The Lovely Bones

You have to be in the right mood to read The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold. I don't think I was in the right mood going into it, but once you start, it's difficult to put down to try again later. I wouldn't necessarily say you need to read this with a box of tissues next to you, but if you've recently lost a loved one, you probably should keep some Kleenex handy. Also, if you've buried (forgive me) some memories of loved ones that you'd rather not have peck to the surface quite yet, then you're not ready to read this book.

The perspectives shared in this novel are inspiring. As one who has never been sure of the idea of heaven, this book paints a picture of a heaven I can get on board with. Instead of this big white fluffy cloud filled heaven with absolutely everyone who has ever died and made it up there, there's a personal heaven where there are others like you who share the same idea of what their heaven should hold.

Throughout the novel you can literally feel the pain this little girl is in as she's watching her family fall apart below her. It's the story of a journey, difficult to follow and even harder to stay away from, just like the deceased Susie is unable to turn her eyes away from her family and the lives of those connected to her and her death. Imagine knowing your murderer and having to watch your family fall apart from not knowing. The agony is incomprehensible.

The Lovely Bones is a wonderfully well-written story of a little girl who died too young and never got the chance to do all that a girl should. It brilliantly outlines the transition from childhood to the maturity needed to let your family get along without you and the sadness felt at seeing a sister growing up doing things you wish you could do.

As I feel with most books turned to movies, I think it's a shame someone tried to turn this book into a movie. It's too powerful to put in anything other than the words on these pages. Imagination is 1000 times more powerful than anything we can ever put on screen.