About the Author

TYLER MCMAHON is the author of the novels Kilometer 99 (2014) and How the Mistakes Were Made (2011). He teaches fiction writing at Hawaii Pacific University and is the editor of Hawaii Pacific Review. He lives in Honolulu with his wife, food writer Dabney Gough.

Reviews

"In this dark adventure tale, McMahon summons both the mystical joys of surfing and the angst of young people trying to navigate a treacherous world." --Booklist "With immediacy, ferocity and a deep sense of place, Tyler McMahon draws his reader into the complex world of American aid in foreign countries, in this case El Salvador. The main characters in Kilometer 99 are idealistic and sympathetic, but as they strive to protect themselves and each other in a country crumbling after a catastrophic earthquake, they are forced to make decisions that push them ever further from their moral center. In bold, tight prose, McMahon explores a world replete with drugs, corruption, money, and the undying devotion of two lovers pushed to the edge of their humanity." --Kristiana Kahakauwila, author of This is Paradise "Kilometer 99 is the best surf novel of the 21st Century. Set in war torn El Salvador at a time of terrible destruction, it is a world filled with drugs, danger, moral ambiguity, thrilling adventure, suspense, tragedy and triumph. The narrator, Malia, mines the essence of surf culture with spectacular authenticity. It is a coming of age story, a story of loss and redemption, a universal story. Even if you've never stepped foot in the ocean, you will love this book." --Katie Arnoldi, author of Point Dume "Adventure thrums in the landscapes of El Salvador, in the point breaks of the Pacific, and in the hearts of these young travelers trying to navigate love and purpose in a shaken country. The surfing passages are mesmerizing. " --David Bajo, author of The 351 Books of Irma Arcuri