Crux
A Novel
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4.3 • 18 Ratings
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- $13.99
Publisher Description
“Insanely big-hearted.” —The Washington Post
“Electric.” —The New York Times
“Tender, immersive, and thrilling." —Gabrielle Zevin, author of Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow
"One of the best novels I’ve ever read about friendship.” —Stephen King, #1 bestselling author
In this story of intense friendship and grit, two down-and-out teens escape their lives and chase a different future through rock-climbing -- from the New York Times bestselling author of My Absolute Darling.
Dan and Tamma are two teenagers in their last year of high school in the southern Mojave Desert. One is a gifted golden child, the other a mouthy burnout. Climbing boulders in trash-strewn parking lots during cold desert nights, they seal their unique bond and dream of a life of adventure.
As the year progresses and adult reality looms, they are rocked by change and pulled apart by irreconcilable obligations. Differences of class, talent, and prospects take on new importance; options dwindle, and their decisions grow ever more consequential and perilous. It feels inevitable, finally, that something must give.
With a magnificent gift for nature writing and a joyful appreciation for the redemptive power of friendship, Gabriel Tallent gives readers a rollicking, adrenaline-filled, and soul-searching novel about risking everything to change your life.
APPLE BOOKS REVIEW
A pair of teenagers learn how to navigate risk—in every sense of the word—in this coming-of-age tale. Dan and Tamma are high school seniors with two things in common: They each come from dysfunctional families, and they both love rock climbing. Dan’s an excellent student but isn’t sure if he wants the future his mother planned for him, while Tamma is a cynical stoner who lives for the rush of climbing. Gabriel Tallent gives a lived-in feeling of intimacy to these two inseparable teens, gorgeously evoking the kind of passionate friendship that can be so unique to that particular time in a person’s life. But as the realities of family and adult responsibilities play larger roles in their lives, their shared love of climbing might not be enough anymore. The detailed accounts of Dan and Tamma’s climbs add color, texture, and adrenaline to Crux, but it’s the genuineness of these two appealing characters that makes it an unforgettable read.
