The Lovely Bones

I loved this book, even though I cried my damn eyes out.

I loved this book. Very sad, but I couldn't put it down. I had intended reading Alice Sebold's next book but never got around to it.

In retrospect, I

cannot believe I read this at such a young age.

I've had this book on my to-read list forever, and I finally did it. After reading Sadie by Courtney Summers (5 stars), I went on a true-crime-ish binge, and this book fits that category to a T. Spoiler alert:

There is no HEA here. Duh.

I found myself disappointed with the story at times-not because it wasn't good or thoughtful-I just wanted something different, something better to happen for Susie. Maybe that's unfair, but I can't seem to help it. A must read for true-crime aficionados. I'm glad I read it when I was in the right mindset--definitely NOT a picker-upper.

I don't even know what I just read. The first chapter was intense. Horrible. Disgusting. Made all the worse from the innocent narration of a fourteen year old girl. But a lot of the book was boring. I kept reading because I wanted to know if she got justice. I wanted her to get her revenge. But it was sad. And it was weird. Extremely weird. Because as much as it's obviously paranormal - I mean it's narrated by a dead girl - I wasn't actually expecting what happened. With Ruth. And Ray. And Susie.

Seriously WTF! She takes over Ruth's body? What crap is this. I don't care if she apparently wished it. She did not give consent. It's basically as bad as what happened to Susie to start with. And the ending are you freaking kidding me? Yes he deserved to die. But I waited the entire book to see everyone know for sure what he did and nada.

This book sucked. I don't know why it has such good reviews and is so highly thought of.

It is definitely not a book similar to what I usually read. Most often I avoid sad, serious stories and young adult genre. But I'm glad I read this story, even though it's not quite a book for me.

This book is a touching picture of the people we leave behind after death - family, friends, acquaintances and complete strangers - as seen through the eyes of a fourteen-year-old murdered girl, Susie. For this very reason, it is a moving story, especially for younger readers. But older ones will also find some message. Because this story also touches on many other important topics, not only mourning, such as fatherhood, the role of women in the family and society's expectations of women, small-town life, adolescent fascinations and self-seeking. This is quite a few difficult topics for a book for teenagers.

And at the same time, the world seen through Susie's eyes is childishly simple. Evil is evil, and anyone can sense its coolness and darkness. Susie looks with great kindness at people on earth, at their faults and imperfections, at the mistakes they make. She doesn't judge them, she doesn't get angry. Although I admit that some quite vivid descriptions surprised me. Especially those of the murderer's actions, these are not the words of a fourteen-year-old girl.

We also have an interesting picture of the afterlife, at least of the transitional place where Susie is. Even if it is in many aspects similar to those we know well. However, what draws attention is loneliness in this perfect place where the only activity for the dead is to observe the living. Susie seems bored with the total freedom and eternal happiness she has received. She spends most of her time observing the living, and her greatest dream is to return to the ‘real’ world, even if for a very short time. Even in this perfect place, her life is a constant waiting for her family and friends to come to terms with her death.

I'm not quite sure about the ending. Even for this rather fantastic story, it seems too detached from the reality, and even the existing logic of this story in which the dead could not significantly interfere with the actions of the living. Although I do like the ending of Mr. Harvey's part. There is some satisfaction in this.

All in all, I think it's a nice book for fourteen-year-olds and adults who are looking for such stories. I personally would prefer a story where the world is a bit more complicated, and maybe even Susie's voice to be more engaged and emotional. But I understand why this book is moving for so many people, even if it is not quite for me.