The Lovely Bones is one of my favorite books. The main character, Susie, tells the story from a unique point of view– she is dead, and tells the story of her dear ones from Heaven above. The concept of Heaven and the usage of flashbacks are the highlights of this book.

What will happen to a family that loses one of its members? What will happen when this girl dies but still has the chance to watch her family while she’s trapped in her perfect heaven?

Inside the snow globe on my father’s desk, there was a penguin wearing a red-and-white-striped scarf. When I was little, my father would pull me into his lap and reach for the snow globe. He would turn it over, letting all the snow collect on the top, then quickly invert it. The two of us watched the snow fall gently around the penguin. The penguin was alone in there, I thought, and I worried for him. When I told my father this, he said, “Don’t worry, Susie; he has a nice life. He’s trapped in a perfect world.” (The Lovely Bones prologue)

-Wenqing Z., 10th grade