Sharp Obsidian, A Novel by Joseph Suste

Sharp Obsidian, A Novel by Joseph Suste

Sharp Obsidian is a serious, character-driven literary fiction. The story gives adult readers a peek into the messy mind of a troubled teenage girl, Julia. Teenage readers will experience the soul-tearing angst of a desperate father, Steven. The story is told from the divergent viewpoints of Julia and Steven. He loses control of his fourteen-year-old daughter when she is taken over by dissolute drop outs. He panics and resorts to putting Julia into a wilderness recovery camp for troubled teenagers. Julia relates her adventures in the wilderness school and returns home chastened, but with her strong will vibrant spirit intact.

Episodes

October 1, 2024 12 mins
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In the last episode, Julia met with psychologist Victoria and had an epiphany. Steven and Mary get a call from George Edelman reporting that Julia is ready to come home.

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September 17, 2024 20 mins

In the last episode,  all of the teen girls in the camp had a girls' party that was interrupted by the return of the teen boys and Travis.  Julia developed a grudge on Travis and set him up for a fall.

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September 10, 2024 24 mins

In the last episode, Julia and teen Katie talked about escape from the teen camp. 

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September 3, 2024 10 mins

In the last episode, Travis put Julia on a solo camp out and she was attacked by rabid coyotes.  Mary and Steven worked at cleaning up Julia's bedroom at the country house and Steven struggled with a guilt about committing Julia to the teen camp.

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August 27, 2024 25 mins

In the last episode, Julia found an obsidian shard in the shape of a dagger.

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August 20, 2024 18 mins

In the last episode,  teen Jimmy gets Julia high on jail-house-gin.  A thunder and lightening storm forces the teens to run for cover and they escape a lightening induced fire.  They return to the trail completely soaked by the storm.

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August 13, 2024 18 mins

In the last episode, Julia met with psychologist Dr. David Miller again and complained about the way Steven and Mary treat her.  Miller questioned her about her sex experience and Julia gets angry with Miller's insinuation.  Breaking camp the next day, teen Kevin refused to participate.  Kevin makes Julia promise to help him with a letter to his parents.  Kevin and Julia worked together on the letter.

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August 6, 2024 29 mins

In the last episode, Julia met therapist Dr. David Miller for the first time.  Miller questions her about her plans for the future and her life goals.  Steven letter to Julia.

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July 30, 2024 20 mins

In the last episode, Julia came to terms with her situation. Julia's sister, Bree, reminisced about growing up with Julia and wrote her a letter.  Julia received several letters and teen Kevin wanted to read them.  Julia promised to help Kevin write a letter.

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July 23, 2024 20 mins

In the last episode, Steven struggled with his desire for vengeance against the boys who took Julia away from her family and enlisted Jack's help with a confrontation at the boys' house.

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July 16, 2024 25 mins

In the last episode, Mary discovered Julia's diary and discussed the contents with Steven. Steven struggled with a guilt about crossing into Julia's bedroom without her ability to object. He blamed Julia's friend Darla for Julia's fall from grace.  We experienced a flashback where Darla took Julia away from school to party with some post high school boys.

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July 9, 2024 17 mins

In the last episode, teen Sam hunted a woodpecker for food.  Counselor Mark gives Julia a piece of volcanic glass, obsidian, to use as a tool.

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July 2, 2024 23 mins

In the last episode, Julia woke up with her face in the dirt, teen Chastity introduced herself to Julia and told Julia her story.  Julia and Katie had a fight. 

There was a flash forward jump to present day when twenty-something Julia discussed her camp experience from 10 years earlier with Steven.

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June 25, 2024 17 mins

In the last episode, Julia's sister, Bree, had a fight with Julia's school friend, Darla.  Julia described her first day in the teen recovery camp and the new-bee got the business.

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June 18, 2024 24 mins

In the last episode, in a flash forward, twenty-something Julia met with her father, Steven, about his several page draft description of family events that occurred 10 years earlier. 

At the Bend warehouse, Julia was angry about being committed to the teen recovery camp.  Mary and Steven returned home from Bend, guilty about leaving their daughter with strangers.

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June 11, 2024 20 mins

In the last episode, Julia's parents, Mary and Steven, coerced Julia into accompanying them to Bend, Oregon where she is surprised to find herself being committed to a teen recovery camp against her will.

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June 4, 2024 27 mins

In the last episode,  Julia's father, Steve, woke up in the middle of the night finding Julia's mother, Mary, in their living room. She's crying,, not knowing where Julia is and worried about her safety.  The make a plan to take back control from the forces that have taken Julia over.

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May 28, 2024 15 mins

In the last episode, fourteen year old, Julia, came home after being gone for several days and had a fight with her mother, Mary.  In a flash forward, Julia's father, Steven, finds a box of items left in his barn that reminded him of a family trauma 10 years earlier.  He phones  twenty-something, Julia, with a desire to discuss the box and the experience 10 years ago. He is rebuffed. After a few days, he took the box to Julia's apa...

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May 21, 2024 21 mins

Fourteen-year- old, Julia, returns home after being gone for several days.  Her mother, Mary, confronts her about being gone and missing school.  A fight ensues.  

In a 10 year flash forward, Julia's father, Steven,  finds a box of Julia's belongings that she left after returning from a teen recovery camp when she was fourteen.  Steven wants to discuss the significance of the items in the box and events that took place 10 years ear...

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