“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
"I can't remember the last time I cared about fictional characters as desperately as I came to care about the beautiful, hilarious and courageous teenage protagonists of Crux." —Elizabeth Gilbert, #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.
About the Author
Gabriel Tallent is the author of My Absolute Darling, which was a New York Times bestseller and a New York Times Notable Book, as well as a finalist for the Los Angeles Times Book Prize and the John Leonard Prize.
Praise For…
Praise for Crux: “Crux pulsates with ambition, intensity, passion for the natural world, and devotion to life’s biggest questions.” –The Boston Globe
“This tense and staggering tale of rock climbing and family demons from Tallent explores the cost of following one’s dreams… It’s a towering coming-of-age saga packed with muscle and heart.” —Publishers Weekly STARRED review
“Thrilling, well-turned… he consistently has his eye on the existential questions that climbing metaphorizes, such as how to balance independence with responsibility and what constitutes a meaningful life goal…A sharp novel about youth in conflict with dreams, nature, and reality.” —Kirkus STARRED review
"Crux is one of the best novels I’ve ever read about friendship between a young man and a young woman. It’s also exciting and tension-filled. Sharply written and full of controlled emotion.” —#1 New York Times bestselling author Stephen King
"I can't remember the last time I cared about fictional characters as desperately as I came to care about the beautiful, hilarious and courageous teenage protagonists of Crux. This book is like nothing else — it's an unconventional love story; a merciless portrait of Americans who live (literally) on the edge; and an adrenalized, heart-stopping, action-adventure ride of the highest stakes. At the center of it all beats a pure and sincere heart. I absolutely loved this book and will never forget it." —#1 New York Times bestselling author Elizabeth Gilbert
“A breathtaking, thrilling and unforgettable story of friendship, of hopes and dreams against a reality so harsh it broke my heart. I won’t forget Tamma and Dan. I adored Crux, it is everything you could want in a book.” —Chris Whitaker, New York Times bestselling author of All the Colors of the Dark
“I wasn't seeking a novel about the intense platonic friendship between two young rock climbers, but here Crux is, and she’s a beauty. Everything, it turns out, is rock climbing. Crux is tender, immersive, and thrilling, with memorable characters—not just the main ones either—who feel unruly and fully alive. Gabriel Tallent depicts the natural world and the existential difficulties of being a human within it, with depth and grace." —Gabrielle Zevin, New York Times bestselling author of Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow
Praise for My Absolute Darling:
"Impossible to put down." —NPR
"A novel that readers will gulp down, gasping.” —The Washington Post
"The word 'masterpiece' has been cheapened by too many blurbs, but My Absolute Darling absolutely is one." —Stephen King
