Description

Book Synopsis

Underground, in the tunnels beneath New York, a young man is missing.

Above ground, Ali Lateef of the NYPD is assigned the case. The boy's mother is reluctant to help and Emily, his girlfriend and only confidante, appears to have vanished too. Can Lateef find Lowboy before it's too late?

An extraordinary chronicle of a desperate young man and the race to find him, Lowboy is a modern masterpiece.



Trade Review
John Wray is the Next Wave of American fiction, and Lowboy, his crazy excavation of New York's underground, is brilliant -- Jonathan Lethem
A twenty-first century Holden Caulfield. * * Observer * *
Lowboy is exceptionally tender and acute . . . John Wray is a daring young writer. -- James Wood * * The New Yorker * *
A smart, moving thriller, and a deeply imaginative one, too. * * Time Out * *
Uncompromising, gripping and generally excellent . . . Immensely satisfying. -- Charles Bock * * The New York Times Book Review * *
One of our most astonishing and relevant young writers. * * Esquire * *
America's most original young writer has given us a book for the ages. Compelling, compassionate, and deeply unsettling, Lowboy introduces us to the brilliant sixteen-year-old Will Heller, a Holden Caulfield for our troubled times. -- GARY SHTEYNGART, author of Absurdistan
The novel has a thriller-like pace, and Wray keeps us riveted and guessing . . . The opening pages recall Salinger's Holden Caulfield, but the denouement and haunting aftertaste may make the stunned reader whisper "Dostoevsky." Yes, it really is that good. * * Kirkus * *
Sucks you into the tunnels under New York and doesn't let you go until its perfect ending. Wray effortlessly portrays the cracked and distorted mind of his teenage hero. What a beguiling novel. -- TIM PEARS, author of In the Place of Fallen Leaves
A psychotic, subterranean, environmentally conscious coming-of-age novel. It is also an affecting and affectionate love letter to New York. -- NATHAN ENGLANDER, author of The Ministry of Special Cases
Intriguing and original . . . Lowboy holds your attention to the very end. * * Sunday Herald * *
A bold and powerful novel that stays with you beyond the final page. * * Waterstone's Books Quarterly * *
Thrilling. * * The Times * *
Somewhere between a psychological thriller and literary novel, Lowboy holds your attention to the very end...intriguing and original. * * Sunday Herald * *

Lowboy

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    £10.44

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    RRP £10.99 – you save £0.55 (5%)

    Order before 4pm tomorrow for delivery by Sat 1 Aug 2026.

    A Paperback / softback by John Wray

    Out of stock

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      Publisher: Canongate Books
      Publication Date: Publication Date: 05/08/2010
      ISBN13: 9781847671523, 978-1847671523
      ISBN10: 1847671527

      Description

      Book Synopsis

      Underground, in the tunnels beneath New York, a young man is missing.

      Above ground, Ali Lateef of the NYPD is assigned the case. The boy's mother is reluctant to help and Emily, his girlfriend and only confidante, appears to have vanished too. Can Lateef find Lowboy before it's too late?

      An extraordinary chronicle of a desperate young man and the race to find him, Lowboy is a modern masterpiece.



      Trade Review
      John Wray is the Next Wave of American fiction, and Lowboy, his crazy excavation of New York's underground, is brilliant -- Jonathan Lethem
      A twenty-first century Holden Caulfield. * * Observer * *
      Lowboy is exceptionally tender and acute . . . John Wray is a daring young writer. -- James Wood * * The New Yorker * *
      A smart, moving thriller, and a deeply imaginative one, too. * * Time Out * *
      Uncompromising, gripping and generally excellent . . . Immensely satisfying. -- Charles Bock * * The New York Times Book Review * *
      One of our most astonishing and relevant young writers. * * Esquire * *
      America's most original young writer has given us a book for the ages. Compelling, compassionate, and deeply unsettling, Lowboy introduces us to the brilliant sixteen-year-old Will Heller, a Holden Caulfield for our troubled times. -- GARY SHTEYNGART, author of Absurdistan
      The novel has a thriller-like pace, and Wray keeps us riveted and guessing . . . The opening pages recall Salinger's Holden Caulfield, but the denouement and haunting aftertaste may make the stunned reader whisper "Dostoevsky." Yes, it really is that good. * * Kirkus * *
      Sucks you into the tunnels under New York and doesn't let you go until its perfect ending. Wray effortlessly portrays the cracked and distorted mind of his teenage hero. What a beguiling novel. -- TIM PEARS, author of In the Place of Fallen Leaves
      A psychotic, subterranean, environmentally conscious coming-of-age novel. It is also an affecting and affectionate love letter to New York. -- NATHAN ENGLANDER, author of The Ministry of Special Cases
      Intriguing and original . . . Lowboy holds your attention to the very end. * * Sunday Herald * *
      A bold and powerful novel that stays with you beyond the final page. * * Waterstone's Books Quarterly * *
      Thrilling. * * The Times * *
      Somewhere between a psychological thriller and literary novel, Lowboy holds your attention to the very end...intriguing and original. * * Sunday Herald * *

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