What I Read that Mattered

Throughout high school I have read countless pieces of literature and I’ve hated some and loved others. Some of my favorites include Of Mice and Men andThe Catcher in the Rye, but my absolute favorite was The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold. I read the novel in Mr. Weidman’s honors English class sophomore year, and have been in love with it ever since. The novel is about a 14 year-old girl who is raped and murdered by one of her neighbors, Mr. Harvey on her way home from school. Although she is dead, the protagonist, Susie, watches her family from heaven and witnesses the wide ranging effects that her murder had on her family, friends, and even people she hardly knew.

          The novel mattered so much to me because it revealed a lot about life and death. It brought to the reader’s attention the fragility of life and how quickly it can be over, inspiring the desire to make the most out of every day. After reading the novel, I began making an effort to focus on small details and the little things I love about life like the warm feeling when you walk out of an air conditioned classroom, my mom’s cooking, or the sound of the rain. It also taught me to be more careful and avoid reckless behavior because you never know what can happen. Doing things you know are dangerous and assuming bad things won’t happen to you is just stupid and not worth the risk. Another important aspect of the book was the concept of heaven. Sebold provides the reader with an idea of what comes after death. However, her model of the afterlife is special because it does not involve any type of religious notions about an afterlife, but one that Sebold created herself. It presents the idea that there is some kind of afterlife that’s a beautiful place where you can watch over people you care about and be completely at peace. I really liked this concept because it’s what we all want to believe, because no one wants to be finished living, but a place like that gives hope that the journey is not over.

          The most important thing that I will keep with me from the novel is that now I know how important every life is. The novel showed me that no matter how insignificant you might think you are in the world, your life is important to so many people. Like Susie, now I know how many peoples’ lives would change if I wasn’t here anymore, or if I never was. Finally, the novel showed me that revenge won’t change what’s already happened and that moving on from horrible events is already enough of a struggle without seeking revenge or hurting someone else just because you’ve been hurt. The Lovely Bones shows that there are more important things on earth than vengeance such as love, relationships, and forgiveness.

What are your favorite book(s) you've read in high school and why did it (they) matter to you?

-Hillary D.