novel, 2002.
• Booklist Editors' Choice: Adult Books for Young Adults, 2002.
• Book Sense Book of the Year Adult Fiction, 2003.
• British Book Award for the Richard & Judy Best Read of the Year, 2004.
• Eliot Rosewater Indiana High School Book Award (Rosie Award), 2005.
• Gateway Readers Award (Missouri), 2005.
• Iowa High School Book Award, 2005.
• Kentucky Bluegrass Award for Grades 9-12, 2004.
• South Carolina Book Award, Young Adult Books, 2005.
• YALSA Popular Paperbacks for Young Adults, 2015.
• New York Times Notable Book, 2002
• YALSA Best Books for Young Adults, 2003
• School Library Journal Best Books: Best Adult Books 4 Teens, 2002.

Cataloging source

DLC

Dewey number

813/.6

Index

no index present

LC call number

PS3619.E26

LC item number

L68 2002

http://library.link/vocab/ext/novelist/lexile

890

Literary form

fiction

Target audience

adult