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    Kicking the Sky
    Kicking the Sky
    Kicking the Sky
    Audiobook9 hours

    Kicking the Sky

    Written by Anthony De Sa

    Narrated by Tomas Marsh

    4/5

    ()

    About this audiobook

    In 1977 a shoeshine boy, Emanuel Jacques, is brutally raped and murdered in Toronto. In the aftermath of the crime, twelve-year-old Antonio Rebelo and his rapscallion friends explore their Portuguese neighborhood's dark garages and labyrinthine back alleys. The boys develop a curious relationship with a charismatic, modern-day Fagin who is master over an amoral world of hustlers, thieves, and drug dealers. As the media unravels the truth behind the shoeshine-boy murder, Antonio starts to see his family-and his neighborhood-as never before. He becomes aware of the dashed hopes of immigrants, of the influence of faith and the role of church, and of the frightening reality that no one is really taking care of him. So intent are his parents and his neighbors on keeping the old traditions alive that they act as if they still live in a small Portuguese village, not in a big city that puts their kids in the kind of danger they would not dare imagine.  Antonio learns about bravery and cowardice, life and death, and the heart's capacity for both love and unrelenting hatred in this stunning coming-of-age novel set against the backdrop of a true crime that shook the city.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherHighbridge Company
    Release dateMar 25, 2014
    ISBN9781622312733
    Kicking the Sky

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    Reviews for Kicking the Sky

