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Joseph Suste

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Sharp Obsidian Paperback – November 1, 2014

by Joseph Suste (Author)

4.8 31 ratings

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Sharp Obsidian"

“. . . the experience he nailed. This is something my mom and I have needed to do for over a decade just didn’t know how . . . provided a way for us to finally understand, and for that I send my deepest regards.”
—Alicia Closson, Colfax, WA.

Sharp Obsidian lays bare the inner struggles of a father and his strong-willed teenage daughter when she begins to test life’s boundaries. Her father refuses to let destructive influences twist her morals and dispirited, he commits his daughter to a teen recovery camp. She is indignant but meets the challenge with grit, uncovers her true essence, and matures into a savvy young woman.

Julia – A headstrong fourteen-year-old challenging her parents for control as she experiments with life’s temptations.
“If you are fourteen, have ever been fourteen or are the parent of a fourteen-year-old, you will find a connection to Julia.”

Steven – Julia’s father, frightened by the choices his daughter is making and determined to protect her.
“Any father of a teenage daughter will understand Steven’s motivation and recognize his fear.”

Joseph Suste is an engineer, actor, playwright, poet and fiction writer. His novel The Torture Trial of George W. Bush imagines prosecuting Bush for authorizing the torture of detainees by the CIA and U.S. military. He has published a children’s book, Growing Up Strong, about weaning youngsters. He resides with his wife on a mini-ranch in Southern Oregon.

For More Information, visit:
JosephSuste.com

Print length

232 pages
Language

English
Publication date

November 1, 2014
Dimensions

6 x 0.58 x 9 inches
ISBN-10

1941049311
ISBN-13

978-1941049310
See all details

Editorial Reviews

Review

"There's real power in Sharp Obsidian. The unflinching look at teenage angst both shocks and reminds you of rougher younger times; the tenacity of a father's devotion to his daughter carries you through a story with a believable balance of danger and redeeming hope."
-Jeff Golden, founder and producer/host, immensepossibilities.org

"A literary work...adventurous...dangerous...poetic...philosophical...stirring."
-Bill Gholson, PhD. Professor English and Writing, Southern Oregon University

From the Author

Posted Feb. 20, 2015 at 12:01 AM
By Vickie Aldous
Ashland Daily Tidings - Ashland, Oregon

When Joseph Suste and his wife realized they werelosing control over their teenage daughter, they took desperate measures --dropping her off at a teen recovery camp in the wilderness outside Bend andleaving her there for months.
Years later, Suste used the experience as theinspiration for his recently published book "Sharp Obsidian."

In an interview with the Daily Tidings, theauthor, who lives outside Medford, discussed his book.
Q. What was the origin of your book "Sharp Obsidian"?
A. The book is fiction, but it's based on anexperience I had when my 14-year-old daughter was out of control. I got lost inwhat to do. At 14 years old, teenagers are becoming independent of theirparents and they realize they can take charge of themselves. They don't havethe experience to go into the world and make a living. But they recognize theydon't have to follow all the rules anymore.Older 19-year-old guys had decidedto take charge of my daughter. We put her in a teen recovery camp southeast ofBend. At the time, it was called Obsidian Trails. They camped in the desertwith no lodge or cabins -- just bare desert. They would set up camp in themiddle of nothing, make fire and shelter, and go to sleep. The next day theywould hike three to five miles and do it again. It was no-impact camping, sothey left no trace behind. My daughter was in this school for 90 days.
Q. How did you get a teenage girl's viewpoint?
A. My daughter is now in her late 20s. Iinterviewed her for her side of the story about her feelings and the eventsthat happened. The book is written from two points of view -- the father anddaughter. I think it's valuable to parents to see the teenager's point of viewand it's valuable for teenagers to see what parents are going through. The bookis fiction, but the emotions are real.I had the journal my daughter wrote outin the field. They recommended she write poems. I have those poems and they arein the book. I edited them somewhat.One thing I didn't realize was howdifficult it was for her when she was in this situation. We did exchangeletters while she was gone. The only communication was by letter. Hers werereviewed by the school before she sent them. Her letters couldn't be full ofcomplaints that would get parents to relent and bring her home. The rigor ofthe school was much more intense than I realized. When we got her back, she waspretty muscular. She was a different person.
Q. What is your daughter's perspective on theexperience now?
A. She doesn't want to look back at it at all. Shethinks it was a terrible part of her life. It did pull her away from people whowere influencing her negatively. She was closer to her best friends than shewas to her family. They've had issues with drugs, pregnancy and run-ins withthe law. She sees now they were a bad influence.
Q. What was the most difficult thing about writingthe book?
A. The hardest part was getting her voice right. Icould do it because I had her journals. It took me five years to write thisbook. It's my first book and it was a learning process. I worked with awriters' group in Ashland and took it through that group 10 pages at a time.Both parents and teenagers are appropriate readers for the book. It gives goodinsight into the emotions and thoughts of parents and teenagers.

