Tapping the Source

By: Kem Nunn

Narrated by: Andrew Eiden

NATIONAL BOOK AWARD FINALIST

A reissue of the classic novel that inspired the movie Point Break and pioneered a genre.

People go to Huntington Beach in search of the endless parties, the ultimate highs, and the perfect waves. Ike Tucker has come to look for his missing sister and for the three men who may have murdered her. In that place of gilded surfers and sun-bleached blonds, Ike's search takes him on a journey through a twisted world of crazed Vietnam vets, sadistic surfers, drug dealers, and mysterious seducers. He looks into the shadows and finds parties that drift toward pointless violence, joyless vacations, and highs you may never come down from... and a sea of old hatreds and dreams gone bad. And if he's not careful, his is a journey from which he will never return.

©1984 Kem Nunn (P)2013 Audible, Inc.

Great narration

This has little to do with Point Break. There’s surfing in both, that’s all. This is a very well told story with great narration, two rarities with audio books. This held my attention from start to finish. I’ll be purchasing Kem’s other books

Good overall

Was looking for a book with a good storyline and surfing undertones. Could have done without all the explicit sexual language but otherwise a good book.

The original "Point Break"

If you are familiar with the film Point Break then you will know what kind of scene the book is set in. It may not be a literary masterpiece but the characters are colorful and well developed. The narrator is great making this an easy listen for your daily commute.

best surfing novel

if Thomas harris wrote surfing novels. great story, great feeling. good even if you're not into surfing

Gripping story telling

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

This is a wonderfully written story with several stories within the story. I enjoyed the gritty insights into a generation of surfers, the anatomy of who a surfer really is, the connection with recreational drugs and other exotic pastimes that can attract (or trap) young people in all modern generations and then the way these beautiful, athletic people drift away from that life style. I also enjoyed the insights into disenfranchised young people, how they keep their way or find their way back; good to the bone human beings. And then, the dark evil that finds its way into the lives of naïve young people. Kem Nunn is a talented writer who focuses on the smallest details to enrich his story.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Preston: He was deeply flawed, a born loser in many ways, but with a noble, brave heart who would go to the mat to repay a debt.

What does Andrew Eiden bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

He had the voice of the protagonist.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

I loved the descriptions of the act of surfing. Nunn uses verbal description much the way a good photographer uses the camera lens.