Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold

Synopsis

When we first meet 14-year-old Susie Salmon, she is already in heaven. This was before milk carton photos and public service announcements, she tells us; back in 1973, when Susie mysteriously disappeared, people still believed these things didn’t happen.

In the sweet, untroubled voice of a precocious teenage girl, Susie relates the awful events of her death and her own adjustment to the strange new place she finds herself. It looks a lot like her school playground, with the good kind of swing sets.

With love, longing, and a growing understanding, Susie watches her family as they cope with their grief, her father embarks on a search for the killer, her sister undertakes a feat of amazing daring, her little brother builds a fort in her honor and begin the difficult process of healing.

In the hands of a brilliant novelist, the author narrates the THE LOVELY BONES through the eyes of her winning young heroine. This story of seemingly unbearable tragedy is transformed into a suspenseful and touching story about family, memory, love, heaven, and living.

Review:
I finished reading the book last night. I couldn’t keep it down for long. Really good story. I was crying through some passages. It’s a story about a murdered girl of 13 and how her family and friends deal with the aftermath for the next 8 years. It was very touching and moving. A real tear-jerker. Your heart just goes out to this family and her friends. It also involves the hunting down of the murderer. I won’t give it away. But it’s mildly disappointing as far as justice is concerned. No bones or body was ever discovered. So the lovely bones are the lives of the people her death affected. And how their lives bloomed beautifully even despite the tragedy. It wasn’t all very happy. So that’s why I cried through some parts. I highly recommend it.

Tags: alice sebold, book review, books, lovely bones