How important is the setting of "The Lovely Bones," and what specifically does it influence?

In this novel, the setting, the time and place of the events, is very important, and this setting is one of the most unusual I've seen. Most of the events happen on earth, but Susie tells what is happening from heaven. There are a few scenes that occur in heaven, but they expand the story rather than propel the plot forward. The events that occur on earth move the plot forward.

As far as the time of the novel, we immediately know it takes place in the 1970s because we are given the specific date of December 6, 1973. In telling the story, Susie flashes back into the past to bring the reader important information we need to understand what happened prior to the December 6th date. Susie also refers to the future and throughout the book, she shifts among the past, present, and future.

The setting is tied to the theme of loss and grief that Susie's family feels after her death. It also refers to the coming-of-age of the characters in the novel. Susie can't move on in heaven until she knows her family is going to be all right. Her sister and brother must come to terms with Susie's death as well as her father and mother.