Indies Introduce

Fiction

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  Relief Map, Rosalie Knecht
  Tin House Books, 9781941040225, March 27, 2016 (Fiction)
  

  In her beautifully written, fresh debut novel, Rosalie Knecht puts us in the middle of summer in a small rust-belt town in Pennsylvania. Lulling prose, vivid characters, and a sense of placemake this a rich and memorable read from an exciting new talent.

  Linda McLoughlin Figel, pages: a bookstore, (Manhattan Beach, CA)
  
  

  The relationships between sixteen-year-old Livy Marko, her best friend Nelson, and their contrasting parents—hers are too lax; his are too strict—are forever altered when they become caught up in a robbery and kidnapping that goes awry. The dying Rust Belt town of Lomath, Pennsylvania, is road-blocked and its electricity cut off while the FBI conducts a house-by-house search for an international criminal who is believed to be hiding nearby. As the lockdown continues, paranoia grows, long-hidden secrets are revealed, and Livy and Nelson learn that even unintentional actions can have irreparable consequences. This suspenseful microcosm of teenage ennui and isolation surprises the reader with a fresh premise and likeable characters—an impressive debut of literary fiction with strong YA appeal. 

  Shirley Wells, Watermark Books & Cafe, Wichita, KS