    4/5

    26 ratings25 reviews

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    • 4/5
      Not as impressive as Barnacle Love. The story is an interesting one, and it brings back memories of the late 70's. Not so sure I enjoyed being brought back to my own "coming-of-age" during those same years. This story will stay with me, as I had not heard of it prior.
    • 4/5
      In a way this is a book of opposites. Opposites might not be the right term, maybe polarities. It's a good book, but not an entertaining one. It's very evocative - I can see perfectly the alleyways and houses and teenagers pushing through them - yet at the same time, I felt distanced and pushed away from the locale. The narrator, Antonio, is engaging at times, and other times frustratingly vague or naive or not seemingly wanting the reader there. Sometimes I read a page over and over again, thinking that a sentence or two was cut by accident, yet at the same time, adding more words in would probably weaken the story. I've never been a twelve year old boy, so I don't know how precise the characterization is, but it felt authentic to me. I have family from the Azores, and it was interesting to see similar families and how their lives played out in Toronto in the seventies.The book left me feeling a little off-kilter, as is, I assume, its purpose. It isn't a pleasant read, but a worthwhile one.
    • 4/5
      Well. After I turned the final page, I felt I had read a really well-written, memorable story, but it was not the innocent "coming-of-age in the 70s" story that I expected. I remember when the murder of 11-year-old "shoeshine boy" Emmanuel Jaques shocked Toronto, and this story takes place in the aftermath of his abduction and murder. The book details the atmosphere of fear and vigilante justice in the Portuguese immigrant community at that time. I would hesitate to recommend this book to friends or family without warning them of the child abuse, poverty, homophobia, sexual abuse and cruelty to people and animals within its pages.The character of Antonio, the 11-year-old at the heart of the story, is extremely well-drawn, and the reader hopes for the best for him as he tries to survive in the rather hopeless world in which he is growing up. Every other character in the book is damaged in some way, and it makes for rather depressing reading, with some rather black humour along the way to alleviate the dark atmosphere. I found it amazing that the author managed to inject some hopefulness into the story right at the end. So I will give this book a good rating but caution that it might not be to everyone's taste.
    • 4/5
      I was thoroughly engrossed in this tale of 3 young boys coming to grips with the changing atmosphere of their formerly considered “safe” yet crumbling Portuguese suburb of Toronto. The focus of the story is the horrendous predatory killing of a boy very much like themselves. But the fact that their lives were always endangered in some unknown way clutched my heart and made me yearn to know more about how they would deal with their ever changing world. It may be all in a boy’s understanding that leaping across rooftops or trusting a fascinating new stranger into their world is nothing but the every day experience. But their existence is very fragile, guarded and severely hampered by juvenile impressions of being bullet-proof. I found the characters fascinating and the story compelling. De Sa has an interesting method of giving the reader just enough to make this world beautiful, haunting and enthralling.
    • 5/5
      The author drops you in the Portuguese part of Toronto in 1977 at the time when a 12 year Portuguese old boy goes missing. Right from the start, It is clear where you are, what you see, what you smell, what it felt like back in that time. The Portuguese community is overcome with emotion. They begin to lock their doors, they are afraid of this happening to their family to their child. They talk on their porches, on the street and in the alley’s about what could have happened to Emanuel Jaques (The Shoeshine Boy). Antonio decides to investigate and find the missing boy, with the help of his friends, Manny and Ricky. He will then be in the papers, in the news, with everyone wanting to speak with him.Before their investigation gets under way, the boy’s body is found on top of a body-rub parlour in a garbage bag. Emanuel Jaques had been raped and then brutally beaten.The community is scared. Their lives begin change. Toronto is no longer the Toronto they knew and where they always felt safe. There is a new 21 year old guy in town, James, who lives in a garage in the alleyway. He befriends the three boys. James says that he will look after the boys that his place is a safe place to go. James, is the place for the friends to meet, to feel grown up, a secret place for them.Antonio strives to become a man wanting to leave the boy behind. The world is changing around him. Nothing seems to be the same. He realizes that life is complicated, it can be cruel, there are choices to make that are not, so cut and dry. He has feelings and thoughts he never had before. He sees his world as he has never seen before.Anthony De Sa writes with clarity, describing a past that is still a part of those living in that time. Anthony had me excited about the book right from the beginning. He writes well and had never lost my interest. I connected with every character and hung on his every word, not wanting to put the book down.I did wonder where this story was going. I couldn’t see there being an end. How was the author possibly going to wrap this story up?I was pleased when I closed the book. It felt finished, but at the same time, I could have gone on reading it forever. It definitely one of my favourite reads.
