Blog Entry #5
So this is the last blog entry. The book was amazing, and I've already started reading Alice Sebold's other two books. But i'll leave all this stuff for the end.
Chapter twenty one, Susie watches Ray and remembers when he kissed her by her locker. At first, she was worried she wouldn't be good at it, but now she wants to do it again.
Len finds Susie's Keystone State charm and returns it to her parents, and they all realize that Susie is never coming back. Ruth and Ray head on to the sinkhole and there as they are talking, Ruth catches a glimpse of Susie. Before she can say much, Susie vanishes.
She sees her family doing different things, and sees Mr.Harvey driving past his house one last time. He lingers outside Lindsey's window, but the woman who now lives in his house calls the police. As long as he was free, everyday was a question mark for Lindsey.
Susie goes back to the sinkhole where Ruth and Ray see Mr.Harvey at the sinkhole as well. Ruth sees the ghost of all the women he killed, and as she faints, Susie falls to earth.
In the next chapter, Susie sees Ruth collapsing, and then she is in Ruth's body, looking up. She fights with Ruth, who wants to leave her body, and in the end Ruth wins. She goes off to heaven, meeting Franny and Holly and Holiday. She asks Ray to take her to Hal's bike shop, and they go. Finally the two kiss, making Susie happy, and Ray soon realizes that it is not Ruth, but Susie. After Ray falls asleep, Susie sees spirits in the room, knowing that her time on earth is coming to an end. She calls up her house, and talks to Buckley
one last time before leaving. When Ray wakes up, he knows that Ruth is gone. She finally enters Heaven.
Chapter Twenty three. The last chapter. Ray wakes up to Ruth lying next to him, and Ruth decides to tell him everything she has written in her diary. Susie's father comes home and Susie sees all four of them together as a family. She is grateful for Grandma Lynn, who has been a bastion of support for the family. Mrs.Salmon goes to Susie's room and realizes she is ready to move on. Susie no longer yearns for the living, and her family no longer yearns for her. She knows that the 'lovely bones' are not her body; they are the connects created between her family, and she sees things in a way that 'lets her hold the world without her in it'. Everyone is moving on, buying new houses and getting on with their lives, and with that, Susie is gone.
The final chapter is more of an epilogue. It shows how Lindsey and Samuel move in the house, and have a baby girl named Abigail Suzanne. Lindsey finally leaves Susie in her memories. Susie gets what she has always wanted- the death of Mr.Harvey. He is picking up a new victim when an icicle falls onto his head and he topples off the ravine. Grandma Lynn dies a few years after, but her parents and family moves on. Susie's last words to us are "I wish you all a long and happy life."
The Lovely Bones was one of the best books i ever read. Alice is an amazing author, and the book beautifully describes how people deal with the aftermath of the death of a loved one. The movie was fairly good as well, but I always prefer the book. I think that this is a must read for any teenager, or adult.
So go and buy a copy of the book right now, or just download the pdf from
