Points After Abuse

ISBN: 1470112205

Author: Read, Richard

Condition: New

Product Description Kyle Cook is in tenth grade. His father died in a car accident when Kyle was eleven. He lives with his mother and his fourteen-year-old sister. He kicks field goals and extra points after touchdowns for his high school football team. He also harbors, in the deep recesses of his mind, a horrible secret of a past event. Kyle's secret has lain dormant, its effects on him hardly noticeable to his family and his friends until his awakening sexual interests cause the influences of Kyle's earlier trauma to arise and become noticeable in his behavior. Kyle's abnormal behavior threatens to rend asunder his family's cohesion. Kyle's mother wisely involves him in therapeutic counseling. Although his counselor may be physically limited as she is confined to a wheel chair, her intuition and skilled intervention with Kyle are unfettered. Kyle soon seems on the road to recovery until one more catastrophe, the cause rooted in Kyle's past, threatens to destroy all that he has been able to accomplish. The author hopes that 'Points After Abuse' will provide insight for young adults both to the effects that trauma may have on one's behavior and to the importance of being open when engaging in a counseling relationship in order to maximize the benefits of that relationship. There are other novels that deal with similar issues: like 'Speak', by Laurie Anderson, and 'Dreamland' by Sarah Dessen. Both books feature female protagonists. 'Points After Abuse' focuses on a male protagonist. From Kirkus Reviews High school sophomore Kyle Cook loves kicking field goals for his high school team but beats himself up when his skills prove to be merely decent.  His self-esteem has never been the same since he was sent five years ago to stay with his ( ) sexually and emotionally abusive aunt while his mother recovered from a devastating car crash that killed his father. (  ) His abuse has led to strange behaviors; for example, he assumes its normal to hide in the bathroom and secretly watch his younger sister, high school freshman Shelly, shower after swim practice-until she catches him one day.  Kyles mother sends him to see Mrs. Sabia, a tiny elderly  counselor (  ) who assists Kyle in holding himself accountable for his actions and healing his relationship with Shelly.  Shelly eventually arranges a first date for Kyle with her friend Jessica.  As Kyle and Jessicas relationship develops and they begin experimenting with sex, his memories of his past trauma threaten to destroy his ability to have a normal relationship.  (  ) Read effectively manages to get to the heart of Kyles struggle to reconcile his traumatic experiences with the pressures of being a teenage boy ( ).  Some readers may find the   (  ) depiction of teen culture a bit dated; others may take offense at characters mild use of homophobic language.  Overall, however, they will find this a unique and compelling story, and a beautifully honest depiction of a teenage boys difficult path to healing.