Gone to the Wolves A Novel
Gone to the Wolves by John Wray, published by Farrar, Straus and Giroux on May 2, 2023, is a novel that explores the lives of three outliers in the heavy metal scene of late 1980s Gulf Coast Florida. Kip, Leslie, and Kira find solace in their shared passion for metal, which serves as a backdrop for their unconventional friendship. As they navigate the challenges of their families and the music industry, their bond deepens, leading them on a journey from Florida’s swamp country to the iconic Sunset Strip in Hollywood.
This edition presents a narrative that delves into themes of love, youth, and the darker aspects of the rock ‘n’ roll lifestyle. As the characters face personal struggles and the complexities of their relationships, the story unfolds against a vivid backdrop of heavy metal culture and the tumultuous experiences of adolescence. The novel captures the intensity of friendship during a formative time, highlighting how music can intertwine with life-altering decisions. With 400 pages of engaging prose, this literary work offers a unique perspective on coming of age in a world filled with both passion and peril.
Official synopsis Publisher
“A hair-raising, head-banging, meet-the-Devil epic tale of love, youth, and rock ’n’ roll.” —Andrew Sean Greer, Pulitzer Prize–winning author of Less Is Lost
Kip, Leslie, and Kira are outliers—even in the metal scene they love. In arch-conservative Gulf Coast Florida in the late 1980s, just listening to metal can get you arrested, but for the three of them the risk is well worth it, because metal is what leads them to one another.
Different as they are, Kip, Leslie, and Kira form a family of sorts that proves far safer, and more loving, than the families they come from. Together, they make the pilgrimage from Florida’s swamp country to the fabled Sunset Strip in Hollywood. But in time, the delicate equilibrium they’ve found begins to crumble. Leslie moves home to live with his elderly parents; Kip struggles to find his footing in the sordid world of LA music journalism; and Kira, the most troubled of the three, finds herself drawn to ever darker and more extreme strains of metal. On a trip to northern Europe for her twenty-second birthday, in the middle of a show, she simply vanishes. Two years later, the truth about her disappearance reunites Kip with Leslie, who in order to bring Kira home alive must make greater sacrifices than they could ever have imagined.
In his most absorbing and ambitious novel yet, John Wray dives deep into the wild, funhouse world of heavy metal and death cults in the 1980s and ’90s. Gone to the Wolves lays bare the intensity, tumult, and thrill of friendship in adolescence—a time when music can often feel like life or death.
Author
Publisher
Topics
FAQ
What is “Gone to the Wolves A Novel” about?
Who is the author of “Gone to the Wolves A Novel”?
When was “Gone to the Wolves A Novel” published?
What is the ISBN for “Gone to the Wolves A Novel”?
What are the book details (language, pages, edition)?
