Evocative story telling about the late 70s in Little Portugal, Toronto. De Sa captures the rapid (<1 year) and heart breaking transition in the life of a 12-year-old, from blissful innocence (well, not quite complete innocence because these are young boys), from simple adolescence to the knowledge that the world is a tough and gritty place with sinister characters. The nature of the time with rampant homophobia is described vividly. Thanks Steph, for this recommendation. De Sa’s previous book, Barnacle Love, has some back story but is not as good as Kicking The Sky.
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What David Read 