"The Lovely Bones" by Alice Sebold

Alice Sebold's book,"The Lovely Bones", is a bittersweet coming of age story with a twist. It is not a book for young adults, however, I would recommend the reader be at least 16 years old as this book deals with some harsh subjects.

In "The Lovely Bones" 14-year-old Susie Salmon is murdered on her way home from school. But Susie isn't gone...she watches her family struggle through their grief from a playground presumably in some part of Heaven and tells us her story. As they grow older and struggle to come to terms with what happened to Susie, she changes as well. The ending will make you cry, because while it is sad, there is a happiness to it as well that will affect you long after you have finished the book. Sebold's writing is clear and effective, and her first-person narrative will leave you feeling like Susie was a part of your family.

Again, my recommended reading level is 16 and up, but some younger teens may be ok with the subject matter.

Books Book Teens Reading The Lovely Bones