The Lovely Bones

The Lovely Bones is an eerie tale of supernatural realms, while at the same time telling a more earthly story of a grieving family.

Susie Salmon was only 14 years old when she was mercilessly raped, stabbed and literally sliced into pieces by her neighbor George Harvey on her way home from school. He then piles her severed body parts into a bag where he takes them to be tightly locked within a safe, and then thrown into a sink hole. Susie's elbow, however, falls out of the bag, and that is the only remain to ever be found of her.

Some of you are probably outraged while reading this, thinking I've gone and spoiled the entire plot of the novel. Never fear, all that happens as a fast-paced introduction in the first chapter. The real story then begins as Susie enters the afterlife.

Alice Seabold's depiction of heaven is quite unique. There are no religious figures present, which has caused some controversy to surround the novel among Christian critics. Every person has their own unique heaven, filled with their desires and wishes. However, Susie spends her time in heaven watching her family cope with her death as they try to move on with their shattered lives, while at the same time Susie is trying to understand how to cope with her own death. Susie is also the narrator of the story, as she tells the story of the mystery of her murder as it unravels for those still living on Earth.

Aside from the superiorly creative plot, Alice Seabold utilizes multiple writing techniques to make this novel simply outstanding. Her use of symbolism gives the novel such a deeper meaning than when you take it at face value alone. Alice also tackles many social issues such as typical family structure, feminism, and grief. Her use of an omniscient narrator also adds drama and style to the novel, setting it apart from typical fiction. The novel also uses imagery very well, and it appeals to the readers senses, making it that much easier to fall into this captivating story.

The Lovely Bones is a spooky, addictive novel that will have an unbreakable grip on you until you read the very last word, of the very last sentence, of the very last page.