The Lovely Bones

by Alice Sebold

What did dead mean, Ray wondered. It meant lost, it

meant frozen, it meant
gone.
Recommended for uneasy souls, the ones that need help
(moving on).
Summary:
Susie Salmon of Norristown, Pennsylvania narrates her story
starting in 1973, when she was a typical fourteen year old in a
loving family where no bad things ever seemed to happened. That
year, special things commence in her life, her aspirations to become
a wildlife photographer sprout, and burgeoning romantic feelings,
seemingly reciprocated, for senior British transfer student, Ray
Singh. If she was not preoccupied with these thoughts, Susie
believes she would have noticed or felt the creepiness of neighbor,
George Harvey, a serial killer of females of all ages, including her. In
telling her story, Susie does not remember the exact method of her
death or where her body is located, which the authorities have
difficulty finding out, but have evidence that Susie is most-likely
dead. She died without ever getting her first romantic kiss. Her
mother, Abigail Salmon, is not dealing with her death well, keeping
Susies bedroom as a sealed up memorial. Her father, Jack Salmon,
cannot let go of ever finding out what happened to Susie, although

he, along with their two other younger children, Lindsey and
Buckley,

feel

like

they

can

occasionally

feel

Susie's

afterlife

presence. Indeed, Susie is looking over her family, as well as Ray.

Another neighborhood girl, Ruth Connors, who is deemed weird, is
also able to feel those in the hereafter, including Susie. However,
another young female who Susie meets in her current location tells
Susie that she must advance forward to the next step. But Susie
seems somewhat determined to try and lead those that can feel her
presence to the fact of George being her murderer, especially when
his next potential victim seems to be Lindsey.