13 Successful First Novels by Female Writers

Alice Sebold's first novel was her 2002 bestseller The Lovely Bones about a teen girl, who after she is raped and murdered, watches her family and friends deal with her death from the afterlife. The story hit close to home, as Alice's first book was actually a memoir about her own horrific experience being raped as a teenager. The Lovely Bones sold more than a million copies and was on the New York Times hardback bestseller list for over a year. It was also made into a 2010 film directed by Peter Jackson.