Bones

Book Review Tres:

The Lovely Bones by Alice Siebold

My Rating: 5.0

I listened to this story on tape...well cd, rather than reading. Does that have some effect on my enjoyment of the story...unlikely. Although, by the end I did find myself wishing it was over so that I could move on to something else I wanted to listen to.

This story was another recommended to me by Amazon, and I must say I'm starting to be wary of "their" judgement! This book was entitled The Lovely Bones...clearly, before even beginning to read one can assume it will surround a murder. However, I was a little shocked by the introductory chapters in which *spoiler alert* young Suzie Salmon is brutally raped and murdered, and described in detail. Something I really didn't need to hear...although I suppose the story would lose some of its grip without it. From there...the story proceeds to tell of Suzie Salmon watching the story unfold of her family and friends' lives and how the each cope with the sorrow of losing her in their own way. Essentially, her family is torn apart as her father tries to get revenge on the man he believes to have killed her and ends up badly beaten and with permanent injuries. Her mom has an affair WITH THE DETECTIVE ON SUZIE'S CASE, and then moves across the country because she can no longer stand to be a part of her own family or face her own children, still living. The alcohlic Grandmother comes to live with the family, and the youngest child learns to live in the shadow of his dead sister and without true love from a parent (father) who cannot love his living children due to the memory of his dead one and a mother who deserted him for a tepid affair and a job at a winery. Throughout the story, not only are the family and friends being watched, but also the killer...the reader finds themself simply wanting to reach out and tell everyone that he's RIGHT THERE. But you can't! And neither can Suzie, secluded in "her heaven"...an interesting portrayal of heaven, to be sure...without God, I'd venture it pretty inaccurate. Haha. Anyway, throughout the book, one would think that the finale would reveal a capture of this man, some justice served after the many rapes and deaths (Suzie was not his only victim) that he caused. Instead, rather, the culmination of the story comes with an "out of body" experience in which Suzie is able to switch souls with a friend of hers still on earth for a short time and have sex with the boy she loved....(when she died at age 14...could she truly love him? She barely knew him)...Rather than take her time on earth to point out her killer's wareabouts or spend time with her family who would have desperately needed to see her. She chooses to have sex and then return to her heaven. What?!?!?!*Spoiler alert* the killer dies...by icicle. Yes, by icicle. Accidental death. Odd.

The one thing I did like about this story was that it was very atypical. It seemed that no matter what the reader would expect...it didn't happen, this did make it seem more realistic. Although, isn't it hard to live in a world knowing that innocent girls' deaths are never avenged? that mother's have affairs out of sadness? and that children are never properly loved due to pain that never goes away? Isn't it pure irony that because one child was so loved, and she is gone, others that would have been equally as loved miss that opportunity?

I'd recommend this book more highly than the previous (Max Tivoli)...as it gives more of an opportunity for deeper perception and thought into our society and the levels of ache that sin has brought us to. However, if you're looking for a pleasure read murder/mystery type book, this is not it!! Beware...

Finally...I'm currently reading THE SHACK. I know, it's supposed to be a big deal right? So far I'm not as thoroughly impressed as everyone seems to make out that I will be...but I'm going to finish it before I completely tear it apart...wait for it ;)