Literary · Mystery
The Lovely Bones
Bestseller: about 10 million copies (estimate)Fourteen-year-old Susie Salmon narrates from her own heaven after she was murdered in 1973, watching her family fall apart and heal as the police search for the man who killed her.
Facts last checked 2026-10-16
- First published
- 2002
- Pace
- Medium
- Length
- Medium
- Pages
- 352
- Format
- Standalone
Read this if you want a tender, strange novel about grief that looks at a family's recovery.
Skip this if the rape and murder of a child, even handled with restraint, is too much.
The feel
Content warnings
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Quick answers about The Lovely Bones
- What is The Lovely Bones about?
- Fourteen-year-old Susie Salmon narrates from her own heaven after she was murdered in 1973, watching her family fall apart and heal as the police search for the man who killed her.
- Who should read The Lovely Bones?
- Read it if you want a tender, strange novel about grief that looks at a family's recovery. Skip it if the rape and murder of a child, even handled with restraint, is too much.
- How long and how fast is The Lovely Bones?
- It is a medium-paced, medium read of about 352 pages, first published in 2002.
- Does The Lovely Bones have content warnings?
- Content we flag: Sexual assault, Child death, Death, Grief, Violence.
- Can I borrow The Lovely Bones for free?
- Often, yes. Check Libby (OverDrive) to see whether your library lends The Lovely Bones; the borrow button above searches it for you.
- What should I read after The Lovely Bones?
- Readers who liked it often move on to The Book Thief, Sharp Objects, The Midnight Library.
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Where to get it
| Store | Price | Link |
|---|---|---|
| Borrow free | ||
| Libby / OverDrive | Free with a library card | Borrow free with Libby from Libby / OverDrive |
| Print, new | ||
| Amazon | Check price | Buy new from Amazon |
| Ebook | ||
| Kobo | Check price | Buy ebook from Kobo |
| Google Play Books | Check price | Buy ebook from Google Play Books |
| Audiobook | ||
| Audible | Check price | Buy audiobook from Audible |
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