Synopses & Reviews
A wannabe punk rocker who writes bad haiku poetry, 15-year-old Sam is fed up with his middleclass parents, his geeky best friend, and his inability to do the raddest skateboard tricks. Then he meets Clay. Mistaking lust for fate, Sam becomes obsessed with the 17-year-old surferboy, whose island cool masks an internal conflict even darker than Sam's. Directing his furious energy toward winning Clay's heart, Sam goes on a reckless odyssey to become everything Clay seems to be. Through hurricanes, car accidents, teenage parties, and monster waves they ricochet off each other until, on a remote beach, in the flickering light of torches and campfires, the violence and tumult of Clay and Sams dynamic propels them both through the hardest decisions and obstacles of their young lives.
Set against the dazzling backdrop of Hawaii's Oahu and Kauai islands, Clay's Way seethes with the energy and the hormonally charged nihilism of its characters. Twenty-four-year-old first-time novelist Blair Mastbaum has written a startlingly authentic account of 21st-century teens, careening toward adulthood, devoid of guidance, fueled by alcohol, drugs, and rage.
Review
"Fierce.(Because characters worth caring about are always good style.)"--Kief Hillsbery, author of "Warboy"
Synopsis
Set against the dazzling backdrop of Hawaii’s Oahu and Kauai islands, Clay’s Way seethes with energy and hormonally charged nihilism. For 15-year-old Sam, a wanna-be punk rocker who writes bad haiku poetry, his middle-class suburban life feels like a prison. Mistaking lust for fate, Sam becomes obsessed with Clay, a 17-year-old surfer, outwardly cool but equally adrift. The violence and tumult of Clay’s search for identity propels him, with desperately confused Sam in his wake, through the hardest decisions and obstacles of their young lives.
24-year-old Blair Mastbaum graduated from the University of California, Berkeley, with a degree in fine arts. He was a fashion model for six years, and now lives in Beverly Hills, where he is hard at work on his second novel.
Synopsis
Hypnotic and haunting, this startlingly authentic debut novel presents a viscerally exciting look at contemporary teen life.
About the Author
Blair Mastbaum graduated from the University of California, Berkeley, with a degree in fine arts. He has attended workshops under the guidance of novelist John Rechy, and he contributes reviews on art, music and hotels to various publications. He was a fashion model for six years, traveling the globe for such houses as Versace and Calvin Klein. He lives in Beverly Hills, where he is hard at work on his second novel.