The first Alice Sebold book I ever read was Lucky: A Memoir. I actually bought the book without knowing anything about it (I frequently do this)based on the cover art alone. I cannot begin to tell you how utterly shocked I was what was held within. That book was disturbing to the core, so why I would go and elect to read another one of her books I will never know.

I am not saying that The Lovely Bones was a bad book, but I can't say that I enjoyed it. Alice Sebold is a deeply dark writer. The powerful content that she writes about is disturbing and makes me very uncomfortable to read about. That being said, Lucky still pops into my mind from time to time, as will The Lovely Bones.

Sebold has a very dark and somewhat poetic writing style. Occasionally in one of her books you will find a sentence that packs a whallop. This is not a book you can read through quickly, it takes time to digest this book. Emotionally draining, this book is deeply affecting, a powerful read that should not be missed.

Check out the trailer for the film. The trailer seems to portray the book quite well. I more often than not am disappointed in a film version of a book, but hopefully Peter Jackson can do the book justice.



Book Description
"My name was Salmon, like the fish; first name, Susie. I was fourteen when I was murdered on December 6, 1973."
So begins the story of Susie Salmon, who is adjusting to her new home in heaven, a place that is not at all what she expected, even as she is watching life on earth continue without her -- her friends trading rumors about her disappearance, her killer trying to cover his tracks, her grief-stricken family unraveling. Out of unspeakable tragedy and loss, THE LOVELY BONES succeeds, miraculously, in building a tale filled with hope, humor, suspense, even joy.