Crux - by Gabriel Tallent (Hardcover)

About the Book

"In this story of intense friendship and grit, two down-and-out teens escape the hopelessness of their lives and chase a different future through rock climbing"-- Provided by publisher.

Book Synopsis

"Crux is tender, immersive, and thrilling, with memorable characters--not just the main ones either--who feel unruly and fully alive." -- Gabrielle Zevin, author of Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow

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.

Review Quotes

Praise for Crux:

"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

About the Author

Gabriel Tallent was born in New Mexico and raised on the Mendocino coast. His first novel, My Absolute Darling was a New York Times bestseller and New York Times Notable Book, as well as a finalist for the LA Times Book Prize and for the NBCC John Leonard Prize. Tallent lives in Salt Lake City with his wife and children.