The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold

The lovely bones is an interesting novel in that it is narrated by the ghost of a murdered young girl.  It is certainly a unique way to present a novel.

When Susie Salmon meets her grisly end at the hands of a serial killer, we need not feel we’ve heard the last of her as her spirit is very much alive and kicking and watching over the inhabitants of her town – infact its presence is at times felt quite strongly.  We see the effect her death has had on her family and this, to me, is the best part of this book.  It is a very good portrayal of how a family can fall apart when something like this happens.  We see how each member of the family deals with their grief in different ways.  Her father is driven to the edge with grief.  Her mother tries to escape form the whole situation by having an affair with the detective investigating the case and then finally does leave altogether to go and work in a winery in California.  Her little brother is left to deal with it as best he can and her sister has a hard time coping with being the sister of someone whose been murdered and the way people are now treating her differently.

Meanwhile up in heaven, all Susie can do watch and wish she was back down there with them. Each soul has their own personal heaven and Susie picks her own  duplex house and a school without teachers for hers.  When describing heaven the whole thing takes on a dreamy quality.  I found, to be honest, this side to the book a little tedious.  I didn’t feel describing life in heaven added much to the storyline.

At the end of the book Susie gets her wish and actually manages to return to life by taking over the body of Ruth, an old classmate of hers who is very much in touch with the spirit world.  She is then able to make love to Ruth’s boyfriend Ray Sing  - the first boy she kissed before being murdered.  Up in heaven all the voyeurs!  Sorry souls are watching on benevolently.

All in all it was an enjoyable enough novel.  However if you are a bit cynical about all things supernatural like me, you might find it to be a little fanciful.