Jan's Pick
The Lovely Bones
by Alice Sebold
PS 3619 .E26 L68 2002
This is not a book I would normally have read, but having heard they made a movie, I did my usual, "Read the book BEFORE you see the movie!" I had not read any reviews of either the book or the movie, so I was pleasantly surprised to find that it was not a creepy Who-Done-It. As a first-person narrative by a murdered teenager, the weaving of her story as she watches the people she loves react to losing her keeps you following her (and them) through this emotional rollercoaster. Having lost my big brother when I was 18, I often wonder if Dave is able to follow our lives as Susie followed those of her family and friends. Does he still miss the sweet girl he was seeing? Does he laugh at our antics when we have our family gatherings? Is he able to spend days on end in his "heaven" rebuilding that souped-up engine he always wanted to put in his old car? Does he know how often we think of him, though 40 years has passed? This is not a pleasure trip. There are a few places that take you off the story path, but you leave with an understanding of the impact that the loss of a loved one has on the life of each person you meet in this book and their interaction with each other as they rebuild their lives in that shadow. "Lovely Bones" means something totally different than you expect when you are finished. Enjoy...
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