    • 3/5
      I came to a point while reading “Kicking the Sky” when I just had to put it down for a while. This is a gritty, depressing tale, full of child abuse, abject poverty and racism. It’s bookended by the murder of a young boy at the beginning, and the subsequent trial and conviction of the killers at the end. In between it’s a fascinating portrait of Portuguese immigrants in the 70’s.
    • 5/5
      Kicking the Sky is and excellent coming of age story involving the lives of three boys and their experiences in 1970's Toronto after the death of their eleven year old friend. Anthony De Sa is an incredible writer and has a very bright future. This book is quite captivating but also very somber. I did enjoy the Portuguese culture throughout the book and the 1970s pop culture references that I could totally relate to as a child of the 70s. I recommend this to everyone and I feel much richer having read this book.
    • 3/5
      Kicking the Sky (Early Reviewer’s copy) is a coming-of-age story set during 1970s Toronto in a Portuguese neighborhood community amidst the backdrop of the Shoeshine Boy murder trial (true event). Old ways clash with new ways while three twelve year old boys try to navigate and understand it all. Tho I didn’t feel the writing flowed smoothly at times, I did like this book. I thought the author did a good job of showing the struggle of being caught at that akward “tween” stage – not an adult yet but no longer a child.
    • 4/5
      Listening to this audiobook brought me back to a time when the world is just being revealed to this young person. I was close to Antonio's age in 1977 and I can recall the feelings of protection from my parents, but yet wanting to venture on my own as new things are experienced. Listening to this novel brought many memories back for me.Antonio is our twelve-year-old main character who lives with his parents in a predominantly Portuguese neighborhood in Canada. Life seems pretty normal for Antonio and his friends, but things take a drastic turn as events unfold throughout the novel. Antonio certainly didn't expect to become a religious icon just from eating a meal at the dinner table. This seemed to be more of a burden than a blessing to Antonio, and luckily the faith the neighbors placed in him stopped abruptly.When James moves into a garage in Antonio's neighborhood, all the young boys become intrigued by him. He is an older boy, living on his own, who can do basically anything he wants and also has dirty pictures hanging on the garage walls. The boys are drawn to James because he enjoys spending time with Antonio and his friends, and doesn't treat them like children. James has a dark side that he tries to keep hidden from Antonio, but unfortunately some of Antonio's friends become corrupted by James charms.A murder takes place in the beginning of the novel, setting the tone for discord and danger. Marsh did a great job of narrating this book, bringing to life Antonio's character while allowing me to recall precious memories from my own childhood. With themes of murder, faith, and friendship, you may enjoy this book as much as I did. Even though this is considered a Young Adult novel I don't hesitate in recommending this book to anyone for either personal leisure or as a book club discussion.
    • 4/5
      This was a difficult book to read, but a good one. The language evoked the real, gritty, filth of life and I often felt like I needed to put it down and scrub my surroundings or myself. That said, I could not stop reading it and rushed through it, needing to know how it ends, feeling like I was looking at a terrible accident through my hands. Looking and also not looking. De Sa is a phenomenal writer whose language is vivid and evocative. I look forward to reading more from him.
    • 5/5
      This was a novel about a 12 year old boy who was the son of Portuguese immigrants and took place in Toronto in the late 1970's. The main plot centered around the murder of a young boy from the Portuguese community. This event had ramifications that were far-reaching in this community. The book touches on many topics such as superstition, homophobia, immigrant communities, and growing up. The story is told from the viewpoint of the boy and I found it drew me in right at the beginning and sustained my interest to the end. The characters were also well developed and I really felt that I got to know them by the end of the book. Very enjoyable read.
    • 3/5
      De Sa's novel Kicking the Sky is a wonderful coming-of-age story set in Toronto in the late 1970s. De Sa writes about a young boy, son of Portuguese immigrants, whose world changes with the murder of a 12-year-old boy who is also a member of the Portuguese community. The story is told from the point-of-view of Antony Rebelo and it includes his struggles with understanding and accepting the adult world he's entering to.I was moved by the issues brought up in this novel. It deals with a close-knit immigrant community clinging to their cultural and religious customs in an effort to protect themselves from the evils of society at the same time that they wilfully ignore the evil living among them. The book also deals with the expectations immigrants have for their children and it shows the reality of parents being so busy working to provide for their families that they don't realize that their children are involved in very adult behaviour. I enjoyed Anthony De Sa's novel. It is an eye-opening account of the lives of immigrants families as they work to find their place in their adopted country.
    • 4/5
