The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold
* * * * Four stars out of Five

The Lovely Bones is an amazing book. It is a thrilling and suspenseful novel that you just can’t put down! Alice Sebold, the author, has done a wonderful job in the composition of this book. Personally, I am not a big reader, but this book was an easy and enjoyable read. I would recommend this book to teens who like reading about criminal investigations. However, the subject matter of this novel may be disturbing to some young people, so I would not suggest this book for children.

Alice Sebold is a very successful author. Not only has she written many triumphant books, but she has also won a few awards. She won the American Booksellers Association Book of the Year Award for Adult Fiction in 2003 for her book The Lovely Bones. That is quite an accomplishment. She also won the Bram Stoker Award for First Novel in 2002. Sebold has written many good books. Some of these books are The Almost Moon, Lucky (a memoir), and The Lovely Bones.

The Lovely Bones is a fiction novel; however it is based on a true story. In the 1970s, a young girl was murdered in Norristown, PA. This gruesome story was the inspiration to Seabold’s novel. She also used details from her own rape. Her novel The Lovely Bones is about a 14 year old girl named Susie Salmon who was brutally raped and murdered in Norristown, PA.
It’s a frigid snowy afternoon. On her way home from school, Susie takes a shortcut through the cornfield. Mr. Harvey, a man she recognizes from her neighborhood but doesn’t quite know, is standing in the cornfield. He tells her about the underground shelter he has built. Curious to see, Susie goes with him. She soon realizes this was a mistake and tries to leave; Mr. Harvey makes her stay. He forces her to have sex and then kills her.
Most of this story takes place in Susie’s own personal heaven. From this heaven Susie sends messages to her friends and family trying to help them find her murderer. Her father, Mr. Salmon, frantically tries to find out who did this to his daughter. He does everything he can to find Susie’s murderer. He tells the police that he suspects his neighbor, George Harvey. They investigate but find nothing out of the ordinary. Mr. Salmon goes crazy trying to prove that George Harvey is the reason for his 14 year old daughter’s death. He becomes obsessed with solving the murder, which causes his family to slowly fall to pieces.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Although it was a sad, suspenseful, and a bit scary, it was an amazing book. While reading this book I felt a bunch of different emotions. Some points in the book I felt upset. Other times I felt angry, happy, and confused, etc. This was an amazingly thrilling novel that I enjoyed very much. If you are looking for an intense book, I strongly suggest you read this novel.

Alice Sebold is an amazing author. She has accomplished so much. She has won quite a few awards, such as the American Booksellers Association Book of the Year as well as the Bram Stoker Award for First Novel. My favorite book written by Sebold is The Lovely Bones. This is a fantastic book. I enjoyed every second of reading this. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys reading about murder cases. I do advise you however, that the subject matter of this novel is graphic and may be a bit disturbing to certain readers. This is definitely a book worth reading!!!