(Reviewed by JD Jung)
“Celestial authorities have coordinated with the Emergency Alert System to issue this warning: Your soul is now properly fucked…”
Micah DeAtta, a young drug and alcohol addicted, depressed, deadbeat dad is faced with finality—death itself.
Death appears morbidly in decaying human form and provokes Micah’s memories, which are both mostly agonizing and self-inflicted. Though this causes Micah to “Relive the fresh pain, peeling back the scab far enough that skin also rips away bringing forth more anguish”, Death remains somewhat unaffected. Though this gory figure often reacts like a therapist, the memories actually serve to help him decide where Micah eventually belongs.
Micah is forced to analyze his complex relationships with family and friends. A few predate Micah, but still helped to shape him. I found how his mother crossed the Rio Grande illegally with her first husband to be particularly moving.
Throughout this we see a self-destructive man who regrets many of his actions, but is still oblivious to others. Though you may not particularly care for Micah and his caustic behavior, author M.R. Tapia makes sure that you still feel for him.
As we go from Micah’s past and his interactions with his final judge, Tapia intertwines the nine levels of the Aztec underworld with these memories. He also touches on the customs of some other non-western cultures as they relate to death. He finally climaxes with a roller coasting scene featuring Led Zeppelin‘s “Stairway to Heaven”.
As you can tell from the quotes above, Sugar Skull is full of crisp, vivid language and biting dialogue. The graphic descriptions enhance the thought-provoking story-line. Even though I was so involved in his memories of the past, I still kept anticipating his fate.
Yes, “man meets his maker” stories are too numerous to count but this one is fresh and unique. A compelling read.
