A mesmerising and unsettling tale from a powerful new voice Seeking release from their small-town existence, two teenagers drive north on a vaguely plotted road trip.
Adam and Teddy hope to leave boyhood behind. But they carry with them all the upsets and resentments they have accrued in their unhappy lives to date.
As the pair’s journey progresses, the mood fluctuates as each of them sets out to prove himself. The dynamics of their friendship begin to unravel, culminating in an act of devastating – and all too familiar – violence.
In taut and stylish prose, The Passenger Seat examines how men learn and perform masculinity. Rejecting easy answers, it keeps our eyes trained on the vanishing point where vulnerability edges into violence, alienation into aggression.
‘Where Adolescence illuminated the myriad societal failures that are driving young boys to violence, this outstanding debut takes us inside the darkest and most vulnerable parts of their minds. Devastating…a tense and gripping power struggle of toxic masculinity.’ Guardian
‘Unsettling and powerful.’ New York Times Book Review
‘A masterclass in tension.’ Sydney Morning Herald
‘The Passenger Seat is an unforgiving, disturbing tale that resists any easy explanation, as Khurana considers the darkness of violence with a steely calm that refuses to let us look away.’ The Saturday Paper