Do You like book Walking On Glass (2007)?
Reviewed by Me for TeensReadToo.comA 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.
—Jennifer Wardrip
The biggest thing I liked about this book is how open it was. It showed how her feelings were and you could tell how she felt at any time of the book. It also makes the story really eerie and you won't be able to tell what happened until the very end. I also liked the whole story that the author portrayed. This book is about a young girl (they don't say the name of most of the characters). Her mother has tried to commit suicide. Her father's and her lives are ruined and weighed down by the thought that they could loose their mother and or wife. They have to make the decision if it was their fault and most of all have to decide whether or not to set her free. I would recommend this book to people who want a really quick read. Its a poetry book so its pretty short. Also I would recommend this book to people who want a sad and sort of freeing book. This book is one of those books that I've never read before but sure am glad that I did.
—Karli M.
This free verse novel is short, but it has a wide range of emotions. The main character, who is unnamed, keeps a journal at the request of his therapist. He's in therapy after he tried to save his mother from a suicide attempt, and her efforts rendered her comatose. The doctors say she'll never regain consciousness, but his father is unwilling to turn off the life support. The m.c. meets a beautiful girl who can't set him free from the cage of his grief and guilt; meanwhile, his best friend tries to lead him toward a darker path. WALKING ON GLASS is beautifully written and treats the issue of euthanasia with immense sensitivity.
—Medeia Sharif