The Lovely Bones: Book Review

I've heard such good things about the book, The Lovely Bones, especially when they turned the book into a movie. So I had extremely high expectations when I bought the book on one of my goodwill trips. I was glad that I didn't pay full price for this book when I reached the last page though, because it definitely didn't reach my expectations... not even close.

Synopsis from Barnes & Noble:

Once in a generation a novel comes along that taps a vein of universal human experience, resonating with readers of all ages. THE LOVELY BONES is such a book — a #1 bestseller celebrated at once for its artistry, for its luminous clarity of emotion, and for its astonishing power to lay claim to the hearts of millions of readers around the world.

"My name was Salmon, like the fish; first name, Susie. I was fourteen when I was murdered on December 6, 1973."

So begins the story of Susie Salmon, who is adjusting to her new home in heaven, a place that is not at all what she expected, even as she is watching life on earth continue without her — her friends trading rumors about her disappearance, her killer trying to cover his tracks, her grief-stricken family unraveling. Out of unspeakable tragedy and loss, THE LOVELY BONES succeeds, miraculously, in building a tale filled with hope, humor, suspense, even joy.

My Review:

I must admit, I was captivated at first, and just reading the first few pages with the detailed description of Susie's rape and murder, I was on the verge of tears. I also liked the fact that she was able to watch life go on, after she died, noticing that people must move forward, while you're dead. It was also interesting to see how everyone was coping with her death, but I guess that's the child life specialist in me. While her father was angry and intent on finding Susie's killer, her mom was slightly less angry and more upset than anything. Her sister, Lindsey, didn't want to be known as Susie's sister, because then she's associated with the murder. Emotions rose for her friends, especially Ruth, who wanted to find out more... more about Susie... more about the murder. It's a powerful story, don't get me wrong, however, I hated the fact that years and years go by in the story. While I liked the ending, to an extent, I feel as if Susie never received the justice she so rightfully deserved. 

If you haven't read it, I would recommend you read it, only because it is a powerful story that will make you wonder, but don't be surprised if you're angry with the ending. 

"These were the lovely bones that had grown around my absence: the connections - sometimes tenuous, sometimes made at great cost, but often magnificent - that happened after I was gone. And I began to see things in a way that let me hold the world without me in it. The events that my death wrought were merely the bones of a body that would become whole at some unpredictable time in the future. The price of what I came to see as this miraculous body had been my life" (page 320). 

My Rating: 3 Stars