Introduction/Author background

Alice Sebold is an author who often delves into dark and complex topics. Sebold attended the University of California Irvine and claims her novels’ themes draw from her own experience. She has written various novels my favorite being, “The Lovely Bones” which has become a classic for good reason. 

What is the novel about?

The Lovely Bones tells the heartbreaking tale of the novel’s protagonist, Susie Salmon.  Susie, who is known for her kindness is lured, kidnapped, and raped in 1973. Susie, narrating from what the novel depicts as her personal heaven, watches over her friends and family while they struggle to cope with her passing. Susie’s narration is used throughout the book to show how her death affects her friends, family, and the community. As Susie watches the investigation into her murder and the challenges of those she left behind, she struggles to accept her fate. The story uses mystery and grabs your attention to explore Susie and her family’s grief, healing, and love.

How was the novel? 

Alice Sebold’s incredibly emotional book “The Lovely Bones” effectively tells a moving story that not only grabs readers’ attention but truly pulls at the heartstrings. The story receives a sentimental yet beautiful unique narration from Susie’s perspective as she narrates from beyond the grave. Sebold explores complicated emotions and how tragedy affects Susie’s friends and family in a way that is both insightful and realistic. The unique combination of emotions in this novel had me smiling and crying as I refused to put the book down. This novel has a lot of attention already but deserves every bit of it and more. The Lovely Bones is an absolute must-read if you’re searching for an emotional book that finds the right balance between complexity and readability. I can’t recommend it enough and would give it a 9/10 with the only missing point for a few unexplained holes in the plot.