by Ivy Pochoda
First published 2017
Owen lives with his twin brother James at their father's desert commune, where disciples follow a self-proclaimed healer's powerful influence. When Owen runs away, his escape sets off a chain reaction that pulls together six desperate lives across Los Angeles. Ren, fresh from juvenile detention, searches the city for his mother. Britt arrives at the commune carrying a dangerous secret. Tony, a dissatisfied lawyer, finds himself captivated by news footage of a naked man running between stalled cars during morning rush hour. Blake hides in the desert, struggling to suppress his violent urges. As their paths cross from the Mojave to Skid Row, from the 110 freeway to the Pacific coast, these lost souls collide in ways that reveal both the city's allure and its menace. Their interconnected stories build toward a devastating convergence that exposes the yearning and violence beneath LA's sun-bleached surface.
Genres: fiction, drama, mystery, crime, contemporary, thriller
Vibes: atmospheric, dark, emotional, intimate, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: found-family, interconnected-narratives, psychological-suspense
Setting: Mojave, Los Angeles, Skid Row, Pacific Coast
Period: Contemporary
336 pages · Hardcover · Ecco
Content warnings: violence