I read The Lovely Bones, by Alice Sebold, many moons ago, and yet in the last few months it seems to have made a comeback, regularly appearing in the "Top 10" shelves in Smiths, or being read by people on the train. Let's be frank - this is not a nice book, deeply disturbing with no holds barred about the rape and subsequent murder of the book's subject, one Susie Salmon. Let's just say I was glad I read it before our little boy was born! I should probably also mention that, being so long ago, some of the details are a little hazy, so this is more recollection/reflection.
The concept is fascinating - a little girl killed before her time, looking down from heaven as she and her family come to terms with what's happened, as we (and they) piece together the precise sequence of events and who is responsible. It's very sympathetically written, with very believable characters and I really was upset by the girl's murder (the book proceeds on parallel tracks at first, with Susie simultaneously relating her life and last days, and also what is happening since her death) and came to care a lot about her family over the years (decades?) that follow.
The book is essentially upbeat though, with plenty of resolution at the end, and as happy an ending you could expect - the subject matter is brutal though, and dealt with in that way!
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