The Lovely Bones

I guarantee most people have heard of this book by now but that doesn't diminish any of the love I have for the author, Alice Sebold, and her beautifully told story which came out in 2002.

Susie Salmon is your typical 14 year old girl and the story is told through her eyes. One day while walking home from school she is lured into an underground hidey hole by her neighbour George Harvey where he procedes to brutally rape and murder her. Throughout the story you do learn a bit baout George's character and his mindset and the things he continues to do after the murder but it's not the focus of the story.

Her view is then from that of her own personal heaven and how she comes to terms with her death and the reactions of her family.

Each family member reacts differently to the news of her death. Her mother eventually succumbs to an affair with the police investigator who is looking into the murder. Susie's father becomes consumed with trying to locate her killer. Her brother, Buckley becomes withdrawn and feels like he is living in the shadow of his dead sister.

I found this story to be so original whether that is because I have led such a sheltered literary life or whether it truly is, I don't mind or care. There are so many interesting elements: she has a 'counsellor' of sorts in Heaven, she regularly has a rush of dogs around her place in Heaven, and the moment when her dog from her time on earth is among those dogs is such a lovely scene.

The relationship that develops between Ruth and Susie once Susie has died is also intriguing. Ruth herself is a rather complex character with a strange supernatural power to be able to see events that happened in the past.

This book would have to be one of my favourites for its touching take on death and the afterlife and it's also a good look into grief and what can happen to a family when their world is turned upside down.

I looked on wikipedia (don't judge) and they have said that Ryan Gosling has pulled out of the film production citing 'creative differences', and now Mark Wahlburg is his replacement. Say it isn't so! Internet movie database is also confirming this, but I just can't picture Wahlburg as Susie's dad. But Susie is being played by Saoirse Ronan who played Briony in Atonement so I think that should be a good fit.