What happens when you die? Is there a heaven? Does your spirit stay close to your friends and family? Suzie Salmon had never considered those questions until it happened. It happened so fast and now it’s her whole world. All she wants is to warn her family and help the police discover the truth about what happened.
The Lovely Bones is Alice Sebold’s first foray into fiction that was developed into the 2010 movie by the same name. Based loosely on real life events, including her own rape, the novel explores ripped-from-the-headlines topics such as serial killing, child molesters, and vigilante justice. But more than those, this novel showcases the hope of the community in each other and in the ability to move forward from dark days.
I give The Lovely Bones 5 out of 5 stars. Part of what I loved about this book was listening to the author read her own words in the audiobook. I also enjoyed the way Sebold built the mystery and crime drama into the fantasy world she carefully crafted. This could have been such a dark fantasy, but Sebold built hope into the characters’ journeys and redemption so well. There were a few characters I felt could have been better developed, but that was minor in the sea of so many characters in this book. It was so easy to visualize the scenery and characters and such an easy read – I didn’t want to put it down!
I would direct this novel to mature audiences over 16 due to the violence and sexual assault included in the narrative. If you enjoyed Our Missing Hearts by Celest Ng you will love this book – I kept thinking of this book throughout the read. This is a perfect book for readers who enjoy paranormal fantasy!
I chose The Lovely Bones for the Read With Lindsey Reading Challenge prompt “fantasy”. I typically read the magical realism subgenre for prompts like this but have been hearing about this book for years and wanted to see what the hype was about. I was not disappointed! What books would you recommend for this genre?
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What I’m Reading
- Current print book: The Forget-Me-Not Library, Heather Webber
- Current audio book: Martin Van Buren, James M. Bradley
- Book I’m most looking forward to: Marrying the Ketchups, Jennifer Close
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