How does The Lovely Bones connect to the world in regards to social issues, historical issues, and values/ethics?

There are of course obvious connections (as it is modern fiction and could have very well taken place in real life, even yesterday): unsolved crimes, the secrecy of psychopathic rapist killers, feelings of anger/loss/helplessness from the victim's family and close friends, etc.

I also think it poses some other big questions: Is there life after death?  Is communication with Earth possible from the afterlife?  Is that communication directly affected by injustice?