The Summer of Crud
Eric Hoffer Book Award Finalist Barnes & Noble Press Presents Featured Selection
The summer after graduating from college, 22-year-old Danny Wolinski takes a cross-country US road trip with his friend, Ian Perez, hoping to find the inspiration to reach his songwriting potential, start a band, and avoid student teaching in the fall. Danny is tormented by intense physical and psychological pain and sees music as his only relief, but the more he searches for this inspiration in an America filled with endless parties, heavy drugs, and lost souls, the more he questions whether it exists.
A deeply disturbing and psychological coming-of-age novel, THE SUMMER OF CRUD explores the complexities of friendships, masculinity, sex, mental illness, and addiction, and shows how the quest to unlock one's creativity can both inspire and destroy a person.
CRITICAL ACCLAIM FOR THE SUMMER OF CRUD:
"A slender, fast-paced, fever-dreamed excursion . . . undeniably addictive."-Kirkus Reviews, Recommended Review Selection
"Unique . . . extraordinary . . . a pot-smoking, paradigm-changing journey that brings readers along for a wild ride, offering a high-octane blend of psychological revelations and cultural observation."-Diane Donovan, Midwest Book Review
"I couldn't help but recall my first impressions of Journey to the End of the Night by Louis-Ferdinand C line... Danny's odyssey is both marred and enhanced by reality... most highly recommended."-Jack Magnus, Readers' Favorite (5 Stars)
"Like a bad trip-filthy in all sorts of ways, yet weirdly endearing."-Yuliya Geikhman, US Review of Books
"LaPoma paints a gritty picture of struggling young adults... Dan's demons are present on every page and readers that suffer from anxiety or depression are likely to connect with his struggle for belonging."-Red City Review
"One of those books that is so full of incredible quotes... like The Perks of Being a Wallflower's grungy older brother."-Audrey L., Warped Shelves
"Twisted enough to be intriguing... A deep, unique, extremely well-presented narrative of self-awareness while declining into mental illness."-Book Bangs
"Packed with life, lessons and realism. He gets into some deep shit and it will hit you . . . it really reached a part of my soul that's hard to get to."-Ash the Bookworm
THE ALACR N SERIES UNIVERSE:
The Summer of Crud is the second book in a loosely linked standalone novel series. Each novel features themes of alienation and transformation and can be read completely independently of the others. Explore the full universe:
- Book 1: Hammond - Book 2: The Summer of Crud - Book 3: Understanding the Alacr n - Book 4: Developing Minds: An American Ghost Story - Book 5: The Soul City Salvation
Permanently Preserved in National & Elite Research Libraries: The Library of Congress, University College London (UCL), and Zentralbibliothek Z rich (Switzerland).
Customer Reviews
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