      The characterization of the protagonist, Antonio, was absolutely spot on and the author did a wonderful job with drawing the personalities of all the characters in the book. The story was more than a bit seamy what with the pedophilia, child prostitution etc. This is not the kind of book I would typically choose, but it was a good story with good writing that kept me reading. I feel this author has a bright future. At times it was a bit challenging to follow the story line and felt a bit disjointed.
    • 4/5
      A heartbreaking story about a twelve year old boy living in an immigrant community. Like most children of immigrants, he has to navigate between two worlds -- that of the "old country" and that of the "new country."The story is heartbreaking because Antonio experiences events that no young boy should endure. In fact, the events haunt and influence his whole community. They want to do something about it, but because they are "poor immigrants" they have a very quiet voice and are largely ignored. In some ways, that forces them to ignore the problem as well. The book is disturbing because the author wants the reader to be disturbed: you are supposed to be bothered by the lifestyle that is normal for these boys not because of the lifestyle itself but because it is normal for them, because it is what they have to do to survive. That is the disturbing or unsettling part. It should not be the reality for young men just looking to survive life. There is hope in the story through the strong (if sometimes twisted) sense of community amoung this group of immigrants. As weird as his family is, I got the sense that Antonio is a survivor and is grounded because he has his family.The writing, the characters, the story are all strong and literary. There is symbolism in the slaughtered pig in the opening scenes of the book that are discreetly carried throughout the novel. Some of the jumps in the story are a bit confusing and I had to reread to make sure I wasn't missing anything, but life is like that when a thought gets hijacked by another event.I recommend this book for its quality and groundedness. Another strong novel by Antonio De Sa.
    • 3/5
      This is a novel but it uses the real murder of Emmanuel Jaques in Toronto in 1977 as its base. That murder catalyzed public opinion against gay men and sex shops because the perpetrators were gay men who lured Jaques away from his shoe shine kit with promises of lots of money.The narrator, Antonio, is a son of Portuguese immigrants from the Azores. He and his two best friends, Manny and Ricky, are just starting summer holidays when the book begins. Emmanuel Jaques has gone missing and the whole Portuguese community is concerned about the safety of its children. Nevertheless parents have to leave their children alone while they go to work and Antonio’s parents work two jobs each so they are away a lot. Neighbours and relatives keep an eye on kids but it is fairly easy for them to escape notice if they want to. When Emmanuel’s body is discovered and the men responsible are apprehended the whole neighbourhood becomes outraged. The boys are restricted to their own houses and back lane. Little do the parents know that there is as much danger there as out in the bigger world. The boys are soon hanging around with James, a young man who has rented a garage to live in along the back lane. James seems pretty cool although Antonio has some doubts about him. But when James saves Agnes, a 16 year old girl thrown out by her mother because she has become pregnant, the three boys start helping with food, money and other services. As Emmanuel discovers James has a secret life (he’s a prostitute) as do other adults in his life. It is eye-opening to discover this; Antonio starts to grow up with these revelations. Maybe I would have been more engaged by this story if it had been about a young girl. Or maybe the depiction of sex between men and young boys was what put me off. The idea that boys and men think about sex and talk about sex when they are not actually engaged in sex isn’t new and I’m not sure that De Sa’s treatment adds anything. It certainly didn’t grab me.
    • 4/5
      Anthony De Sa is a very engrossing writer. I found myself quickly compelled by this coming of age story of a young Portuguese boy growing up in 70s Toronto. The subject matter of this book is much darker than one I would normally choose (murder, pedophilia, child abuse), but the story is told through the voice of Antonio, a likeable character that is easy to root for as he is faced with the horrible things going on around him, as well as struggling to understand his own sexuality.
    • 3/5
      Anthony De Sa’s “Kicking the Sky” is somewhat difficult for me to assess; the book focuses on the experiences of twelve-year-old Antonio as he maneuvers not only through the Portuguese neighborhood of Toronto in which he grew up in, but also through the formative years of pre-adolescence and puberty. The murder of a young boy transcends the narrative plot of the novel and the reader is witness to the interactions and actions of the Toronto immigrants as they cope with issues of homosexuality, racism, and child abuse in their neighborhood.In my opinion, a good novel must have an interesting, well thought-out plot, and/or well-developed characters. A book does not need both of these requirements (although a great many of them do) but it must have at least one of them in order to maintain reader interest. Often, authors will neglect developing well-rounded characters in order to create a plot that is extravagant and over-the-top; these books are by no means badly written novels, and many of them sit atop numerous readers’ bookshelves. There are some authors, however, who choose to go a different route, and who decide to develop a novel that is character-based. The emphasis of the book is not on the plot, but rather on the mindset and actions of its central character(s). This style of writing can be just as effective as the plot-driven style of writing (Stephen King’s “The Body” serves as a prime example), but it is imperative, should an author choose to write in this style, that he or she creates and develops at least one central protagonist that is as realistic and “verisimilitudinous” (real-seeming) as possible. “Kicking the Sky” is a novel that relies almost entirely on its characters to move the narrative plot forward as it relates the events that occurred in a Portuguese neighborhood of Toronto in 1977; the “action” of the book is simply the interactions between the people who live in the neighborhood where Emanuel Jacques was murdered. In order to be effective, the reader must be able to connect with, at the very minimum, at least one of the characters through whose perspective we are seeing and experiencing the ramifications of the murder. In my opinion, all of De Sa’s characters in “Kicking the Sky” are severely lacking any real depth and emotional workings that the reader can relate to. Antonio is the only character who gets any real development but even he remains somewhat of an enigma until the very end of the book. De Sa relates to the reader the inner turmoil that Antonio goes through as he deals with issues of sexuality, bigotry, and murder, but I felt a very strong disconnect with the character as he weaved his way through the web of distrust and uncertainty. It could very well be, given that I am not a twelve year old Portuguese immigrant in 1977 Toronto, that it would be next to impossible for me to connect emotionally with the protagonist of the novel, and De Sa cannot be held responsible for this lack of subjective connection. However, De Sa does not develop any other characters in the book, which diminishes the likelihood of the reader relating to the events depicted in the novel. Not everything about the book is negative; the language and narrative style that the author implements is easy to follow, which makes reading the novel itself rather easy. It is evident that De Sa thoroughly researched the real-life case that he bases the book on, and he seems to have a solid understanding of the social-cultural environment of 1977 Toronto. With that said, however, I cannot make the assertion that “Kicking the Sky” is a great book. It is fairly well-written, but the lack of any relatable characters and underdeveloped plot, for me, makes it a tolerable novel at best. I would hope that the author would continue to try and develop more insight for his characters so that the reader has a better chance of connecting with one or more of them; perhaps basing characters on people that the author is close with would enable him to create a more “real-seeming” literary world. Character-driven novels are some of the best works in existence, but in order to be successful, it is essential that the author has a solid understanding of the ways in which his characters would talk, act, and engage with one another if they were, indeed, real people. Only with this firm understanding can an author create fictitious characters that the real-life reader can comprehend, relate to, and connect with. The bones of a good novel are here, but I don’t think there is enough substance to classify “Kicking the Sky” as a triumphant literary achievement. 3/5
    • 4/5
      Kicking the Sky is a very entertaining and emotional coming-of-age story about young boys in Toronto, Canada in the late 70's. The story revolves around the murder of a 12-year-old boy, and the changes in the community afterwards. It's a close look into Portuguese culture and how they lived in Toronto, trying to avoid the drugs and sexual abuse happening around them. De Sa paints very vivid scenes of the streets and the houses in the neighborhood, and he does a great job describing the culture and perspective from a boy of twelve. The book shares the sad but hopeful story of the hard-working, very religious, poor, and mostly homophobic Portuguese community of Toronto through a child's innocent mind. Very well written. I liked it a lot!
    • 5/5
      I received a copy of Anthony De Sa's fictional novel "Kicking The Sky" compliments of the LibraryThing Early Reviewers program in exchange for an honest review. The story is based on the true life tragedy of 12 year old Emanuel Jacques who was murdered in 1977 in Toronto. Although I had not previously been aware of the events that are portrayed in the novel, I was pulled by the author's writings to educate myself further. The story quickly caused me to be saddened by the loss of childhood innocence and safety within the greater community in it's aftermath. The author shares his story through the eyes of Antonio, a pre-adolescent boy living within the Azorean/Portuguese community in Toronto at the time of Emanuel Jacques murder. Antonio begins to understand that the adults in his life have been trying to keep him protected from the dark and often cruel realities of their existence. Antonio and his friends Manny and Ricky, struggle to mature into young men while they remain young boys at heart. They find themselves drawn to James, a young man who is new to their neighborhood and holds his own dark secrets. Antonio fears that more tragedy will unfold and remains cautious and on high alert with every action he takes. The author shares the dynamics present within their Portuguese community, their faith, their beliefs and struggles as immigrants in the big "City". Antonio embarks on his search for truth and meaning, despite his self-awareness that he may not want to face what he discovers. I enjoyed De Sa's writing, it was real, raw and enlightening. This story is the type that stays with you long after you have finished reading. I was taken aback. There are many references to abuse, sex and drug use within the novel so I would only recommend to a mature reading audience.
