boodie | The Lovely Bones (Reply)

In the course of my life I have read literally thousands of books, some instantly forgetable, some that I will always remember, some I will read again and again. The memorable books, the ones that made me laugh and cry, touched me in some way has just been added to, the book is The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold.. Heres the blurb from the back

My name was Salmon, like the fish; first name, Susie, I was fourteen when I was murdered on December 6, 1973. My murderer was a man from our neighbourhood. My mother liked his border flowers, and my Father talked to him once about fertilizer

This is Susie Salmon, speaking to us from heaven. It looks a lot like her school playground, with the good kind of swing sets. There are counsellors to help newcomers to adjust, and friends to room with. Everything she wants appears as soon as she thinks of it - except the thing she wants most: to be back with the people she loved on earth.

From heaven, Susie watches. She sees her happy suburban family implode after her death, as each member tries to come to terms with the terrible loss. Over the years, her friends and siblings grow up, fall in love, do all the things she never had the chance to do herself. But life is not quite finished with Susie yet.

This book is one of the most amazing I have read in a long time, it's sad, it's joyful, and it's an amazing piece of work, a truly astonishing novel, illuminating and one which I shall find hard to forget.