Book Review: 'The Lovely Bones'

Special to the Herald-Guide

August 12, 2010 at 10:15 am  | Mobile Reader | Print 

Alice Sebold's novel “The Lovely Bones” is a story of a small neighborhood tragedy in the 1970s. A young teen girl is murdered and with no evidence and few leads, the neighbors and family are determined to investigate the case.

Susie Salmon was a well-known, sweet girl who was raped and murdered by her creepy, lonesome neighbor. Susie's family has a feeling they know who the murderer is, but they have no tangible clues. Susie's spirit watches over her family as they grieve over her disappearance. The deep investigation is causing the family to fall apart, but the love and spirit of their fallen daughter and sister still lingers around them and they cannot give up. The family's creepy neighbor is acting strange and suspicious. The neighbors start questioning who this outsider really is but are rudely awakened to discover their neighbor's hidden secrets.

I enjoyed reading “The Lovely Bones,” which was a mixture of drama and mystery. This novel taught me the importance of safety and protection as a teen. I highly recommend this book to mature readers and teens.

Victoria Palamone recently completed her sophomore year in the academically gifted program at Hahnville High. She enjoys spending time with friends, reading, and watching movies.

Editor’s note: Book reviews are published weekly in agreement with Hahnville High School gifted English teacher Deborah Unger in conjunction with the Brown Foundation Service Learning Program.