The Lovely Bones

Kaliqah Mims
Professor Christine Specht
LIT GNS 5107
20 July 2008

The Lovely Bones

Mims 1

Reading this novel was a little difficult for me at first, as I had a son that was murdered. The first part of the novel I found to have strength because it was part mystery and part ghost story and it captured your attention. I thought it was an interesting twist to have the story being told from heaven by Susie who thinks everyone is seeing the same thing she does in her new place. Later she learns that heaven is whatever you truly want it to be and, sometimes other people's version of heaven intercepts with your own. I often wonder if my son has met other people and has an intake counselor to help him along. The second part of the book seemed to be tedious in reading because it stretched out the scenes of Susie watching her family an friends on Earth as they come to the realization that she is gone forever. Also I felt they were missing the clues she was trying to give them to help solve her murder. This was probably because her murder occurred in the 1970's back at a time when people still didn't believe things like that could happen in surburbia. In the beginning her parents reacted like parents who knew that their child was missing or dead. I got the impression that Abigail never wanted children and it disturbed me that Abigail started becoming unattached about her daughter's death and withdrew from the family and into an affair. I felt she used the husband obsession as an excuse.

Mims 2

I did learn in my counseling session that when a child dies the divorce rate increases. They say that the parents start blaming themselves for the child's death and the physical relationship starts to fizzle. I felt sorry for Mr. Salmon because he was on the right track as far as who he suspected killed his daughter and it appeared that the authorities were slow to process what he was trying to give them as far as clues. He became grief stricken and felt helpless that he could not get the police to charge Mr. Harvey. This is very true to life as this is the case in many murder cases today. They tell you there is not enough evidence and they do not have the manpower to investigate, so the cases seem to drag on. I felt bad for Lindsay who feared the kids at school will forever define her by Susie death and she tried very hard to be her own person. I do applaud her for her courage in breaking into Mr. Harvey's house for clues. I think that she could feel the presence of her sister and she paid attention to the clues Susie was transmitting to her. I can attest to this possibly being true, My youngest daughter was 3 years old when my son died. I had recieved a phone call from her teacher at school, she asked me if it would be okay for my daughter to talk with the school psychologist. I asked why and she told me that my daughter was found on several occasions talking with someone in the back of the classroom but there was no one there. I asked my daughter who she was talking to and she said my brother. She stated that he comes to see me at school all the time, and he told me to tell you to stop crying because he cannot come to you as long as you cry. I told her he knows that I cannot stop crying right now, she then said to me I will help you mommy. I was speechless, I do believe that children have the gift of seeing things adult do not because they are innocent. I do think they lose that ability when they get older. The character Mr. Harvey reminded me of a pathetic old man preying on innocent children for their gratification. This is one of the horror's that was mentioned on page 186 of the things that haunt our society.

Mims 3

This was a great novel despite how unsettling the first part was of Susie replaying her murder in her mind, trying to figure out why this happened to her. In the end I think the dead think about the living a lot less than they did when death first occurs. They become preoccupied with their new dwelling place.