2002. Back Bay Books pocket book 2003, 372 pages.

On her way home from school on a snowy December day in 1973, 14-year-old Susie Salmon ("like the fish") is lured into a makeshift underground den in a cornfield and brutally ravished and murdered, the latest victim of a serial killer -- the man she knew as her neighbor, Mr. Harvey. Alice Sebold's debut novel unfolds from heaven, where "life is a perpetual yesterday" and where Susie narrates and keeps watch over her grieving family and friends, as well as her brazen killer and the sad detective working on her case. As Sebold fashions it, everyone has his or her own version of heaven.

-ruzena

The book was waiting for me when I got home from work today. Thank you very much, ruzena! The book goes to Mt. TBR, but I'm looking forward to reading it.

This was partly horrifying, partly mysteriously beautiful and overall melancholy but interesting book to read. I really liked the way heaven was pictured and how Sebold described people's ways of coping with the tragedy. I also liked the end of the book, although I kind of wished that there would have been an explanation, a closure, for Susie's family. (Actually, there was a closure if you choose to see it that way, but it wasn't the kind of closure I wished for.) I also wondered what happened to Len Fenerman.
I kept wondering why this book seemed so familiar to me, like I'd read it before. I'm quite sure I haven't. I guess it must be due to the fact that I've read so much ABOUT this book or perhaps I have read a small part of it somewhere.

I took this book home with me from our local meeting. Decided to give this a go, since many people have said good things about this book and it has been widely discussed also outside the bookcrossing circles.

I finally picked up this book as I am trying to read books from the oldest end of my TBR's registered by others.

This book definitely crossed the borders of the typical story describing grief and loss, it is everything else than the things you are used to. To have an observant narrator from heaven was peculiarly fascinating and also very touching. The heaven itself is vividly pictured to be a place that automatically includes many things your heart desires, a place full of feelings and colours.

The overall feeling of this book is sorrowfulness but in a quite beautiful way. On the other hand, the story had its revolting moments too. I also thought that persons' different ways of grieving were pictured well. I did not enjoy the ending, but otherwise I am somehow glad I have now read this book.

Having lost almost all of my nearest relatives, like my parents and grandparents, this book made me to again reflect on the idea of them watching me to continue with my life and the idea of me sensing their presence in some moments of my life. All this is still something I do really not have a clear feeling or opinion about...

The book will now travel forward as a wishlist surprise.

CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:

The book will be mailed forward as a wishlist surprise. Greetings from Tampere!

2010 Keep Them Moving # 5

PRKL-haaste # 3

Thank you Bookgeo!

I got interested in this book after reading some comments in the Book Talk forum and maybe the movie advertise that was on BC site few months ago had an effect too (which means I really should start to use some addblocker).

I'm quite sure I have released this book couple years ago somewhere in Lappeenranta when we had summer meeting with some bookcrossers.

Sorry for the lack of proper journaling.