The Tragic Age

TheTragic Age is a brilliant, debut coming-of-agenovel about a misanthropic young man learning to love, trust, and truly bealive in an absurd world.

This is the story of Billy Kinsey, heir to a lotteryfortune, part genius, part philosopher and social critic, full-time insomniac,and closeted rock drummer. Billy has decided that the best way to deal with anabsurd world is to stay away from it. Donot volunteer. Do not join in. Billy will be the first to tell you itdoesn’t always work—not when your twin sister, Dorie, has died, not when yourunhappy parents are at war with one another, not when frazzled soccer moms intwo-ton SUVs are more dangerous than atom bombs, and not when your guidancecounselor keeps asking why you haven’t applied to college.

Billy’s life changes when two people enter it.Twom Twomey is a charismatic renegade who believes that truly living meansgoing a little outlaw. Twom and Billy become each other’s benefactorand friend. At the same time, Billy is reintroduced to Gretchen Quinn, an oldand adored friend of Dorie’s. It is Gretchen who suggests to Billy that theworld can be transformed bycreativeacts of the soul.

With Twom, Billy visits the dark side. And withGretchen, Billy experiences possibilities.

He knows that one path is leading him towarddisaster and the other toward happiness. The problem is, Billy doesn’t trusthappiness. It’s the age he’s at—the tragic age.