Iceman **** 1/2

Lynchm Chris. Iceman.

I read this book years ago when I first started at my job. I was glad I got to re-read it. It reminded me of what I liked about it so much and why I booktalk it all the time.

Eric is a hockey player from a dysfunctional family. His father is somewhat uncommunicative and all he cares about it hockey. His mother left the nunnery to marry his father, but she is miserable and isn't very communicative either. His brother Duane was into sports and the family star until he just gave it all up for his guitar his freshman year. After he gave up sports, his parents stopped talking to him and they treat him with open disdain. Duane is also a real smart ass. Eric has grown up angry and with no social skills whatsoever.

Eric has no friends, only classmates and teammates, none of whom are his friends. His only real friend is Mary, his pet lizard. He loves watching Mary eat live prey. His only human acquaintance is McLaughlin, the local mortitian. He likes to hang out a the cemetery and talk to MacLaughlin, and lay in the coffins somtimes. On the ice, he is cold and heartless. He is good, but he plays angry all the time, preferring to bang people up and get into fights than to play with real skill. He isn't a team player. The audiences at away games call him "animal".

Things come to a head when he comes across a player somewhat like himself that takes a bite out of his nose. He discovers he doesn't even like hockey? Will he keep playing? Will he ever make any friends? Will he ever LIKE when people touch him? You'll have to read it to find out.