Boo or Oliver is a 13 year old bullied outcast, who considers himself a science geek but has characteristics that seem to indicate he is on the autistic spectrum. One day he is standing by his school locker and then he wakes up in heaven - a special part of the afterlife called the town where only 13 year old Americans go. He immediately assumes the hole in his heart has caused his demise but he soon learns that he was shot and then discovers another boy, Johnny, who arrived at the same time after dying in the same shooting incident.
Thus the scene is set for Boo discovering his place in this new community and making friends who accompany him on a journey to discover what happened. They are anxious to see if their killer is there in heaven with them. Their search for "gunboy" involves Boo struggling to find himself and to get over his fear of being touched and touching other people. He also has to learn to interact with those in his own age group.
The book is written from the viewpoint of Boo who is writing a long letter to his parents to explain where he now is and what has happened to him.
It isn't a religious book in any way - the boss of heaven is referred to throughout as Zig - and the depiction of the afterlife doesn't fit in with the theology of any religion I have ever studied! But as a literary device to explore themes such as forgiveness it works well. It is a book about the consequences of bullying and the cruelty of teenagers as well as the love and loyalty that they can show. The writing is full of wit and invention and the story leads to a ending with a twist that was perhaps a little contrived but I found satisfying none the less.
I saw parallels to "The lord of the flies" in the plot but "Boo" is a very different book. I enjoyed this wistful and touching novel and recommend it.
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