I can't drag myself into The Crux after all this time and pretend like nothing happened. The uncomfortable reunions, the questions I don't have answers to, the look of disappointment when Ken sees me because instead of bouncing back like some heart-warming story they show between events at the Olympics, I quit.
A swoony coming-of-age story about friendship, first love, and finding yourself; perfect for fans of Lynn Painter and K. L. Walthers.
Marie McCallister is fine. Seriously. That traumatic shoulder injury that cost her a future in competitive rock climbing, her boyfriend breaking up with her and moving to France-all in the past. Would someone whose life is falling apart be dating the most popular guy in school?
But when her new boyfriend and her best friend dump her before the ink is dry on their senior schedules, Marie's only consolation is a job at her old climbing gym-The Crux. Sure, her trophies and harness are gathering dust in her closet and she can't look at a climbing wall without having a panic attack, but at least she can earn money for college. Preferably somewhere far away from the ex-boyfriend and ex-best friend drama she can't escape in the high school halls.
It doesn't take long to realize that the climbing gym is no place to hide from her life. Her former climbing coach won't stop nagging her about getting back into competitions (despite her anxiety), and her new coworker is a blast from the past.
Forced to face her demons, Marie must rediscover who she is and what she wants-and what better place to gain perspective than the top of a climbing wall?