Beautifully written with tenderness and wisdom, A Crooked Tree is at once an urgent, propulsive study of grief, anger, and family secrets, and a tightly wound coming-of-age story filled with complexity and grace. This is an accomplished book, and Libby Gallagher is one of the best young narrators I’ve met in years.” — Elizabeth Wetmore, New York Times bestselling author of Valentine
“The menace in this moody, meticulously plotted debut lies not in preposterous plot twists, but within the mysteries of dysfunctional families, close-knit neighborhoods harboring dark secrets, and adolescents’ imperfect and sometimes disastrous, understanding of the world of adults.” — Sarah Lyall, The New York Times Book Review
“A brilliant novel. Every page is rich in atmosphere, every character is vividly described.” — Sara Baume, author of Spill Simmer Falter Wither
“A Crooked Tree is a fiercely compelling novel about young people staring into a gritty adult world and fighting for their place in it. I couldn't stop reading because I had to find out what happened to these kids. Una Mannion shoots the lights out with this thrilling literary debut.” — Patrick Ryan, author The Dream Life of Astronauts
"Suspenseful, affecting, and disarmingly evocative of childhood and the not-so-distant era of the 1980s." — Kirkus Reviews
“I was quickly brought under the spell of this novel, which is filled with pathos, nostalgia, and the best kind of suspense. Una Mannion has beautifully captured the experience of being a child on the verge of adulthood, struggling to fill in the gaps in her understanding of the world around her without much help or mentorship. This is a novel about the way that adults fail children, but also about the moment a child first understands that the adults around her are human—and the empathy that comes with that realization." — Liz Moore, New York Times bestselling author of Long Bright River
“A Crooked Tree is completely entrancing—as suspenseful as a good thriller, steeped in an aching nostalgia but unflinchingly sharp-sighted. I tore through this novel.” — Julia Pierpont, New York Times bestselling author of Among the Ten Thousand Things
A brilliant novel. Every page is rich in atmosphere, every character is vividly described.”
“A Crooked Tree is completely entrancing—as suspenseful as a good thriller, steeped in an aching nostalgia but unflinchingly sharp-sighted. I tore through this novel.”
A Crooked Tree is a fiercely compelling novel about young people staring into a gritty adult world and fighting for their place in it. I couldn't stop reading because I had to find out what happened to these kids. Una Mannion shoots the lights out with this thrilling literary debut.”
Beautifully written with tenderness and wisdom, A Crooked Tree is at once an urgent, propulsive study of grief, anger, and family secrets, and a tightly wound coming-of-age story filled with complexity and grace. This is an accomplished book, and Libby Gallagher is one of the best young narrators I’ve met in years.”
I was quickly brought under the spell of this novel, which is filled with pathos, nostalgia, and the best kind of suspense. Una Mannion has beautifully captured the experience of being a child on the verge of adulthood, struggling to fill in the gaps in her understanding of the world around her without much help or mentorship. This is a novel about the way that adults fail children, but also about the moment a child first understands that the adults around her are human—and the empathy that comes with that realization."
The menace in this moody, meticulously plotted debut lies not in preposterous plot twists, but within the mysteries of dysfunctional families, close-knit neighborhoods harboring dark secrets, and adolescents’ imperfect and sometimes disastrous, understanding of the world of adults.”
Narrator Sophie Amoss excels in portraying Libby, a 15-year-old girl left to deal with the consequences after her mother rashly ejects her 12-year-old sister, Ellen, from the family car on a rural road five miles from home. When Ellen attempts to hitch a ride home, a disastrous event occurs that reverberates throughout Libby’s family. Amoss capitalizes on the story’s evocative language, setting, and strong characters. She has a special ability to provide the large cast with well-differentiated voices. The siblings are given youthful voices that make their worries apparent as they deal with men who may or may not have their best interests at heart. This is an atmospheric and moody coming-of-age story that looks at the results of one unfortunate act and its ensuing costs. E.J.F. © AudioFile 2021, Portland, Maine
Narrator Sophie Amoss excels in portraying Libby, a 15-year-old girl left to deal with the consequences after her mother rashly ejects her 12-year-old sister, Ellen, from the family car on a rural road five miles from home. When Ellen attempts to hitch a ride home, a disastrous event occurs that reverberates throughout Libby’s family. Amoss capitalizes on the story’s evocative language, setting, and strong characters. She has a special ability to provide the large cast with well-differentiated voices. The siblings are given youthful voices that make their worries apparent as they deal with men who may or may not have their best interests at heart. This is an atmospheric and moody coming-of-age story that looks at the results of one unfortunate act and its ensuing costs. E.J.F. © AudioFile 2021, Portland, Maine
