The Lovely BonesThe Lovely Bones
Score Modern
What it's about
Susie Salmon was fourteen when she was murdered by a neighbor in December 1973. From her own heaven, she watches what happens next: her family struggling with grief, her father's obsession with finding the killer, her sister's growing suspicion, her friends growing up without her, and the man who killed her, still living nearby.
Why it's worth reading
It spent 10 weeks at #1 on the New York Times list and was voted onto PBS's Great American Read. It's a sad, strangely comforting story about loss and healing.
You'll love it if you liked
Room
The Five People You Meet in Heaven
All the Colors of the DarkGood to know
Susie's rape and murder are described early, though briefly. Peter Jackson directed the 2009 film. Sebold later apologized after a man was exonerated in her real-life rape case, described in her memoir Lucky.
By the numbers
- Readers18 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics0 out of 100 · counts 14%
- Bestseller92 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Buzz0 out of 100 · counts 10%
Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero. The parts combine into the Must-Read Score, shown on a scale where the best book we found scores 99 and the last book to make the ranking scores 50.
Where it ranks
- #214 of the 459 fantasy books we rank
- #808 of the 1,573 modern books we rank
- #1507 of the 2,816 books we rank
Why it made the list
Reads as
Epic
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Quick answers
Is The Lovely Bones worth reading?
Yes. It spent 10 weeks at #1 on the New York Times list and was voted onto PBS's Great American Read. It ranks #1,507 of the 2,816 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 68.2 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is The Lovely Bones about?
Susie Salmon was fourteen when she was murdered by a neighbor in December 1973. From her own heaven, she watches what happens next: her family struggling with grief, her father's obsession with finding the killer, her sister's growing suspicion, her friends growing up without her, and the man who killed her, still living nearby.
How long does it take to read The Lovely Bones?
About 9 hours (352 pages), or about 3 weeks at 30 minutes a day.
What should I read after The Lovely Bones?
If you liked it, try Room by Emma Donoghue, The Five People You Meet in Heaven by Mitch Albom or All the Colors of the Dark by Chris Whitaker.