Crux

By: Gabriel Tallent   

Location: FIC TAL

Genre: Realistic Fiction and Rock Climbing

n 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 -- 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 by Candian Jen

Tallent has a talent for writing these incredibly shocking but gritty stories about life & relationships.

Two teens on the verge of adulthood trying to figure out their life paths. They grew up just outside the desert in squalor. Best friends who love to climb; it gives them identity. But as they end their final year of HS, they are blindsided with decisions they need to make rather than ones they want.

Tallent’s writing is sharp. His characters as edgy as the ragged cliffs they climb.
The bedraggled Tamma, a lesbian, who has had an abusive upbringing. She is rude, crude but has the passion for the climb. Dan, the brilliant nerd, has realized he has an opportunity Tamma doesn’t. One that will take him away from the rocks and his best friend.
Crux is a layered story of hardships, ambitions, life decisions and friendships.

There is a lot of technical jargon here so the Crux of this is, it won’t be a climb for everyone.