The Den

The complicated nuances of teenage friendship are captured perfectly in this story of summer adventure and exploration by award-winning author Keith Gray.

Marshall feels the need to escape because things are so tough at home. Rory is just happy it’s the first day of the summer holidays. While out on their bikes they stumble across a long-forgotten underground bunker at the edge of the woods.

This is the den, and going down inside will stretch their friendship to its limits. There will be rivalry and betrayal, but can wrecked relationships be saved before the summer has even begun?

Reviews

"Gritty, bold and brilliant" – Jonathan Stroud

"A thrilling, deeply moving and tense story, that grips by the throat and refuses to let go. Keith Gray has captured the joy, vulnerability and rawness of being a teenager … Each line is written with searing and piercing clarity … It is a book that stays in your mind and heart long after you close the final page." – Varsha Shah

"One page from Keith and I'm fifteen again, remembering the tensions, the friendships, the endless summer holidays. He's a masterful storyteller: one of the finest we have and that's why I savour every word he writes." – Phil Earle

"Yet again Keith Gray reminds us what a great storyteller he is. A pacy, exciting tale that will have you greedily turning each page." – Brian Conaghan

"Quietly powerful and deceptively simple, The Den is a gripping story from a master of teenage voice. Keith Gray writes about the rawness of friendship and family life with real wit and heart." – Lesley Parr

"A gripping read from a masterful storyteller." – Scottish BookTrust Book Discovery Guide

"A well-paced and accessible story that offers a mysterious adventure as well as an emotional exploration of family and friendship" – The School Librarian

"This is a high-concept book with complex emotions, exploring complicated situations and relationships but using uncomplicated language and short sentences … all readers will enjoy this pared-down masterpiece with every word perfect. This could be the book to hook a teenage boy who doesn’t think he likes reading." – BookTrust

About the author

KEITH GRAY’s debut novel Creepers was published when he was only 24 and was shortlisted for the Guardian Children’s Fiction Prize. His subsequent books include Ostrich Boys which was shortlisted for the Carnegie Medal as well as the Costa Children’s Book Award and has been adapted for the stage, The Last Soldier which was shortlisted for the Scottish Teen Book Awards, and The Runner which won the Smarties Silver Medal. Keith lives with his family in Vienna, Austria, where he co-founded the writer development community Kulturverein: Sunday Writers’ Club.