“A mother on life-support. A father who keeps pretending that his wife will get better. A young man, torn between doing what is right and taking the easier path of least resistance.
Alma Fullerton paints the story of one family's turmoil in WALKING ON GLASS, a short tale told in free verse. When one teen arrives home one day in June, he finds his mother near death after an attempted suicide. Although he saves her life, the only thing keeping her tethered to this world are the wires and equipment forcing her to take each breath as she lies in a hospital bed.
"Mom's mood swings always coincided with whatever Dad and I did.
Up and down.
Up and down.
Pulling our strings, like big yo-yos.
And even now, when she can't move or talk, she's still pulling those strings."
As the teen's father lives in a world of denial, as the teen himself realizes that his best friend's life of crime and anger is beginning to rub off on him, he realizes that if there is ever to be an end to the torment he suffers, the decision will have to be his alone. As he struggles to learn why his mother wanted to die, as he rages with anger over his father's lack of acceptance, and as he faces the knowledge that life will never be the same, we fight the fight right along with him.
Ms. Fullerton has written a heartrending, emotional story that will stay with you long after you turn the last page.
Originally posted on www.teensreadtoo.com”
GeniusJen wrote this review Thursday, July 26 2007.
(
reply |
permalink )