Tolog Review: The Lovely Bones

The Lovely Bones 

by Alice Sebold

reviewed by Cinthya Hernandez

The book The Lovely Bones will most definitely leave you questioning yourself. In this enthralling tale by Alice Sebold you are fed insight on life after death for both the deceased and the living. It’s a story of a simple and generic young girl who was taken from her life at the hands of a man you would never suspect. The story is centered upon the journeys of the people who felt touched by her and the victim herself, Susie Salmon. The Lovely Bones was written in the perspective of the young victim and her life prior to her death and the time before the culprit is caught.

In cities like Los Angeles or New York City Susie would have been only missed by those who she came within direct contact with; but in a small city like Norristown, Pennsylvania most everyone was taken aback by her sudden death. She became the whispers upon the town and caused everyone to clutch their children closer. She was only 14 and still love-struck by her first kiss. Throughout the book I felt directly attached to the family of the victim and their grieving process. Along with this, the book relates directly to how the dead can see and alter the lives of the living. As Susie follows her family and their affairs she sees how much their lives change due to the loss of their first child. 

On her way to heaven she accidentally bumps into Ruth, a classmate she had no relationship with, and completely changes her life. With this fleeting touch Ruth’s life changes its course and she encounters and grows in an entirely different way than she would have if she had not been touched by Susie. The story also closely follows the Killer’s process in removing of the body and evidence and his life following the murder. The story most closely follows the family and how each member lives on after her death. Overall The Lovely Bones is a thoughtful story about heartache, grief, and love surrounding a small town tragedy that touches so many.