St. Michael's Scales

by Neil Connelly

A compelling story of survivor's guilt, family reconciliation, and tested faith -- one of the most outstanding debuts of last year, now in a POINT paperback edition.

Keegan Flannery was born a twin though his brother Michael did not survive birth. Now, two weeks before his sixteenth birthday, he has a dream about his own death. Understanding that Michael was supposed to have lived, and it was he who was meant to have died, Keegan sets out to right all the wrongs by planning his own suicide.
But in the final weeks before his 16th birthday and his last day on earth, life intercedes in the Keegan joins the wrestling team and a begins a dialogue with his father And it may just be enough to change Keegan's ideas about confession, penance, and life.

Genres: Sports, Fiction, Young Adult, Teen

320 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published April 1, 2002

About the author

Before returning to his home state of Pennsylvania, where he teaches at Shippensburg University, Connelly was director of the MFA program at McNeese State University. He has published five books and numerous short stories.

Reviews

[Paige · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow! This story impressed me more than I thought it would at first. When I first started reading it, I couldn't decide if I liked it. Yes, it was a guy book, and I was a little turned off by the fact that (in my opinion) the writer didn't have the best writing style in the world... But I tried to not let that part about it bother me. So I stuck on with it, and I really began to feel connected to the story. I love that Keegan expresses his emotions in this book. It seems to me that in a guy book, there wouldn't be very much emotion in it (no offense)- guys just don't know how to express their feelings as well as girls do oftentimes. But man! Keegan shows how he feels through words and actions and really knowing Keegan like he was one of your friends really connects you to the book. The ending didn't turn out like I expected it to, but nonetheless, I was proud of Keegan by the end. He learned his lesson without the help of the stupid doctor guy and he overcame his possible death. The ending also sounds like an ending I would write to a story. :)

[Bridget · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of my favorite books. I love the writing and the references. Everything continually draws you into the story. In my opinion, everybody that reads English well should read this book. Following Keegan on his journey, learning about him from his memories and his experiences, is all extremely interesting.

This book would make a great movie, but I'm afraid they'd mess up the book (by changing important parts) if they made it into a movie.

[Jonah Marquez]

this book shows how people in the real world talk about death and suicide this book shows how teens and younger kids my age commit suicide and dont get to experience life because they dont have a good surroundings or even just bad people to hang around this shows that he did some of the things he wanted to do and planned to commit on a Saturday he wanted 14 days to do the things he wanted to do and planned his attempt to commit. this is a very sad book and it shows how some teen's and young kids fight with suicide and depression and have no one to talk to.

[Virginia Thomason · Rating 3 out of 5]

For a book where the kids go to a school all about god and confessing there sins, there is a whole lot of deaths and suicides. This book is told through the perspective of a teenage boy named keegen, who blames himself for the death of his twin brother Michael. His home life isn't great either he thinks his father blames him for what happened to his mother, so they don't talk much and his father is a heavy drinker. When his older brothers do come home from college to visit, they aren't the older brothers he always wished he had.
This book was really slow in the beginning but toward the middle it started taking off. Keegen goes from a loner to a kid on the school wrestling team and being well liked by the girls. After coming to the conclusion that he is at fault for his brothers death keegen starts to see him in his dreams. Keegen thinks it would have been better if it were him that had died not Micheal, his mom wouldn't have been sick and his family would be way closer.
After Keegen has a dream of his own funeral he is prepared to die on his sixteenth birthday, and for his twin brother michael to take his place in the family.

[Izaiah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Summary of the book: In the fiction book St Michaels Scales by
Neil Connelly the main character Keegan mostly goes through an internal conflict and 1st of them is when Keegan’s brother dies the 2nd one is when he loses his first wrestling match and the 3rd is when Keegan steals from a corner store.

You’re likes about the book:
• I like that there’s kind of an adventure in the book
• I like that the main characters has flashbacks
• And I like that the main character is an athlete
You’re dislikes about the book:
• I dislike that the main character Keegan is always depressed
• I dislike that Keegan loses his first wrestling match
• I dislike that the main character blames his brother’s death on himself
Critiques of author’s style and story development : I think the setting of the book is the same all and it kind of makes the book dull.
I say the tune of the book is good which makes the book interesting. There’s a good choice of words there is a first person dialect and I don’t really like the setting of the book.
That is my summary of the book

[Claudia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Keegan is the youngest son in a Catholic family with three older boys...he was a twin, whose twin, Michael, died soon after birth. His mom is in a nursing home, his brothers have escaped, and now it's just Keegan and a father with too many sadnesses. Keegan decides that he somehow killed his twin and must atone before his 16th birthday. This book chronicles the week before that day. Keegan is so lonely, so alone. His memories and his sense of guilt weigh on him every day, every hour. He's got no one to talk to, and he's come to the end of his rope.

Enter Coach Morgan and the wrestling team who desperately need someone -- anyone -- to wrestle at the 98-pound weight...Keegan is drafted, and this leads to an amazing scene of a wrestling match at the end that still haunts me.

I love the metaphors here, and the broken soul of Keegan.

[Sandra Strange]

It’s too bad modern authors, like modern directors, have to throw in a few gratuitous sexual references. This novel would be great to give reluctant readers who like wrestling. The plot: a boy who feels guilt about his twin’s death at birth and his mother’s subsequent mental illness has hallucinations during which his twin directs him. He feels he must expiate his guilt by committing suicide. He is inveigled into joining the wrestling team. Through wrestling and through association with other kids, he comes to terms with his problems and changes for the better and decides who he is. However, a graphic suicide scene (a one armed boy jumps out of a window), a worry about penis size during his physical, and 1/4 page of dialogue about watching a pornographic movie spoil the book for most of our readers.

[Jason Reeser · Rating 4 out of 5]

An engaging look at the life of a young man who is struggling with the loss of several family members, whose guilt finally leads him to a plan that he thinks will set things right. This avoids many of the cliches that pop up during books about young teens and high school. The boy's father and coach are very well drawn, not typical of this genre either. Though my own father was a wrestling coach, I've never been much of a fan of the sport, but the use of it here was very well done and I enjoyed the training scenes, as well as the matches described. The boy's earnest desire to match his faith with his perceived shortcomings reminded me of how difficult life was at that age.

[Kaffa · Rating 1 out of 5]

St. Michael's Scales, by Neil Connelly.
This book deals with Keegan Flannery. Who believes he killed his brother while in his mother's womb. Although that is clearly not what happened since he mentions his brother still being alive after birth.
Keagan is suicidal. So much even, that he even mentions throwing himself into a boiler to blow up the school! Funny how I know a few youths who read this trash in school for English.
It's literary value is almost nothing. It should be cast aside to make ways for better authors who know better than the write a poorly executed tale of a suicidal maniac.

[Johnnie Huff · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a great book to read if you understand the sport of wrestling. Also, if you want to be kind of confused; read this book. This book is confusing at points but you just have to keep reading and see what happens.

[Jeff · Rating 4 out of 5]

Strong work from a great novelist, professor, and father.

[Beth Nelson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Contemporary Fiction. Amazing! About suicide and choosing to take the harder path not to do it.

[Max Kruse]

This book was very slow and never got very interesting until the end. In about the last 1/4 of the book is when everything happened and the ending was very surprising.

[Ana Soto · Rating 3 out of 5]

Somewhat slow and messy at the beginning, but ties up nicely by the end.