(3/31/2003)
Hello fellow avid readers.
(At my age of 13, I finally realized that reading is an enjoyable must for a happy life.)
I recently, precisely 20 minutes ago, concluded my journey of reading The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold. It is THE novel, one that touched every sense in my body as I sat at the kitchen table smelling, hearing, seeing, and mostly importantly, feeling every word and 'snapshot' depicted by the author. Every sentence of this novel seemed to add significantly to the plot, urging me to want to read ahead..maybe even sneak a glance at the bottom of the page...but I never allowed myself to 'cheat' on this test of your own personal character. (Sebold's BOLD writing style not only made me envy her skill at the written word, but made me want to inject myself with some sort of 'writing improver' supplied, personally, by Ms. Sebold herself.)
The way that Susie, the narrator, developed every character...from beloved family member, to ever hated enemy, and her evolving feelings towards them kept me enveloped in the story from cover to cover. Through embarking my journey through these pages--luminesent with imagery and powerful wordings--I silenced even the slightest sound around me so I wouldn't miss a beat, a beat of the heart of a young girl telling the story that has been--yet never was, and definetly will never was--and the story of those whose lives must, and are, going on.
This book is a MUST READ for anybody who is looking for a book of anytime--including loss, love, memory, humor, mystery, crime, and an endless amount of topics strewn through the precious pages of The Lovely Bones. "
These were the lovely bones that had grown around my absense: the connections--sometimes tenuous, sometimes made at great cost, but often magnificent--that happened after I was gone."
If anything happened through the seemingly endless story of Susie Salmon, I have discovered the true beauty and joy of life on earth. [I have also (at least attempted) to pick up the writing style of this magnificent author, who is bound to become a favorite of every literate individual, if not already.]