"The Lovely Bones" by Alice Sebold

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

It's a time of innocence when children play outside unsupervised and people leave their doors unlocked. Families eat dinner together, and mothers stay home to raise their children. But on December 6, 1973, that innocence is shattered by murder. Fourteen-year-old Susie Salmon is raped and killed in a cornfield near her home. The crime tears through a tight-knit community, transforming everyone into a suspect.

Told from the victim's perspective, the story offers a unique view of death, loss, and ultimately healing. As Susie adjusts to her heaven, she watches her family members each deal with her death differently. She reflects on her earthly life and watches her former world continue without her-- rumors about her disappearance, her schoolmates' relationships, her killer's attempts to cover his tracks. The Lovely Bones is a story of unspeakable loss that ends with a message of hope.

This beautifully written book grabs your attention from the start and doesn't let go. Be warned: if you pick up this book, you won't put it down until the last page. Author Alice Sebold creates a convincing cast of characters as she seamlessly transitions from reality to Susie's heaven. Her words invoke strong emotion and convey a no-holds-barred picture of death, suffering, and restoration.

The story stretches its credibility toward the end when Susie's spirit enters a friend's body to have one last moment with her high school crush, but Sebold catches herself in time to finish on a more convincing note.

The Lovely Bones is an easy read that addresses a serious topic with candor and even humor while managing to maintain sensitivity. This timeless story of resilience appeals to a wide range of readers, and I highly recommend it to anyone looking for a solid plot, relatable characters, and page-turning storytelling. The Lovely Bones is truly a wonderfully strange masterpiece.

For information on the film version, visit The Lovely Bones official movie site.