Teardown

In Teardown, Clea Young navigates the whitewater of relationships – familial and romantic, between friends new and old. Her stories seize on instances that, at the outset, appear benign – a woman encountering an old boyfriend on a BC ferry, a father chaperoning his daughter’s class on a field trip, a young waitress’ burgeoning friendship with a co-worker – but are in fact fraught, often pivotal times in her characters’ lives.

The stories in this arresting debut collection are populated with people you know and people you’ve been. They’re arguing about lamps in IKEA, drinking gin and tonics on a dock in summer, unemployed and without prospects. But under Young’s astute gaze they are anything but ordinary. With sharp, invigorated prose she guides us through shoals and rapids alike, along the way paying homage to our missteps, our foibles, and ultimately to the complicated hearts that comprise a life.

Reviews

“Clea Young’s debut story collection Teardown is out-and-out beautiful. Marital bliss and blitzed marriages, smoking sex, friendship between women, between children; real love in the furniture aisle ? all this and the opposite of all this ? vulnerability, loneliness, all the tough/tender moments of pregnancy and parenthood, desire gone cold; the polar dip after the hot tub. These stories are elegant, clear-eyed, wry or hilarious, and ultra-attentive to the way we live now. Read this! These are the kind of stories that become a part of you! “? Lisa Moore, author of Caught

“Clea Young writes vivid, whip-smart stories about people coping with the perils and pitfalls of modern life. I was bowled over by her talent as a storyteller and a stylist. Fans of Ann Beattie and Jennifer Egan will rejoice. A huge thumbs-up for Teardown.” ? Neil Smith, author of Boo

“By turns playful and tragic, Teardown captures a multitude of lives on the cusp of critical change. Young’s prose is nimble, her dialogue smart. This is a remarkable debut.” ? Billie Livingston, author of The Crooked Heart of Mercy

“Clea Young’s intelligent stories sparkle with life… clever and imaginative, an absolutely addictive read.” ? Zoe Whittall, author of Holding Still for As Long As Possible

“Young’s characters are people in motion, existing before and after our brief opportunity to peer into their lives. Beautifully nuanced, wise and energetic, this collection provides a rare and resonant encounter with characters we seem to understand everything ? and nothing ? about; as evident and unknowable as ourselves.” ? Miranda Hill, author of Sleeping Funny


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Details

Dimensions:

232 Pages
8.50in * 5.50in * .56in
330.00gr
.70lb

Published:

October 01, 2016

Publisher:

Freehand Books

ISBN:

9781988298016

Book Subjects:

FICTION / Short Stories

Featured In:

All Books

Language:

eng

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