Try free for 30 days

1 credit a month to use on any title, yours to keep (you’ll use your first credit on this title).
Stream or download thousands of included titles.
Access to exclusive deals and discounts.
$16.45 a month after 30 day trial. Cancel anytime.
Wild and Crooked cover art

Wild and Crooked

By: Leah Thomas
Narrated by: Madeleine Rose, Adam Sims, Christopher Ragland
Try for $0.00

$16.45 per month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy Now for $26.99

Buy Now for $26.99

Pay using voucher balance (if applicable) then card ending in
By confirming your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions Of Use and Privacy Notice and authorise Audible to charge your designated credit card or another available credit card on file.

Publisher's Summary

Bloomsbury presents Wild and Crooked by Leah Thomas, read by Madeleine Rose, Adam Sims and Christopher Ragland. 

Critically acclaimed author Leah Thomas blends a small-town setting with the secrets of a long-ago crime, in a compelling novel about breaking free from the past. 

In Samsboro, Kentucky, Kalyn Spence’s name is inseparable from the brutal murder her father committed when he was a teenager. Forced to return to town, Kalyn must attend school under a pseudonym...or face the lingering anger of Samsboro’s citizens, who refuse to forget the crime. 

Gus Peake has never had the luxury of redefining himself. A Samsboro native, he’s known either as the 'disabled kid' because of his cerebral palsy or as the kid whose dad was murdered. Gus just wants to be known as himself. 

When Gus meets Kalyn, her frankness is refreshing, and they form a deep friendship. Until their families’ pasts emerge. And when the accepted version of the truth is questioned, Kalyn and Gus are caught in the center of a national uproar. Can they break free from a legacy of inherited lies and chart their own paths forward? 

©2019 Leah Thomas (P)2019 Bloomsbury Publishing Plc

Critic Reviews

"Fiercely feminist and gorgeously inclusive, Wild and Crooked effortlessly compels the reader to explore what it means to discover the beautiful truth of who you are, and how to fight for the truth of those you love." (Shannon M. Parker, acclaimed author of The Girl Who Fell and The Rattled Bones)

"Morris finalist Thomas' poetic, figurative language beautifully defines each narrator [...] Thomas' forthright, sensitive treatment of homosexuality, class, race, and prejudice combine with fully developed characters to create a world peopled by marvelously real protagonists who have the courage to do the right thing." (Booklist, starred review)

"It’s refreshing to read teens having thoughtful conversations without losing their particular voices [...] YA authors looking to incorporate meaningful and moving LGBTQ stories into their novels: Take notes." (Entertainment Weekly

What listeners say about Wild and Crooked

Average Customer Ratings

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.

In the spirit of reconciliation, Audible acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of country throughout Australia and their connections to land, sea and community. We pay our respect to their elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples today.