Audio Book Review: "The Lovely Bones" by Alice Sebold

     When I first heard about The Lovely Bones, the idea did not appeal to me.  A dead girl narrating her own story did not seem like it was my cup of tea.  When I saw the preview for the movie version, however, I decided to make sure I took time for this book.  I knew that since the movie starred Mark Wahlberg that I would want to see it. Time being short and this not being a top pick for me, I chose to go with the audio book version from the local library.

      Alyssa Bresnahan reads this book aloud for listeners.  Her voice fits Susie Salmon's character quite well.  While her voice does not change drastically when it comes time to quote others in the story, the nuances of tone are just enough to convey the change in person and perspective.  For those who are not yet familiar with the story, Susie Salmon is a young teenager who is accosted on the way home from school one night by her odd neighbor, Mr. Harvey.  She never makes it to her house . . . .  What follows is Susie's view from heaven as the world goes on without her.  One of the most striking and touching story lines is the obvious bond of love between Susie and her devoted father, who will stop at nothing to catch her killer.

      This set from Recorded Books consists of 10 cd's, including a bonus “Interview With the Author” cd, which I found to be informative and entertaining!  This audio book recording was published in 2002.  ISBN 1-4025-4055-8. A new track starts every three minutes so you can easily find your place again when it's time to pause the recording.  I thought this recording was well done and this was one audio book that my kids became interested in as well, which is a rare thing!  After they heard the recording, they were eager to see the film version with me.