The Lovely Bones is a novel by Alice Sebold. A light read and enjoyable, this book has helped many people overcome what is known as the five stages of grief by Elisabeth Kubler-Ross.

"My name was Salmon, like the fish; first name, Susie. I was fourteen when i was murdered on December 6,1973. My murderer was a man from our neighbourhood. My mother liked his border flowers and my father talked to him once about fertilizer."

This we are told right from the first chapter and literally on the first page too. Susie Salmon narrates the book from heaven which is similar to her school playground. Whatever Susie wants will appear as soon as she thinks about it with one exception: she cannot have what she wants most; to be alive and back on earth with her family.

The novel is narrated over many years, and watches the development of characters how they deal with the loss of Susie. Both friends and family deal with this loss in a different way and reflects who they are as a character.

The themes involved with this novel include not only grief, but adultery, rape, violence and forgiveness. This bildungsroman (coming-of-age novel) is a truly inspirational guide to overcoming tragedy. The heaven used is somewhat symbollic and follows no religion. One could see why there is no religion as those who belong to other religions would simply put the book down after finding out that this heaven has a God.

Released shortly after the 9/11 attacks on America in which many people died as a result of terrorist attacks, this book provided the families who lost members in the attacks with a sense of comfort knowing that their loved ones were in a better place. A quote from the novel from Susie is " it is beautiful here (regarding heaven), that I am, and you will one day be, forever safe."

Alice Sebold wrote another book before The Lovely Bones called Lucky. The true story was based on her horrific rape and struggle to overcome it. The Lovely Bones reflects part of Sebold's experience and soul while not as gruesome as the attack in Lucky.

The novel is available in book stores and hopefully in the local library. The Times described this book as "Complusive enough to read in a single sitting, brilliantly intelligent, elegantly constructed and ultimately intriguing." The novel has been produced into a film which is due in Decemeber 2009.