Shoulder the Sky

Darleen R. Golke is a high-school teacher-librarian in Winnipeg,
Manitoba.

Months after his mother’s death, 15-year-old Martin presents a faзade
of “normalcy” to the world. By contrast, his sister acts out her
pain with body piercing, Goth trappings, and a boyfriend with the “IQ
of a foot fungus,” while his father becomes “the Invisible Man.”
Even his psychiatrist, Dave, thinks Martin should “seek out some form
of rebellion to release [his anger].” The sudden death of a fellow
student in a motorcycle accident, combined with his father’s return to
the real world, accelerates Martin’s disassociative behavior until he
finally breaks: “[The] firewalls were coming down. The places I had
denied myself access to were opening up.” He resolves to “muster
strength and rebuild,” but to do so he must first overcome his
“hatred of humanity” and come to terms with his mother’s death.

Choyce tackles the issue of unresolved grief with sensitivity and
insight, tempered by humor. Martin is an engaging protagonist who
reveals his eclectic intellect in articles that he writes for
Emerso.com. When he finally accepts his loss, he shuts down his Web site
and returns to real life. Highly recommended.