Sebold, Alice. The Lovely Bones. USA. First Edition: 2002.
This novel was recommended to me by Anna, since I didn't have a book to read at that moment. As I read the first few pages, I couldn't put this book down. I think this novel falls under fiction, specifically teen fiction with a bit of suspense. It takes place in the suburbs in a small town near Philadelphia, Pennsylvania over a period of eight years after Susie Salmon's death during 1973 to 1981.
Plot: On Decemeber 6, 1973, Susie Salmon took a short-cut home through the cornfields to get home. What she thought was going to be a normal day, turned out to be her last. As she was walking home, Susie bumped into George Harvey, a mysterious neighbor, who invited her to look at a fort he built for the children in the neighborhood. Little did Susie know that she was going to be a victim of rape and murder. George then took Susie's body into his house and let no trace of her death, except for some of her personal belongings and her arm. Susie, now in heaven, watches over everyone she left and witnesses how her family and friends tried to cope with her death and tried to look for the answers of who killed her.
Character: Susie Salmon is the narrator of the story. She has been raped and murdered and feels so much pain, even in heaven, for what happened to her. Throughout the story, she presents laborious analyses about her family and friends. During this time we see her love and compassion for those she left on earth. Susie doesn’t want to be dead and she can’t break the chains that bind her to Earth. So we follow her agony as she slowly grieves her own death and says goodbye to the people she loves. We also see how she matures even though her time on Earth had been cut short.
Evaluation: This book was a real page turner. I really liked how it showed growth with all the characters in the story and it also gives specific details and flashbacks about their lives. It was very descriptive and it was easy to understand. I do recommend this to people who are interested in suspense and mystery because seriously, I did enjoy this book.
Author: Alice Sebold was born in Madison, Wisconsin in 1963. She grew up in suburban Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and graduated from Syracuse University in 1984. She also attended graduate school at the University of Houston and ultimately earned a Masters in Fine Arts degree from the University of California-Irvine in creative writing. Her first novel was Lucky (published in 1997), Lucky is a memoir of her own rape while she was a freshman at Syracuse University and the effect that the trauma of that rape and the ensuing trial had on her.
Labels: Book Report