Wonder Valley

"Destined to be a classic L.A. novel."--Michael Connelly When a teen runs away from his father's mysterious commune, he sets in motion a domino effect that will connect six characters desperate for hope and love, set across the sun-bleached canvas of Los Angeles. From the acclaimed author of Visitation Street, a visionary portrait of contemporary Los Angeles in all its facets, from the Mojave Desert to the Pacific, from the 110 to Skid Row. During a typically crowded morning commute, a naked runner is dodging between the stalled cars. The strange sight makes the local news and captures the imaginations of a stunning cast of misfits and lost souls. There's Ren, just out of juvie, who travels to LA in search of his mother. There's Owen and James, teenage twins who live in a desert commune, where their father, a self-proclaimed healer, holds a powerful sway over his disciples. There's Britt, who shows up at the commune harboring a dark secret. There's Tony, a bored and unhappy lawyer who is inspired by the runner. And there's Blake, a drifter hiding in the desert, doing his best to fight off his most violent instincts. Their lives will all intertwine and come crashing together in a shocking way, one that could only happen in this enchanting, dangerous city. Wonder Valley is a swirling mix of angst, violence, heartache, and yearning--a masterpiece by a writer on the rise.

About the Author :
Ivy Pochoda is the author of Wonder Valley and The Art of Disappearing. She grew up in Cobble Hill, Brooklyn, New York, and lived in Red Hook for several years. She attended Harvard University, where she studied classical Greek. She also holds an MFA from Bennington College. Will Damron has won several Earphones Awards and been a finalist for the prestigious Audie Award for best narration. He has had acting roles off-Broadway and on stage and screen throughout the country.

Review :
Wonder Valley is destined to be a classic LA novel...Impossible to put down. -- "Michael Connelly, #1 New York Times bestselling author" A dizzying, kaleidoscopic thriller that refuses to let readers look away from the dark side of Southern California...Impossible to put down...It's the memorable characters and beautiful prose that make the novel so successful. -- "Los Angeles Times" Ambitious, absorbing...Pochoda paints Southern California with a vibrant brush, rendering an evocative landscape on which her desperate characters seek out redemption and rejuvenation. -- "Booklist" An unforgettable portrait of people who long, above all else, for community and connection. -- "Edan Lepucki, New York Times bestselling author" Each character is realized with vivid empathy...A richly Californian novel, drenched in enough sunlight to illuminate the harshest of truths. -- "Entertainment Weekly" Incandescent...Pochoda keeps you guessing while bringing these lost souls wonderfully, intensely alive. -- "People" Pochada has written a novel alive with empathy for the dispossessed. -- "Publishers Weekly" Pochoda takes readers places they don't often see with authenticity and clarity. Her description of the daily lives of the urban homeless is particularly vivid and sympathetic. -- "Library Journal" The gritty lives of Southern California drifters are entwined first by circumstance, then by love and revenge...Absorbing, finely detailed, nasty California noir. -- "Kirkus Reviews (starred review)"