The Lovely Bones: book review Commendable literature is a story; a story that in essence can captivate the mind, make you want more, has a cherished moral and can be enjoyed by future generations. The Lovely Bones readers, reading an intense and heartbreaking story from the point of view of someone who has already left the earth, fully motivated me, as a reader, to keep an open mind throughout the book. Comparable to most short stories I have to read for academic purposes, I wasn't afraid to take the time to complete the work written by Alice Sebold. The story began by familiarizing oneself with the setting and setting the stage for the book by introducing the plot and characters, and amplifying the dramatic tone of future events. The story is told from the point of view of a fourteen-year-old girl whose name “was Salmon, like the fish; name, Susie” (Sebold 1). Susie was murdered by her neighbor, George Harvey. He plays an innocent widower and has the courage to approach and express condolences for Susie to her mother and in response to this Susie says, “The man has no shame” (Sebold 8). He doesn't care and shows no remorse for what he did. In fact he was so sure that he had gotten away with the crime he had committed; he had the "audacity" to apologize to Ms Salmon. Mr. Harvey is a character who unfortunately seems to have a lot of "mommy issues", and to the shock of many, Susie is not his first prey, but just one of several victims. Susie's father plays a very important role throughout the story and really shows the audience the stages of grief. It starts with shock and denial. Mr. Salmon refused to believe Susie was dead, he was sure she would come home, which creates a handful of complications... middle of paper... and the time he needed to let go. Even though she was the narrator, she also grew as a character. The story was about how her death affected those who loved and knew her, and how they grew as people. Although his life was lost, a new life also began. New friendships took their place in the world. The story exudes a sense of acceptance and says that the living should focus on what is now, not what could have been. What's done is done; no one can do anything about it. What is important in life is to hold on and love those around us and let go of the things that hold us back. I thought this book represented that message well. It kept me entertained and I felt every emotion while reading it. I would recommend it to anyone looking for a different story and not afraid to think outside the box or to someone who needs guidance when it comes to dealing with grief.