"The Lovely Bones", by Alice Sebold

Susie Salmon, the narrator of the book, is a teenaged murder victim in the 1970's. The story is her account of her murder and how it affected her family as she is watching everything from "her heaven." I began reading it because I wanted a change from my usual reading, and I was totally absorbed in it from the first page. It was sort of a crime drama, and a bit of a ghost story, but primarily the story of a family after the death of their daughtert/sister and how difficult it is for everyone to let go. It was certainly very thought-provoking, and at times very emotional. I found it to be a great way to temporarily escape all the craziness and stress I've felt recently.