Mrs. Mo's Review: Lovely Bones, by Alice Sebold

I'm overdue for this review, but better late than never. Earlier this summer, over a 2-day period, I consumed myself with Lovely Bones, a heavenly perspective of life and the pursuit of justice.

In the first chapter of the book, we meet the narrator of the story, Susie Salmon, a young girl who was murdered and is in search of her killer. What a way to draw a reader in! Through the rest of the story, as told by Susie, we see the lives of those around her pass the months and then years without closure. Susie's death not only affected her family, but influenced classmates and members of the community. All the while, we experience her own transition into heaven full of fantasies but not short on restrictions. Though dead, she goes through growth period in her new world. I got a Defending your Life/Made in Heaven feel while reading...which is a good thing!

If you want an easy and compelling read for your August vacation, take Lovely Bones along. Read it before it becomes the movie that is already in pre-production. Lord of the Rings director Peter Jackson has written the screenplay and will direct, and Ryan Gosling and Rachel Weisz are cast as Susie's parents (Though Gosling will need some heavy aging for his 27 year old self to be convincing). Newcomer Saoirse Ronan will play Susie.