The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold

Rating: 4/5
Age R: 15+ (It deals with mature issues)
Release Date: July 2002
Thoughts:
First off you should know that even though this book speaks about the afterlife it only touches on that. It's not about that at all, it's basically about the life of a family after their child has died.
This book is one of those incredible reads that make you think "I'm so glad writing exists". It's just so beautiful, sad, unique, and so much more. I read this in 2007 and even now, I still love it. Okay so that's not that long ago, but still that's saying something. :)
The Lovely Bones is told in the POV of the young 14 year old dead Susie Salmon. :( She's in heaven watching over her family, seeing everything unfold before her and hoping the cops will find her killer. Not just because he did what he did to her(I'm not giving anything away) but because he has done it to other poor little girls and might continue to do so.
We learn about the life this innocent little girl lived and what happens after her death. This of course makes the reader so darn sad. When you read it you'll fall in love with Alice Sebold's beautifully crafted novel, her writing, her characters, all of it. Highly recommended.
Even though it's really great, there are some down sides to it. At times the story itself gets a little slow which to me is a huge bummer. The ending is especially a chore to read. It's almost as if the first half was written years before the second part and the author forgot what she was doing for a while. It's still definitely worth a read though, but I can understand how some may not like it. I think maybe you just have to be in the mood for it. :)

Note:
There is a certain something that happens between two characters near the end of the book. It's SO creepy!

Sweetness:
There is a movie in the works. Markity Mark Mark will star in it along with that lady who's name I can't remember that came out on The Mummy and along with the little girl from Atonement (f-ing amazing movie w/ James McAvoy!!!) and The City of Ember. The movie will be released on December 11, 2009. I have been waiting for this movie since after I read The Lovely Bones and then found out there was going to be a movie hehe

YOU WILL ENJOY READING THIS BOOK IF YOU LIKE:
-Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson
-Elsewhere by Gabrielle Zevin. R.ed here.
-The Five People You Meet in Heaven by Mitch Albom.
-If I Stay by Gayle Forman. R.ed here.
-sad stories