"If I Stay" by Gayle Forman

Music is everywhere in Mia's life. Her parents were rockers. She's an accomplished cellist. Her boyfriend Adam has his own punk band. She's applied to Julliard and life after high school is finally showing more potential.

But one snowy morning everything changes. Mia and her family are driving along the highway when a semi-truck collides with their car, instantly killing Mia's parents and her younger brother. Mia finds herself outside her own body, not dead, not alive, and not knowing what to do. As a ghost-like spirit, Mia spends time at the hospital, observing her own coma state. Limbo is confusing....should she join her family in the afterlife, or return to her human body? Is this even Mia's decision to make?

Life without her parents and brother would be devastating. But, at 17 years old, is she ready to give up on what the future may hold?

This is a beautifully written book, full of grace and possibilities. It's a quick read, wonderful for fans of "The Lovely Bones" or "Elsewhere."

"Elsewhere" by Gabrielle Zevin

After being killed in a bicycle accident, Liz finds herself on a cruise ship full of old people. This boat is going to Elsewhere, and Elsewhere is where you go when you die. But Liz isn't ready to be dead, she's supposed to be getting her driver's license and shopping for a prom dress. Elsewhere is a weird place, her dead grandma is there and everyone ages backwards until they turn into a baby. Is it possible that a life lived in reverse is no difference than a life lived forward? Is life in Elsewhere really that different than life on Earth? To find out, read Elsewhere! Good for 8th grade and up. This book follows a similar plot line to "The Lovely Bones," but it's not as harsh in subject material.

"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.