The Climbers

Heralding his outstanding return to young adult fiction, Keith Gray captures the subtle agonies of teen life in this compelling, bittersweet tale of rivalry and friendship. In this compelling story of teenage rivalry and friendship, award-winning author Keith Gray captures the subtle agonies and reality of life growing up in a small town. Sully is the best climber in the village. He can scale the Twisted Sister’s tangled branches and clamber up Double Trunker with ease. But when new kid Nottingham shows up and astonishes everyone with his climbing skills, Sully’s status is under threat and there’s only one way to prove who’s best. Sully and Nottingham must race to climb the last unnamed tree. Whoever makes it to the top will become a legend. But something spiteful and ugly has reared its head in Sully … Is it worth losing everything just to reach the top? In The Climbers, Keith Gray masterfully explores the coming-of-age themes in a short, yet impactful narrative. The story, a prize-worthy fiction, encapsulates the struggles of young adults under peer pressure, their virtues, and the social values they uphold. For fans of Nathanael Lessore (What Happens Online), Sarah Crossan (Moonrise), Teresa Toten (Beware that Girl), Jason Reynolds (Twenty-Four Seconds From Now), and A. M. Dassu (Boy, Everywhere). HarperCollins 2024