By Vickie Aldous

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Joshua Tree Publishing; 1st edition (November 1, 2014)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 232 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1941049311
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1941049310
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 12.2 ounces
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6 x 0.58 x 9 inches

Customer Reviews:
4.8 31 ratings

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Joseph Suste

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Joseph Suste is an engineer, actor, playwright, fiction writer and poet. He guides the non-profit 'Ashland Contemporary Theatre" of Ashland, Oregon, as an active board member. He served in the United States Air Force during the Vietnam war. His social commentaries have been published Truthout.org. He has been a radio announcer, performs in community theatre, and is active in a theatrical group acting-out poetry He resides with his wife and daughters on a ten acre mini-ranch on the outskirts of Medford, Oregon.

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L Kolb

Healing Journey

Reviewed in the United States on May 15, 2016

Verified Purchase

A very intriguing novel that captures your attention and is difficult to put down. It is the story of a rebellious teen (Julia) and her family. The desperation that leads the teens parents to send her to a wilderness camp and her thoughts and feelings towards them. This novel is very insightful and thought provoking as you get inside the mind of both parent and teen as this poignant story unfolds.
See the journey of this young teen as she goes through an intense physical and emotional evolution. In the end Julia comes to realize the heart break, intense love and courage it took for her parents to choose this difficult path.

Helpful

Kristina A.

Inside the mind of father and daughter

Reviewed in the United States on September 13, 2016

Verified Purchase

As the father of a young daughter I read this insightful story as it were unfolding in my life. Suste places you in the mindset of a rebellious 14 year old on the verge of self-destruction while capturing both he and his wife's feelings of dispair. This true life journey set in the desert of central Oregon provides a window into the heart and mind of a troubled teen and her loving parents. A heartfelt and thought provoking read not just for teens and parents of such but for anyone with children in their lives. Jon A. Medford OR

Reviewed in the United States on November 13, 2014

Verified Purchase

Not the best book ever, nor the worst....I added a star now that I've read it. I wrote the first line of this before buying the book. I got the book on amazon, and hope that it lists this as a "verified purchase" or owner, however it words that on reviews. but since I wrote it before buying it maybe it won't anyway, worth reading.

the book I mean, worth a read.

Reviewed in the United States on March 10, 2024

The book held me with its message about parent/child relationships today and the dark paths they can take. The ending also was bittersweet with an underlying positive and realistic outcome. A good read for both parents and teen children. I could relate after attempting to raise a dysfunctional child who just didn't fit in growing up and turned to the darker side.

Helpful

Mary Zvonek

It grabs you from the start and doesn't let go.

Reviewed in the United States on May 25, 2023

Against a backdrop of beautifully described Oregon mountains and desert, is a story of a father and daughter conflict that tears a family apart in an absorbing he said, she said story that is like a roller coaster ride. I was on the edge of my seat reading in record time. The thunderstorm and coyotes segments are riveting and the question that never ends is "Are we doing the right thing?" Heart tugging! I highly recommend Sharp Obsidian.

Helpful

Arianna Mullins

You know a book is good and succeeds in telling the story of relatable and ...

Reviewed in the United States on September 21, 2016

You know a book is good and succeeds in telling the story of relatable and likeable characters when you think about them when you are not reading. I found myself thinking about this book during the day, planning when I would find some time to read it. Joseph Suste's writing style is engaging and easy to read. He incorporates deep emotion into this story as well as spontaneous humor which I really enjoyed! As some of the scenarios are rather bleak, the funny moments created some comic relief. I particularly enjoyed the descriptions in this book, whether they were depicting young Julia's bedroom or the beautiful Oregon setting. Here is one of my favorite descriptions by Suste: " A jolly-looking, round-faced-moon-man peeked in the window at us from high over the west horizon and lit the track that climbs the hill to our country house. His cheery visage lightened my spirit for a quick second" (Suste Chapter 2 p.19). I don't have many negative things to say about this book. If I am being very honest, I will say that some of the discussion about abortion in this novel saddened me greatly as I am without a doubt pro-life. We read so we can gain insight on other's views about the world but it is not necessary to agree with their opinions. That said, this was still a great book worthy of five stars and I am very glad that I had the opportunity to read it!

Helpful

Brian P Suste

A compelling story of a teen and her family's struggle

Reviewed in the United States on March 21, 2020

Not all families are the Brady Bunch. This is a story about a loving family that loses control of their head strong teen daughter and the families heart ache in dealing with her bad judgement which leads to a desperate trip to wilderness camp. Relive the their wilderness camp experience with gripping tale from both the teen's and family's perspective.

One person found this helpful

Helpful

ThomasDetweiler

Insight into a fourteen year old girl's mind

Reviewed in the United States on November 7, 2019

This book is an honest depiction of what a fourteen year old is thinking and experiencing as parental influences take a back seat to peer pressure. It also describes the anxiety and confusion and self doubt parents go through as they try to understand their teenager and attempt to save her from herself. I wish I had the opportunity to read this book as I was raising my own daughter!

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Sharp Obsidian Paperback – November 1, 2014

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