title: The Lovely Bones
author/editor: Alice Sebold
reviewed by: June
THE LOVELY BONES
This novel, written by Alice Sebold, is told from the view-point of Susie Salmon who has just been attacked and murdered at the age of fourteen. The chronicle of events that follow include the ongoing investigation of her disappearance and the fruitless search for her body.
Perhaps more importantly is the manner in which her parents, younger sister and brother deal with their loss. Each one focuses on the strengths and weaknesses of their relationship with Susie. All the while, Susie is watching from her idea of heaven and experiencing their feelings as well as her own.
Eight years later, Susie watches some closure for the people she loves. She expresses that her heaven has become wider; her loved ones have now been able to relegate her to memory, where she feels she is meant to be. Susie saw how the lives of her family trailed backward and forward from her death. The "lovely bones" were the connections with each other that grew around her absence.
Although Susie's body was not found there are hints near the end of the book that an old sinkhole may soon be dug up in ongoing new construction.
The author's choice to tell the story from Susie's point of view is a decided advantage. Susie is the only one who has all the facts and shares the thoughts and feelings of everyone involved. Hence, the reader knows the killer and the whereabouts of Susie's body parts.
June adds, "Sebold is a skillful writer who follows the trail of subtle nuances in the relationships of her characters. At times I felt like an eavesdropper."