Shoulder The Sky

By Lesley Choyce

Winner of the 2003 Ann Connor Brimer Award, short-listed for the 2004 White Pine Award

Martin Emerson's family, friends, and even his therapist have trouble figuring him out. He never showed much of a reaction to the death of his mother, and his behaviour of late has been getting more and more bizarre.

And yet, his website -- Emerso.com -- has made him something of a cult figure to followers who believe that, if not having all the right answers, "Emerso" at least has all the right questions.

Shoulder the Sky is a rarity among young adult novels - it challenges the reader with philosophical thought and complex observations.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1550024159
• ISBN13: 9781550024159
• Release Date: October 2002
• Publisher: Dundurn Press
• Length: 220 Pages
• Weight: 0.45 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.7" x 5.2" x 7.2"
• Age Range: 12 to 15 years
• Grade Range: Grades 7 to 10

Customer Reviews

spellbinding read

This is the most amazing young adult book i have read in a long time. "Shoulder the Sky" is filled with humour, philosophy and keen observations, ideas commonly excluded by many, many crappy YA books out there. Lesley Choyce challenges the reader to think outside the box, and raises concepts we should be aware of - existentialism, for example.I am not a fan of history, science, or philosophy, but "shoulder the sky" has influenced me to RESEARCH on people like Immanuel Kant, Dali, and Herodotus for FUN. This amazing, intelligent, and often laugh-out-loud funny book actually makes me want to learn.I strongly encourage you to overlook the unattractive cover and READ this book.

A matter of life and death

An exceptional book that faces issues head on even as its protagonist tries to avoid them. Emerson's reaction (or, non-reaction) to loss depicts the internal shutdown (its own kind of death) that those left living often experience when facing the death of a loved one. Masterfully written, Choyce has created highly believable characters and events in Shoulder the Sky. This is a book you won't want to put down, and one that will stay with you for a long time after the last page is turned.

Thought provoking

Everyone says it's odd how Martin has expressed no grief since his mother died. He didn't cry at the funeral, and he continued on like nothing had happened. His therapist Dave, urges Martin to be rebellious, get out some anger or emotion by having a tantrum or taking up smoking (Dave is not your average therapist). Martin has his own ways of coping. He has authored a website, Emerso.com, which discusses everything under the sun (and changes depending on his mood) from Norway to Nietzche. But how long can he keep everything bottled up inside?This book, like Sophie's World by Jostein Gaarder, challenges the reader to think about their own morals and ethics and different philosophical ways of thinking. But it presents in a more humorous and readable way, one that will appeal to teens. This is a very powerful and interesting story about loss.