From the outset, this highly disturbing book was entrancing. A young girl is brutally murdered by a neighbour, her body dissected and carried away in a bag while her parents wait for her to return from school, worried when she is late. Written from her own point of view, Susie Salmon, the murdered girl, experiences her rape and murder, then proceeds to watch her family members cope with her death. She is able to watch her relatives, friends and neighbours attempt to carry on with their lives as well as the man who murdered her although she cannot intervene. As her family crumbles, she is powerless to prevent the problems that arise from their grief.
There have been many novels written about serial killers or murders but I found the point of view in this story quite unique. Susie's perspective of the world from her place in heaven is full of powerful images and observations that would be difficult to describe by a narrator or family member. This enables the author to cast a bird's eye view of the cast of characters involved in the plot and thus give us deeper insight into their thoughts and feelings.
There were times, however, where it was difficult to infer the circumstances described or the comments made by the characters and the resolution I was hoping for in the end never came to fruition. An unrealistic twist in the final chapters seemed to patronize the reader rather than resolve any issues or create a euphoric aftermath of a story with all the loose ends neatly tied together.
In any case, The Lovely Bones is an interesting and thought-provoking novel that I'm sure will be electrifying to watch as a movie.
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