The Crossing

The Crossing
Jason Mott

New York Times bestselling author of The ReturnedStay and die, or run and survive.Twins Virginia and Tommy Matthews have been on their own since they were orphaned at the age of five, surviving a merciless foster care system by relying on each other. Twelve years later, the world begins to collapse around them as a deadly contagion steadily wipes out entire populations and a devastating world war rages on. When Tommy is drafted for the war, the twins are faced with a choice: accept their fate of almost certain death, or dodge the draft. Virginia and Tommy flee into the dark night.Armed with only a pistol and their fierce will to survive, the twins set forth in search of a new beginning. Encountering a colorful cast of characters along the way, Tommy and Virginia must navigate the dangers and wonders of this changed world as they try to outrun the demons of their past.With deft imagination and breathless prose, The Crossing is a riveting tale of loyalty, sacrifice and the burdens we carry with us into the darkness of the unknown.Readers love Jason Mott:“This is a deserving read and a solid addition to this genre”“A well written book.”“This was an intriguing novel, with a premise unique in the dystopian books I’ve read.”“an engrossing read.”“It's adventuresome, but also intellectually complex”“highly recommended”

Stay and die, or run and survive.

Twins Virginia and Tommy Matthews have been on their own since they were orphaned at the age of five, surviving a merciless foster care system by relying on each other. Twelve years later, the world begins to collapse around them as a deadly contagion steadily wipes out entire populations and a devastating world war rages on. When Tommy is drafted for the war, the twins are faced with a choice: accept their fate of almost certain death, or dodge the draft. Virginia and Tommy flee into the dark night.

Armed with only a pistol and their fierce will to survive, the twins set forth in search of a new beginning. Encountering a colorful cast of characters along the way, Tommy and Virginia must navigate the dangers and wonders of this changed world as they try to outrun the demons of their past.

With deft imagination and breathless prose, The Crossing is a riveting tale of loyalty, sacrifice and the burdens we carry with us into the darkness of the unknown.

JASON MOTT is the critically acclaimed and New York Times bestselling author of The Returned, which was adapted for a network television drama series. A Pushcart Prize nominee, Jason holds a BA in fiction and an MFA in poetry. He currently lives in North Carolina.

JasonMottAuthor.com (http://www.JasonMottAuthor.com)

Also By Jason Mott (#u1a514c9e-e573-5827-9d52-3a19530cf496)

The Returned

The Wonder of All Things

The Crossing

Jason Mott

Copyright (#u1a514c9e-e573-5827-9d52-3a19530cf496)

An imprint of HarperCollins Publishers Ltd.

1 London Bridge Street

London SE1 9GF

First published in Great Britain by HQ in 2018

Copyright © Jason Mott 2018

Jason Mott asserts the moral right to be identified as the author of this work.

A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.

This novel is entirely a work of fiction. The names, characters and incidents portrayed in it are the work of the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events or localities is entirely coincidental.

All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the non-exclusive, non-transferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on-screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, downloaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of HarperCollins.

Ebook Edition © May 2018 ISBN: 9781474083669

Praise for Jason Mott (#u1a514c9e-e573-5827-9d52-3a19530cf496)

“Spellbinding.”—People

“[A] poignant story of loss and love.”—Bookpage

“Lovely… A revelation.”—Bookreporter.com

“White-hot.”—Entertainment Weekly

“Exceptional…Riveting.”—Publishers Weekly, starred review

“Compulsively readable.”—The Washington Post

“Extraordinary.”—Douglas Preston

“Beautifully written…Breathtaking.”—Kirkus Reviews, starred review

“A deft meditation on loss.”—Aimee Bender

“Ambitious and heartfelt.”—The Dallas Morning News

“A beautiful meditation on what it means to be human.”—Booklist, starred review

“An impressive debut.”—USA TODAY

Contents

Cover (#ucfb6bb9b-b8a2-5128-b077-5fd447df87b2)

Back Cover Text (#u7afec1d0-934d-5d4f-9cf3-ca9465cf3791)

Booklist (#ub89e3bcd-f526-553d-9cb7-859e7753fdbd)

Title Page (#u579969fe-f321-5af3-a8b5-1e93efb949eb)

Copyright (#ue0b65b85-e7cc-58a4-83f2-9d626746cba2)

Praise for Jason Mott (#u776700da-83d2-5088-938d-9086a5bffd60)

LAUNCH (#u3bb0bc01-1def-5302-acaf-f1c8c95063f3)

PROLOGUE (#u3042fee2-a3a6-5b82-a5d7-9580036f5dff)

ESCAPE VELOCITIES (#u82196ef6-2ab3-5963-91b3-e867a81c48b0)

ONE (#ufe2babea-70e3-5345-9769-6b5cccbc40b6)

ELSEWHERE (#u6439c7b6-f211-51ad-a8c6-4e0b374ba96f)

TWO (#ucc1ad625-2597-5e3b-b2c9-122bc1853f90)