''All this is, is the thing we've always known: we have nothing and nobody except each other. But that, we have in spades. Now, let's go climb rocks."

'Tender, immersive, and thrilling' GABRIELLE ZEVIN, author of Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow

'One of the best novels I've ever read about friendship between a young man and a young woman ... Exciting and tension filled' STEPHEN KING

'A breathtaking, thrilling and unforgettable story of friendship, of hopes and dreams against a reality so harsh it broke my heart' CHRIS WHITAKER, author of All the Colours of the Dark

'Profound and stunning ... It will make you question yourself and every one of your beliefs' LIZ NUGENT, author of Strange Sally Diamond

***

A heartstopping story of friendship, thrill-seeking and defying expectations: the explosive second novel from the bestselling author of My Absolute Darling

Dan and Tamma are two Californian teenagers growing up dirt poor in the shadows of the Joshua Tree National Park, one of the world's great rock climbing meccas. Their mothers had once been teenage waitresses and best friends until their paths diverged. Now Dan's mother spends her days locked in her room, her dreams squandered and all her hopes pinned on getting her precociously clever son out of town and away to university.

Tamma's mother holds no such ambition for her mouthy, queer, truant-playing, snaggle-toothed daughter, who everyone but Dan believes to be a troublemaker and no-hoper. But Tamma and Dan are fuelled by dreams of becoming legendary rock climbers, of devoting their lives to summiting the most challenging climbs and defying all the expectations, both good and bad, that others have for them.

Climbing at sun-up, on cliff faces that test their bodies to the limit, is where their friendship is forged. It's also the one thing that gives them hope. But as their final year of high school unfolds and their climbs become ever more dangerous, and their home lives ever more extreme, it's inevitable that something is going to snap...

About the Author
Gabriel Tallent was born in New Mexico and raised on the Mendocino coast by two mothers. He received his B.A. from Willamette University in 2010, and after graduation spent two seasons leading youth trail crews in the backcountry of the Pacific Northwest. Tallent lives in Salt Lake City with his wife and three children.

Reviews
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 * Gabrielle Zevin, author of Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow *
One of the best novels I've ever read about friendship between a young man and a young woman ... exciting and tension-filled * Stephen King *
An adrenalized, heart-stopping, stomach-lurching ride of the highest stakes * Elizabeth Gilbert, author of City of Girls *
A breathtaking, thrilling and unforgettable story of friendship, of hopes and dreams against a reality so harsh it broke my heart * Chris Whitaker, author of All the Colours of the Dark *
Rowdy, electric ... Tallent initiate[s] readers into the subculture of climbing, the teenagers' consciousnesses and ... their tender hearts. * New York Times *
Ferocious, poetic ... and almost insanely bighearted ... its writing is monster-audacious * Washington Post *
Profound and stunning ... will make you question yourself and every one of your beliefs * Liz Nugent, author of Strange Sally Diamond *
Gabriel Tallent's last name is no misnomer. With CRUX, he has delivered a beautiful novel, with fully realised characters that made my heart soar and fall in equal measure * Kasim Ali, author Who Will Remain *
A towering coming-of-age saga packed with muscle and heart * Publishers Weekly *
There are books we like well enough to recommend, but there are a very few - To Kill a Mockingbird, Catch-22, The Things They Carried - that we remember forever. To my own shortlist I can now add My Absolute Darling, by Gabriel Tallent The word masterpiece has been cheapened by too many blurbs, but My Absolute Darling absolutely is one * Stephen King, praise for My Absolute Darling *



Book Information
ISBN 9780241767313
Author Gabriel Tallent
Format Hardback
Page Count 416
Imprint Fig Tree
Publisher Penguin Books Ltd
Weight(grams) 633g
Dimensions(mm) 241mm * 162mm * 36mm