"The Innocent's Story" by Nicky Singer

"Okay. This is what I think happened: I got blown up. Boom boom, explosion. Cassina Dixon, aged thirteen, is blasted limb from limb." A suicide bomber kills Cassina and her younger sister in an attack at a train station. Cassina must come to terms with her new identity as a para-spirit, a ghost being that can enter people's brains, and perceive the world around them. This novel starts off in a similar vein to "The Lovely Bones," with Cassina witnessing her family's reaction to the tragedy. It morphs into a more serious discussion on terrorism, religion, and a fictional mysterious sect called the T'lanni. Cassina attempts to discover how suicide bombers can justify their actions, and learns that another terrorism plot is on the horizon. Can Cassina prevent other senseless deaths from beyond the grave? Heavy subject material, not a happy book, but well written. For 9th grade and up.