Skyscraping

Everyone will most likely agree that the four years of high school can make for a rough ride, especially senior year, but the usual trials and tribulations of peer pressure and college admissions pale in comparison to those of Mira, the narrator of Cordelia Jensen's profound and remarkably candid novel, "Skyscraping."

The year is 1993 and despite missing her boyfriend, Adam, who graduated the previous year, and still reeling from the fact that her mother, a glass sculptor, up and left to spend a year in Italy without any notice or explanation, Mira dives into her senior year with elation and excitement as yearbook editor.

When Mira walks in on her father, a Columbia University professor, in bed with student advisee James, her life turns upside down; yet, before she is afforded the opportunity to place blame or make any accusations, her parents not only acknowledge the incident but announce that they have an open marriage.

Feeling betrayed about having been lied to, the newly rebellious Mira neglects her schoolwork, as well as her responsibilities as yearbook editor, and develops some bad behavior patterns, like drinking and staying out all night with her best friend, Chloe. Only when she learns that her sickly-looking father is HIV positive does Mira begin to see things differently.

While I found the storyline alone to be highly original and far from that of your average young adult novel, Jensen's clever prose is written in verse, with a new subheading every few pages and her poetic text arranged in a variety of styles, from regular stanzas to scattered shapes. This pleasantly surprising approach makes for a particularly intimate reading experience, where each word carries more weight than usual as the pages turn with ease and precision.

In the afterword, Jensen, who lost her father to AIDS, admits that "Skyscraping" began as a memoir, but insists it is a work of fiction. Whatever the case, the reader has the privilege of getting to know Mira and her family, while she learns a tremendous amount about herself, as well, in only a short albeit significant period of time.

"Skyscraping"
Cordelia Jensen
Philomel
$17.99