    • 4/5
      Really enjoyed this book, although based on a very sad true story. I remember the media's version of the murder of the "Shoeshine Boy". But in this story the author takes the reader into a heart wrenching "behind the scenes" look at the lives of a close knit Portuguese community in Toronto and the effect the murder had on these people. It is rich in culture, characters, and real life experiences. A beautifully written novel.
    • 4/5
      I enjoyed 'Kicking the Sky', it wasn't a happy novel but it hit home. Anthony De Sa explores the impact of crime and violence on a community and describes how one act can impact so many individuals. The crime discussed in the book, the killing of a young shoeshine boy actually occurred in Toronto in the 1970's, but the impact on the main character's life, Antonio, was fictional. I enjoyed the character development of Antonio along with the angst he experienced while trying to figure out what he valued most during the turbulent summer following the murder. Well-written.
    • 4/5
      I enjoyed this story of a 12-year old boy growing up in a poor immigrant community in Toronto. It brings to life the difficulties of children who have to fend for themselves because their parents have to work several jobs to make ends meet. It also explores the theme of homosexuality, and the struggle to deal with the social stigma associated with it. A good read overall.
    • 4/5
      This is a coming of age story about a 12-year old Portuguese boy. He is struggling to find his own identity and grapple with this sexuality while also dealing with the recent death of Emanuel Jaques, a 12-year-old boy very similar to the main character. The characters are all fleshed out and their stories intertwine to bring out themes of morals, violence, and growing up.
    • 4/5
      I felt that this book was pretty good, but could have been better. Another reviewer used the word "disjointed" and that's an accurate description of how I felt about the plot. There seem to be a lot of scenes that happen without feeling connected to the scenes before and after; a big dramatic confrontation scene, then the action will skip ahead in time by several weeks and go on to something else. It does eventually circle back around, but there wasn't enough of a feeling of consistently progressing plot for me. It feels like the author is trying to cram in a lot of different plots into this one story, and he isn't quite sure which plotlines are background "color" and which are the main story he's trying to tell. The author's style is a bit inconsistent as well. He has some very evocative passages, but then there are scenes that should be full of passion/tension that somehow aren't because he describes them too clinically. It's very "this happened, then this happened" without enough emotive power.The main character is the narrator, a 12-year-old boy named Antonio who is trying to find his way and figure out what the world is about. As the mom of an 11-year-old boy I did enjoy the portrayal of Antonio as a complex, thoughtful kid on the border between childhood and adolescence. He is at times surly and uncommunicative, at times deeply philosophical, at times disgusting (what is it with kids and fart jokes?), at times almost unbearably sweet. A scene that sticks out in my mind is one where Antonio watches his mother from a distance and is convinced that she's going to figure out an awful secret he is keeping, and that she will then magically fix it. "She was my mother. She could do that." I found it really endearing that despite all the crap Antonio has encountered, he still sees his mother as omniscient and omnipotent.Much of the story attempts to revolve around the kidnap/rape/murder of Emanuel Jacques, a real-life crime that occurred in Toronto in 1977. The first third of the book does a good job of showing how a horrible crime like that can affect an entire community -- turning neighbors against each other, putting pressure on the relationships between parents and children, as Antonio and his friends are increasingly under scrutiny by their anxious and fearful parents. The author also touches lightly on the element of homophobia, as the murder took place in a part of town notorious for gay prostitution. But the story of the capture and trial of Emanuel's killers fades out as the book continues, only returning at the end of the story when the verdicts are handed down. I guess that's realistic -- it probably reflects how Antonio experiences the story, as a huge big deal at the beginning, then fading out of consciousness as the trial drags on -- but it felt unsatisfying.In the end, too many loose plot threads fail to come together, so the ending was also unsatisfying for me. Again, that may have been the author's intention -- showing how life goes on and from a young kid's perspective it can seem like people drift out of your life leaving things unresolved -- but personally I found it frustrating.
    • 4/5
      Terrific coming of age story filled with brutal honesty, vivid descriptions, and flawed characters. Based on a true life event, this story is quite an emotional read - heartbreaking, really. The writing was excellent and the story was captivating. Could not put this book down!