I picked up The Lovely Bones on a whim, not long before the movie was released to the theaters (and I still haven't seen it). I figured that I probably ought to review the book while the title was still a popular term on Twitter and in the search engines. Truth be told, I was hoping for a traffic boost that never came (on my old blog).Whatever my intentions for picking up and reading this book, I am very glad that I chose to read the story of Susie Salmon, a fourteen year-old girl who was sexually assaulted and murdered by her neighbor. The story is told from Susie's point of view as she speaks from her version of Heaven, looking down on her family as they grieve her loss.
The story of The Lovely Bones is less about Susie and more about her father and her sister, both of whom suffer greatly due to her loss and struggle to uncover the mystery of the man who killed her and hid her body where it was never found.
The Lovely Bones isn't a mystery novel: that disappointed me. Right from the beginning (the first chapter) we know who the murderer is (enough that I'm comfortable putting that information in a review!). Instead, the story is about a family's redemption following the murder of a loved one. This is a subject that most families never have to think about, and it is very touching indeed.
Two months after having first read this book, I can look back and say that while I certainly enjoyed it and can recommend it to others, it isn't a book that has stayed with me. As emotional as the reading was, I don't find myself attached to any of the characters in the book, and would classify The Lovely Bones as largely unmemorable but very much worth the read!
You can get your copy of The Lovely Bones on Amazon.
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